How We Determine Temperament On The Highlands We Sell

UCDS
Universal Cattle Docility Scale
Rating: 1 + (Plus)
Label: Show Quality
Description: Mild disposition, gentle and easily handled, stands and moves slowly during handling,
undisturbed, settled, somewhat dull, does not pull on head gate when in crush, exits crush calmly. This animal
will accept a halter, stand untethered for human contact (brushing or hand feeding). Will lead or stand tied
without resistance. An animal with this rating is what you expect to see from a champion caliber show cow.
Rating: 1 Label: Docile
Description: Mild disposition, gentle and easily handled, stands and moves slowly during handling,
undisturbed, settled, somewhat dull, does not pull on head gate when in crush, exits crush calmly. This animal
will stand untethered for human contact and accept food from a human’s hand.
Rating: 2 Label: Restless
Description: Quiet but slightly restless, may be stubborn during handling, may try to back out crush, pulls
back on head gate, some flicking of the tail, exits crush promptly. This animal will accept treats directly from a
human’s hand. An animal with this rating will be content with a human in any enclosure with a dimension under
20’. They may accept occasional human contact, such as petting or brushing, particularly in a confined space.
Will come to grain if a human is within 2’ of the feed.
Rating: 3 Label: Nervous
Description: Manageable but nervous and impatient, a moderate amount of struggling, movement, and tail
flicking, repeated pushing and pulling on head gate, exits crush briskly. The animal will flee human presence
within 10 feet. An animal with this rating will keep the most distance possible from a human in any enclosure
with a dimension under 20’. Will not come to grain if a human is within 2’ of the feed.
Rating: 4 Label: Flighty
Description: Jumpy and out of control, quivers and struggles violently, may bellow and froth at
the mouth, continuous tail flicking, defecates and urinates during handling, frantically runs fence
line and may jump when penned individually, exhibits long flight distance and exits crush
wildly. The animal will flee human presence within 50 feet. An animal with this rating will be
anxious and searching for an opening in any enclosure with a dimension under 20’ when human
presence is in the same space. Will not come to grain if a human is within 5’ of the feed.
Rating: 5 Label: Aggressive
Description: May be similar to score 4 but with added aggressive behavior fearful, extreme
agitation, continuous movement which may include jumping and bellowing while in crush, exits
crush frantically and may exhibit attack behavior when handled alone. The animal will flee any
human presence within a 100-foot radius. An animal with this rating will try to escape any
enclosure with a dimension under 20’ when human presence is in the same space. Will not come
to grain if a human is within 20’ of the feed.
Blended Ratings
Rating an animal may not be as simple as applying a single description. Some cows may fall into
2 or more of the rating categories. In this case a blended rating is used to best portray the
personality of the cow.
Half Score
Use of a ½ score is acceptable when the animal is described by two consecutive rating
descriptions in the UCDS. The half score is used to show a more accurate picture of the cow’s
docility.
Example: 1.5 – A cow that is typically calm and accepts human contact untethered, but shows
nervousness and resistance in the crush
Average Score
Use of an average score is used when the cow’s behavior is described by 2 or more rating
descriptions that may or may not be in consecutive order on the UCDS. The rating is determined
by taking the average of the applicable descriptions and applying a whole number preceded by
the word “Average” or the abbreviation “AV”.
Example: Average 3 or AV3 – A cow who is will come to feed with a human within 2’ but
attempts to jump a fence in an enclosure of under 20’ when human presence is in the same space.
History
The pet cow industry became increasingly popular in the 21st century. Homestead farms were
becoming smaller and the farmers had less room to produce the same resources. The focus
changed from quantity to quality. The Universal Cattle Docility Scale or “UCDS” was created
based on the need to have a uniform rating system to portray the docility of the cattle being
traded. This system is based on a program formerly known as BreedPlan. BreedPlan was
developed for the commercial Angus cattle industry and has been used with much success for
decades. While still in use, BreedPlan is expanded into a broader scope of cattle genetics. UCDS
focuses solely on the temperament of the cattle