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    Body Condition Scoring

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    roymalindo
    Body condition scoring is a tool for assessing beef cows' stored energy reserves based on visible fat and muscle. A cow's body condition score at calving impacts her reproductive success and calf health. Proper body condition involves balancing nutrient intake with requirements through grazing management and supplementation. Maintaining body condition scores of 5-6 for mature cows and 6-7 for first-calf heifers at calving optimizes reproductive performance.

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    Body Condition Scoring

    Uploaded by

    roymalindo
    99 views39 pages
    Body condition scoring is a tool for assessing beef cows' stored energy reserves based on visible fat and muscle. A cow's body condition score at calving impacts her reproductive success and calf health. Proper body condition involves balancing nutrient intake with requirements through grazing management and supplementation. Maintaining body condition scores of 5-6 for mature cows and 6-7 for first-calf heifers at calving optimizes reproductive performance.

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    Body Condition Scoring

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    Body condition scoring is a tool for assessing beef cows' stored energy reserves based on visible fat and muscle. A cow's body condition score at calving impacts her reproductive success and calf health. Proper body condition involves balancing nutrient intake with requirements through grazing management and supplementation. Maintaining body condition scores of 5-6 for mature cows and 6-7 for first-calf heifers at calving optimizes reproductive performance.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
    99 views39 pages

    Body Condition Scoring

    Uploaded by

    roymalindo
    Body condition scoring is a tool for assessing beef cows' stored energy reserves based on visible fat and muscle. A cow's body condition score at calving impacts her reproductive success and calf health. Proper body condition involves balancing nutrient intake with requirements through grazing management and supplementation. Maintaining body condition scores of 5-6 for mature cows and 6-7 for first-calf heifers at calving optimizes reproductive performance.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
    of 39

    Body Condition Scoring

    Beef Cows
    Body condition score is an
    indicator of stored energy
    reserves

    Fat tissue
    Protein tissue (muscle and organs)
    Why is body condition important?
     Close relationship between body condition score (BCS)
    at calving and first 90 days after calving to
     Reproductive success
     Calf immune system
     Current BCS is a result of
     Balance between recent nutrient supply and recent nutrient
    requirements
     Management (grazing management, supplementation program,
    herd health program, timing of calving, etc.)
     Match or mismatch of cows genetic potential to the forage and
    management system
    Body Condition Scoring System
    1 = Emaciated
    2 = Extremely thin
    3 = Thin
    4 = Slightly thin
    5 = Moderate 95%
    6 = Moderate to “fleshy”
    7 = “Fleshy” to fat
    8 = Fat
    9 = Obese
    Approximately 80 lb from one score to the next
    The skeleton becomes more visible
    with increasing fat and muscle loss
    Lumbar vertebrae
    Thoracic vertebrae Hip

    Ribs

    Transverse process of
    the lumbar vertebrae

    Source: Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Beef Cattle – 2013
    National Farm Animal Care Council
    Key Areas to Evaluate
    Thoracic vertebrae
    (spine over shoulders and ribs)

    Ribs

    Lumbar vertebrae
    (transverse processes)

    Hip between hooks and pins

    Sacrum or tail head

    Muscling in rear quarter


    Transverse Processes
    of the Lumbar Vertebrae
    Examples
    BCS 2 to BCS 9
    The Science
    %Fat = -6.75 + 3.645 CS R2 = .82

    Wagner, J.J. 1985


    Body Condition Score at
    Calving and Pregnancy Rate

    Body Condition of Cows and Heifers at Calving

    Source: Kunkle et al., 1994


    Predicted Number of Days from
    Calving to First Heat
    Condition
    score
    at calving Condition score change after calving to day 90
    -1 -0.5 0 0.5 1 1.5 2
    3 189 173 16060 150 143 139 139
    4 161 145 131 121 115 111 111
    5 133 116 103 93 86 83 82
    5.5 118 102 89 7799 72 69 66

    Source: Lalman et al., 1997


    Passive Transfer in Calves
    Born to Heifers
    3000 IgM
    2500 IgG

    2000

    1500

    1000

    500

    0
    2 3 4 5 6

    Body Condition of Heifer at Calving


    Source: Odde, 1986
    Effect of Reducing Pre-calving
    Energy to 2-year-old heifers

    65% NRC 100% NRC


    Birth wt 58 75
    % assisted 27 28
    % alive at birth 90 100

    % w/scours 52 33
    % mortality 19 0
    % alive at wean 71 100
    Now it’s your turn
    Practical Use
     Collect individual cow weight and BCS at
    weaning – genetic evaluation and culling
     Monitor herd BCS as calving season
    approaches
     Goal
     Calve mature cows in BCS 5 to 6 and 1st-calf heifers
    in BCS 6 to 7
     Minimize weight and BCS loss through the breeding
    season, especially 1st 90 days after calving
    Summary
     BCS is highly related to body energy stores
     Body fat composition at calving is a critical
    factor in determining time to breed back
     Keep it simple. Give fat cows fat scores and
    thin cows thin scores - 80 lb between scores
     If you are continually having to play catch up
    (feed) to improve BCS prior to calving,
    something is wrong with genetics,
    management or both

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