Herd Assessment Pack Tools

The InCalf herd assessment tools help dairy farmers and their advisers investigate key management areas which affect herd reproductive performance. Past and present herd performance and likely future outcomes can be assessed. Sound decisions based on potential economic benefits of management change can then be made.

Some of the tools are common to all calving systems. Others are specifically for seasonal /split or year-round calving systems.

What is your calving system?

The tools are available for everyone to use.

For seasonal/split calving herds  For year-round calving herds
AI practices tool   AI practices tool 
Body condition at calving tool   Body condition at calving tool 
Body condition loss tool   Body condition loss tool
Bull management practices tool   Bull management practices tool
Calving pattern tool   Heat detection tool
Heat detection tool   Heifer rearing tool 
Heifer rearing tool Individual cow health tool
Individual cow health tool Voluntary waiting period (VWP) tool 
Length of mating period tool


The tools are not intended to all be used at once. If you have a seasonal/split calving herd, specific tools are best used at specific times throughout the year to look at past and present performance and likely future outcomes. View example.

Advisers who have completed the InCalf Adviser Training Course have been trained to use these tools in paper form and as simple PC programs. Contact an InCalf adviser in your region.

Individual cow body condition score monitor sheet

If you wish to record individual cow ID’s when you body condition score, use the Individual Cow Body Condition Score Monitor sheet if you have a seasonal or split calving herd or theBody Condition Score Monitor Sheet if you have a year-round calving herd, instead of the InCalf Body Condition Score Tally Sheet.

Note InCalf is working with farmers and their advisers to continually develop the Herd assessment pack of tools. The current version is Version 1.6. InCalf suggests that you visit the InCalf website regularly and upgrade to new versions of the tools as they are posted.