Condition scoring scheme for small east African goats in Zimbabwe.

A body condition scoring for Small East African type goats in Zimbabwe is described. This measure is less affected by confounding variables than is body weight as an estimate of animal's condition and nutritional state. Furthermore, it requires no special equipment. Using this scheme it is shown that condition score is significantly correlated with a parametric measure of condition (r = 0.5, P less than 0.01) in adult females and that changes in condition score are significantly correlated to percentage changes in body weight (rs = 0.5, P less than 0.01) for all ages. A change of condition score of 1 represents on average a 12% change in body weight.