Disposition (temperament) has been defined as the usual attitude or mood of an animal or the tendency of an animal to act in a specific way. The Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) defines disposition as a measure of the relative docility, wildness or aggression of an animal toward unfamiliar situations, human handlers or management interventions.
According to BIF, disposition of beef cattle can be measured using chute scores, pen scores and chute exit velocities. Chute scores and pen scores are subjective evaluations of disposition and are recorded as animals are confined and approached in certain settings (chute or pen).
Chute exit velocities are objective evaluations of disposition. Exit velocities are recordings of the amount of time it takes for an animal to cover a set distance after exiting the chute.
In many cases, disposition has been considered a convenience trait, thought of when animals interacted with one another, when cows were protecting and caring for their calves and when animals were handled. Disposition has always been an important issue in the beef industry, as animal and handler safety were considered.
However, in recent years work has been done to examine the effects an animal’s disposition has on animal health, animal performance, beef quality and economic returns.
The research
Several years ago, Australian researchers considered the associations among beef cattle disposition, performance and immune function as the animals entered the feedlot. In the study, animals were evaluated for disposition using chute scores and exit velocities. These evaluations were used to create a comparison between animals with the best disposition (calm) and those with the worst disposition (nervous).
The nervous group of cattle had higher cortisol levels (indicator of stress), lower average daily gains and higher morbidity than the calm group. None of the calm animals were pulled for treatment during the feeding period versus five of 12 (42 percent) from the nervous group being pulled.
In 1982, the Iowa Tri-County Steer Carcass Futurity was started to provide producers with information on retained ownership, allowing producers to collect feedlot and carcass data to characterize and improve their herds. From 2002 to 2006, disposition was included in the evaluation of the consigned animals to determine whether an animal’s disposition had an impact on feedlot performance, carcass quality grades and economic returns.
Cattle in the study were assigned chute scores based on a 6-point disposition scoring system ranging from 1 (docile animals) to 6 (very aggressive animals). Researchers refined the evaluation of disposition by condensing the 6-point scoring system into three general classifications (scores 1 and 2 = docile, scores 3 and 4 = restless, scores 5 and 6 = aggressive).
The results
Results of the study indicate beef cattle health measures and economic returns are affected by disposition. In approximately 11,000 steer calves, the number of times animals were treated was impacted by disposition. Mortality rates (1.1 percent, 1.3 percent and 2.4 percent) increased as disposition scores increased (1, 2 and 3 or greater, respectively). Generally, cattle with more favorable dispositions were healthier and had fewer mortalities.
When all costs (cattle health, feedlot performance, carcass quality) were accounted for, docile calves had an average profit of $46.63 per head, restless calves had an average profit of $26.16 per head, and aggressive calves had an average profit of $7.62 per head.
In 2008, Mississippi State University researchers reported results from a study that looked at the effects of disposition on cattle performance, cattle health and carcass value. The study included information on cattle that were part of the Mississippi Farm to Feedlot program.
Cattle disposition was evaluated in chutes and pens using a 5-point scale (1 = docile; 5 = aggressive). In addition, exit velocities (speed at which animal leaves the chute) were recorded electronically. Treatment costs provide some indication of how level of disposition impacts animal health. No animals with pen scores of 1 were treated during the feedlot phase of the study.
Considering the other groups of animals (pen scores 2 through 5), treatment costs increased as pen score increased. These results suggest cattle with a more aggressive disposition had an increased number of days treated and increased treatment costs. Net profit was also significantly affected by disposition. Cattle with pen scores of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 (1 = docile; 5 = aggressive) had net profits per head of $121.89, $100.98, $107.18, $83.75 and $80.81, respectively.
Docility EPDs
Breed associations have used these measures of beef cattle disposition (temperament) to develop docility expected progeny differences (EPDs). Docility EPDs are available in the sire summaries of several breeds and can be used by producers to improve the disposition of their herds.
An example of how docility EPDs are used and interpreted follows: In a comparison of two bulls considered to be used on a group of beef females, it is noted Bull A has a docility EPD of +14.0, and Bull B has a docility EPD of +2.0. This suggests Bull A would sire 12 percent (14.0 - 2.0 = 12.0) more progeny with acceptable dispositions than Bull B.
Breed association sire summaries should be referred to for specific definitions of their EPDs. However, in general, increased values in docility EPDs correspond with improved dispositions.
While not all breed associations provide docility EPDs, all producers can make selection decisions that impact the disposition of their herds. Heritability estimates (portion of the variation in a trait due to genetics) for disposition (temperament) tend to be moderate to high, suggesting disposition will respond to selection.
Producers should have cattle in their herds that work for them, not against them. Cattle that challenge handlers and other animals, cattle that overreact to being confined in chutes and pens, and cattle that are easily put on the defensive should be culled from the herd and replaced with cattle that have more tolerable dispositions. Good records and observation can be valuable in identifying cattle with good and bad dispositions.
Incorporating disposition as a criterion in culling and selection programs can potentially lead to herds that produce calm, unexcitable cattle. Improvements in disposition can lead to improved productivity and profitability for beef cattle enterprises. 
PHOTO: Exit velocity and exit distance are criteria that have been used to establish temperament EPDs. Photo by Paul Marchant.
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J. Benton Glaze Jr.
- Extension Beef Cattle Specialist
- University of Idaho
- Email J. Benton Glaze Jr.
