This cow is too skinny. This cow is too fat. But this cow is just right; she must have an adequate body condition score.
Body condition scores categorize the degree of fatness or leanness in an animal. Particularity useful in cowherds, body condition scores help producers determine if their nutritional program is meeting their cows’ needs and also helps improve their bottom line.
Shane Gadberry, an assistant professor with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, said, “From research and observations, we know that thin cows take longer to breed back.
“As a result, this stretches out the calving interval longer than 365 days and often translates into economic losses associated with maintaining open cows and reduced weaning weights.”
Body condition scores range from 1 to 9. Gadberry said producers like to see cows calving in a body condition score of a 5 to 6. As a general rule, if the last two to ribs have become evident, a cow’s energy demand is greater than that being supplied by the diet. On the other hand, if a cow is starting to develop spongy fat pones around the tail head, she has a BCS of 7 and is getting too fat.
Randall Saner, a livestock specialist with the Howell County University of Missouri Extension Center, agreed. He said fall-calving, lactating cows should start at a BCS of 5 or 6 and go no lower than a 4 at weaning. Spring calving cows should be no lower than a 5 at calving and weaning.
“If a herd of cows has low body condition scores – below a 5 – they will not breed back very well. Also, the calves will receive lower levels of antibodies in the colostrum, and we find the calves have a lower survival rate and weaning weight,” Saner said. “Cows’ conception rates may drop from 90 percent to 50 percent going from a 6 to a 4 body condition score.”
Saner said to assign a body condition score, look over the cow’s top line. Smooth appearing cows are carrying more condition. Producers should also look at the cow’s side to see if any ribs are showing, determine how much fat appears in the brisket area and around the tail head in the area of the pins.
Saner and Gadberry both said they have seen the negative impact a poor BCS can have on cattle. Saner said he has known of show heifers that were too fat and would not breed, but after the producer turned the heifers out on poor quality forage and allowed them to lose weight, they bred and continued to breed.
Gadberry said while working with producers to collect weaning weights and other cow herd performance data, he noticed thin cows are more commonly checked open by rectal palpation, and cows that carry excess condition are those that have not bred back for some time.
“Oklahoma State University data has reported a 50 percent pregnancy rate for cows with a BCS of 4 at calving versus an 81 percent and 88 percent pregnancy rate for those with BCS of 5 and 6,” Gadberry said. “Those numbers can make a big difference in a producer’s profit."
