Eye White Percentage as a Predictor of Temperament in Beef Cattle (Core et al., University of Guelph, Guelph) Source: University of Arkansas Accurately evaluating and selecting for calm temperament in beef cattle is important for economic and animal welfare reasons. Previous studies have shown that eye white can be a predictor of a multitude of emotions across different situations, but there is little research on the relationship between eye white and temperament. The objective of this experiment was to assess the accuracy and reliability of using the percentage of exposed eye white as a predictor of temperament in beef cattle. Forty-eight heifers, 39 bulls and 60 steers were video-recorded while in a squeeze chute, and two still digital images from each animal were selected for eye white determination. Chute temperament scores were assigned: 1 (calm) to 5 (agitated). Flight speeds were measured blindly and independently during a subsequent test where the amount of time it took a solitary animal to pass a handler and travel a specified distance was recorded. Eye white area was expressed as the percentage of exposed eye area. Each image was analyzed twice to determine tracing repeatability. (1) The mean percentages of eye white were 30.1%, 31.4% and 28.6% for the heifers, bulls and steers, respectively. (2) The correlation coefficients for eye white percentage and chute temperament scores were 0.67, 0.95 and 0.70 for the heifers, bulls and steers, respectively. (3) The correlations between eye white and flight speeds were 0.42, 0.33 and 0.29 for the heifers, bulls and steers, respectively. Results from this study indicate that percent for the heifers, bulls and steers, respectively, could be used as a quantitative tool with minimal equipment to assess temperament in beef cattle, providing an objective method for temperament selection.