Cattle Health Observation Checklist

Daily Cattle Health Observation Checklist

Instructions for Use

Complete this checklist during your daily herd observation. Start by watching cattle from a distance so you can assess their natural behavior before you walk up and change it. Note any abnormalities for follow-up. Consistent daily observation is the single best way to catch health problems early, when they're easiest and cheapest to treat.

Section 1: General Appearance & Behavior

Observe from a Distance First

Observation Point	Normal	Abnormal
Alertness	Aware of surroundings, ears forward when approached	Dull, unresponsive, depressed
Position in Herd	Moving with group	Separated, lagging behind
Posture	Standing normally, moves freely	Hunched, reluctant to move, lying down excessively
Gait	Even, four-beat walk	Limping, stiff, reluctant to bear weight
Appetite	Coming to feed/water, grazing normally	Not eating, standing at feeder without eating

Behavior Red Flags (Mark if Observed)

Standing alone, away from herd
Head lowered, ears drooping
Grinding teeth (sign of pain)
Excessive vocalization
Repeatedly lying down and getting up
Kicking at belly (abdominal pain)
Straining to urinate or defecate
Excessive scratching or rubbing

Section 2: Physical Examination Points

Head & Face

Feature	Normal	Abnormal	Check
Eyes	Clear, bright, alert	Discharge, cloudiness, swelling, squinting	[ ]
Nose	Moist, clear	Discharge (clear, white, yellow, bloody), dry and crusty	[ ]
Muzzle	Normal moisture	Drooling, lesions, ulcers	[ ]
Ears	Upright, responsive	Drooping, head tilt, discharge	[ ]
Jaw/Throat	Normal contour	Swelling (bottle jaw, lumpy jaw, abscesses)	[ ]

Breathing

Feature	Normal	Abnormal	Check
Respiratory Rate	10-30 breaths/min at rest	>40 breaths/min, labored	[ ]
Breathing Pattern	Even, quiet	Open-mouth breathing, extended head/neck, abdominal effort	[ ]
Sounds	Quiet	Coughing, wheezing, grunting	[ ]

Body Condition & Coat

Feature	Normal	Abnormal	Check
Body Condition	Appropriate for stage (BCS 4-7)	Thin (ribs/spine visible) or obese	[ ]
Hair Coat	Smooth, shiny, appropriate for season	Rough, dull, patchy, excessive shedding	[ ]
Skin	Supple, no lesions	Lumps, bumps, wounds, hair loss, scabs	[ ]
Hydration	Skin snaps back quickly	Skin tenting (stays up when pinched)	[ ]

Abdomen & Hindquarters

Feature	Normal	Abnormal	Check
Rumen Fill (left side)	Moderately full, soft	Extremely full/tight, empty, gas distension	[ ]
Manure	Formed but soft, normal color	Diarrhea, bloody, mucus, constipation	[ ]
Tail/Perineum	Clean	Manure-coated, discharge, straining	[ ]
Udder (females)	Normal size, no heat/swelling	Swollen, hot, hard, abnormal milk	[ ]

Legs & Feet

Feature	Normal	Abnormal	Check
Movement	Even weight bearing	Favoring leg, limping, reluctance to walk	[ ]
Joints	Normal size, no heat	Swelling, heat, stiffness	[ ]
Feet	Standing squarely	Overgrown hooves, lesions between toes, swelling above hoof	[ ]

Section 3: Environmental Check

Water

Item	Status	Action Needed
Water available	[ ] Yes [ ] No
Water clean	[ ] Yes [ ] No
Tanks/troughs functioning	[ ] Yes [ ] No
Ice cleared (winter)	[ ] Yes [ ] No

Feed

Item	Status	Action Needed
Feed available	[ ] Yes [ ] No
Feed fresh (not moldy)	[ ] Yes [ ] No
Feeders accessible	[ ] Yes [ ] No
Mineral available	[ ] Yes [ ] No

Facilities

Item	Status	Action Needed
Fences intact	[ ] Yes [ ] No
Gates secure	[ ] Yes [ ] No
Shade available (summer)	[ ] Yes [ ] No
Shelter accessible (winter)	[ ] Yes [ ] No
No hazards visible	[ ] Yes [ ] No

Section 4: Specific Counts

Head Count

Group	Expected	Counted	Missing
Cows
Bulls
Calves
Heifers
Steers
TOTAL

Animals Requiring Follow-Up

ID/Description	Issue Observed	Priority	Action Plan
		[ ] Urgent [ ] Monitor
		[ ] Urgent [ ] Monitor
		[ ] Urgent [ ] Monitor
		[ ] Urgent [ ] Monitor
		[ ] Urgent [ ] Monitor

Section 5: Seasonal Considerations

Spring Checks (add to daily)

Calving progress/issues
Calf vigor and nursing
Grass tetany risk (lactating cows on lush pasture)
Toxic plant emergence

Summer Checks (add to daily)

Heat stress signs (panting, bunching, shade seeking)
Fly burden
Water consumption adequate
Pinkeye signs

Fall Checks (add to daily)

Body condition before winter
Pregnancy status known
Acorn/fall poisoning risk
Lice emergence

Winter Checks (add to daily)

Water not frozen
Adequate feed intake
Shelter use in storms
Cold stress signs
Lice population

Section 6: Quick Reference - When to Act

EMERGENCY - Call Vet Immediately

Animal down and cannot rise
Severe bleeding
Difficult calving (no progress for 1-2 hours)
Prolapse (uterine or vaginal)
Bloat (distended left side, difficulty breathing)
Multiple animals suddenly sick
Suspected poisoning

URGENT - Same Day Attention

High fever (>104°F)
Severe lameness (non-weight bearing)
Respiratory distress
Severe diarrhea with dehydration
Eye injury or severe pinkeye
Mastitis signs
Newborn calf not nursing

MONITOR - Watch Closely

Mild lameness
Mild eye discharge
Single animal off feed
Minor wounds
Mild diarrhea
Early respiratory signs (clear nasal discharge, occasional cough)

Daily Observation Log

Summary

Total animals observed: _______
Animals with issues identified: _______
Urgent matters: _______

Notes:

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Actions Taken Today:

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Follow-Up Needed Tomorrow: