Managing Cows through Body Condition Scoring

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Managing Cows through Body Condition Scoring

• Julie Walker

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Condition Score 3
Outline of spine, ribs and hip visible. Slight
muscle atrophy
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Condition Score 5
Outline of spine, 1-2 ribs and hip bone
slightly visible. No fat in flanks or brisket
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Condition Score 7
Brisket, twist flanks full. Some fat in
udder around tail head
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Probability of cycling by thebeginning of the
breeding season
Probability
Pruitt and Momont
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Probability of pregnancy during a 60-day
breeding season
Probability
Pruitt and Momont
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Probability of conceiving in the first 21 days of
the breeding season
Probability
Pruitt and Momont
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Effect of Body Condition Score (BCS) at
parturition on Postpartum Interval (PPI)

• BCS
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7

• PPI, Days
• 88.5
• 69.7
• 59.4
• 51.7
• 30.6

Adapted from Houghton et al., 1990
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Effect of Postpartum Condition Score Change on
Pregnancy Rate

• BCS Status
• Thin (lt5) increasing CS
• Fleshy (gt5) increasing CS
• Thin (lt5) decreasing CS
• Fleshy (gt5) decreasing CS
• Moderate (4.5-5.5) maintaining

• Pregnant ()
• 100
• 75
• 69
• 94
• 100

Adapted from Houghton et al., 1990
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EFFECT OF PREPARTUM ENERGY LEVELS ONCALVING
DIFFICULTY AND CALF SURVIVAL

• Energy Levels
• Low
• High (70 NRC)
• Heifer wt.
• just prepartum, lb 992 900
• Heifer wt. change for
• 100 d prepartum, lb 79 -13
• Calf birthweight, lb 67.3 62.0
• Calving difficulty 26.7 27.6
• calves alive at birth 96.7 89.7
• heifers cycling by
• breeding season 74.1 55.9
• Corah et al., 1975

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Effect of Days to Calving on Proportions of
Feedstuffs Necessary to Achieve Desired Daily
Gain for an 1100 lb. Pregnant Cow
4 to 5 Body Condition
.62
.71
.82
.98
1.23 1.63
Adapted from Buskirk et al., 1992
Desired daily gain (lb/day)
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Effect of Days to Calving on Proportions of
Feedstuffs Necessary to Achieve Desired Daily
Gain for an 1100 lb. Pregnant Cow
3 to 5 Body Condition
1.24 1.40 1.63 1.96
2.44
Not Possible
Adapted from Buskirk et al., 1992
Desired daily gain (lb/day)
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Summary

• Body Condition Scoring is a good management tool
  for monitoring the nutritional status of beef
  cattle.
• Most reproductive failures in beef females can be
  attributed to improper nutrition.