Evaluation of temperament tests in beef steers

Abstract

The aim of the study was to evaluate three times repetited measurements of the beef steers temperament using of the Scale Test (1–5 score from docile to wild) and the Flight Speed Test (the time taken to cover a set distance of 1.7 m after leaving the weight scale in tenths of a second). Ten Charolais and 10 Hungarian Grey steers were used. At the start of testing, the Charolais and Hungarian Grey steers aged 446 and 487 days, respectively, while the following measurements were realized at their average age of 553 and 594 days, respectively and of 713 and 754 days, respectively. The mean temperament scores revealed that temperament was fairly consistent in Hungarian Grey steers (1.3–1.4–1.4) and it worsened in Charolais ones only on the third measurement (1.6–1.5–2.5). Flight speed varied non-significantly in Charolais (2.77–2.89–2.46 s) and in Hungarian Grey (4.09–5.01–5.33 s) steers either through the study. In our opinion, the successive use of the Scale Test and the Flight Speed Test can offer a more reliable measure of cattle temperament when the sample is small.

Keywords

• temperament
• Scale Test
• Flight Speed test
• beef steers