Body condition score

It was pointed out earlier that the cows in the top beef herds have a shorter calving interval and a tighter calving pattern both are influenced by body condition score (bcs), which is easily assessed. The relationship between bcs and calving interval is quite clear. Cows of bcs over 2 and up to 4 have a calving interval of 365 days below this bcs the interval lengthens and profit drops until at bcs of 0.5 the interval is 450 days. 

The number of lambs born per ewe depends on the breed of ewe and on body condition score at mating. The optimal number of lambs born per ewe depends on the system of production on the farm. For instance, ewes lambing in an upland or mountain environment may well be unable to fatten more than a single lamb adequately, twin lambs being too small to survive the rigours of the mountains, and the ewe unable to find sufficient nourishment to milk well. 

Socha and Satter (28) conducted a study to determine the production response of early lactation cows fed either solvent-extracted soybean meal, raw soybeans, extruded whole soybeans, or roasted soybeans with alfalfa silage as the sole forage source. They reported that dry matter intakes were lower for cows on the raw and roasted soybean treatments. Cows on the extruded soybean diet produced more milk, milk protein, and more 3.5% fat-corrected milk than cows fed the other diets. Body weight changes and body condition scores did not differ among the various treatments. 

Production of embryos in the laboratory involves four major steps 1) Ovary collection, 2) Oocyte maturation, 3) in vitro fertilization and 4) Embryo culture. In brief, ovaries are collected in the slaughterhouse from cows whose pre-slaughter parameters are assessed and recorded. In this study, collection was from exotic dairy and local Zebu cows with body condition scores that ranged from 2.5 to 3.5 and certified as being as being in good health. 

Cows body condition score Temperature of ovaries on arrival Number of ovaries collected daily Number of oocytes pCT ovary Number of oocytes incubated daily Maturation rate% Cleavage rate% Blastocyst rate% Hatching rate%... 

Bemabucci, U., B. Ronchi B., N. Lacetera and A. Nardone, 2005. Influence of body condition score on relationships between metabolic status and oxidative stress in periparturient dairy cows. J. Dairy Sci. 88,2017-2026. 

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