ABP GUEST EDITORIAL
COW BODY CONDITION SCORE – A CATTLEMAN’S MANAGEMENT TOOL by Dr. Kelly Sanders Westway Feed Products
One of the most important factors in cattle production is the reproductive performance. Protein and energy levels, mineral deficiencies and/or health challenges can each affect the nutritional status of the cow. When cows are in adequate body condition (fat stores) they are in proper health and nutritional status to return to estrus and become pregnant with their next calf. Short and Adams (1988) reported that nutrient intake was prioritized by the body in a specific order, see table below. Bottom line is that reproductive efficiency is a corner stone for a profitable operation! One fundamental management tool that can help cattlemen gauge the nutritional status of their herd is the evaluation of body condition at important times during the production cycle. The common body condition scoring system that has been developed for beef cattle is on a scale of 1-9 (Whitman 1975). Body condition of 1 would be emaciated while a body condition score of 9 would be considered obese. A condition score of 5-6 is ideal. Once scores become lower than 5 a cow’s performance will start to decrease. The same result can happen if cows become too fat, exhibiting scores above 7. The loss of body condition score is associated with the loss in body weight. One body condition score is approximately 60 pounds for a 1200 pound cow and will be more than 60 pounds as cow size increases. It is important to evaluate the condition of cows throughout the year and to gauge the quality and quantity of grass they have available. There are 3 critical times to measure body condition. The first time to 6
really evaluate cows are 90 days prior to calving. Approximately 75% of the calf ’s growth occurs in the last trimester of pregnancy which demands more nutrition from the cow. If nutrition is limited, the cow will have to use her own energy store (fat and muscle) to meet the nutritional demand for calf development. This will put the cow in “negative energy balance” causing a loss in body condition. Secondly, the nutritional status during the last trimester will have great impact on how quickly a cow will return to estrus after calving. Cows in poor body condition during this time can result in a longer post-partum interval from delayed estrus. Calves will be born later the next years and will be light at weaning. Another note to mention, cows that calve late will generally always calve late, they rarely ever catch back up to the herd. Body condition at calving can have impact on the current calf crop’s health and performance. Calves can be born light and less thrifty, colostrum quality can be reduced leading to greater risk of health challenges. Cows will not produce as much milk having a negative impact on calf gains and weaning weight. Again, poor body condition at calving will affect the length of time before a cow return to estrus and become pregnant. Another good time to body condition score cows is prior to breeding and before the bulls are turned out. Cows in good body condition, 5 or greater, will breed up quicker than cows in body condition less than 5. Cows need to be in good body condition (5 plus) 90 days before calving, at calving and at breeding. At this American Beef Producer
level of condition a cow should be able to have strong, healthy calves, that gain weight and she should breed back in less than 80 - 90 days. When a cow is in proper body condition (5 plus) 90 days prior to calving, it is much easier and cheaper to manage her for the next phases of production that were discussed above. It is much cheaper and easier to keep cows in good body condition because they are much more efficient with the nutrients they receive from their diets. To the contrary, if cow is in poor condition and losing weight 90-days prior to calving, she will require more supplemental feed to improve her body condition. Managing the body condition of a cow herd means that the nutrition program has to be managed appropriately for a cow to sustain a body condition score of 5 or better. Grass quality and quantity is directly related to cow body condition score since it is the majority of their diet. When the grass is good, cows can consume more of what is required. We know that grass quality declines throughout the year but cow requirements do not. Cows begin to lose weight when the available nutrition in the grass cannot meet the cow’s requirement. Supplement feeding then becomes necessary to meet the protein and energy deficiencies to help maintain her status or aide in the recovery of body condition. There are several ways to supplement cows to provide the additional nutrition they need. Hand feeding cubes or other mixed feeds can be used to provide the necessary nutrients cow maybe deficient. These methods do allow producers to control the feeding October 2020
