November 2011 Articles

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Cowherd Management Tip

Cowherd Management Tip
Dr. Karl Harborth, LSU AgCenter Beef Cattle Specialist
Body Condition Scoring Key at Weaning Time
Cow-calf producers across the state have faced significant increases in feed and other input costs recently. Most producers are constantly searching for the cheapest way to feed or supplement herds. However, producers may need to look at improving other management practices in order to save on input costs.
There are very few management practices that do not require some sort of monetary input. Evaluating a herd’s nutritional status by using body condition score (BCS) system is one. The 9-point system may be more than most want to take time to do, but simply categorizing cows into four groups (thin, borderline, moderate and heavy condition) could aid in reducing inputs. While BCS should be conducted every couple of months, there are certain times of the year that are more crucial. The most important time during a cow’s production cycle to evaluate BCS is at weaning, espe­cially for spring-calving herds. Other key times of the year to assess BCS include 30 days prior to breeding, 90 days post-breeding, 100 days prior to calving, and at calving. Managing the herd by BCS can reduce feed inputs and improve subsequent reproductive performance.
Body condition scoring is an objective visual assessment of the herd’s nutritional status. It is the easiest and cheapest way to evaluate how much a cowherd has left in the “gas tank”. Standard body condition scores for beef cattle range from 1 (emaciated) to 9 (obese), with a BCS of 5 considered optimum in most operations. Cows considered thin and borderline (BCS 3 to 4) will be more angular in appearance, with the spine and the last three to five ribs slightly visible. This group will require the most attention due to the need for increased feed, and are at the highest risk of reduced reproductive performance. Cows in really good condition are squarer and smoother in appearance, with the ribs and spine not showing. Cows beyond the optimum BCS will start to show more deposition of fat in the extremities, including the brisket and flank, with extremely heavy condi­tion cows starting to deposit fat around the tailhead and udder area.
The importance of evaluating a cowherd’s BCS is that it can affect producers’ bottom lines in many ways. It takes about 80 lbs. to 90 lbs. of weight gain to increase a cow’s BCS. The best time during the cow production cycle to add this weight is when her nutrient requirements are the lowest. This time frame typically is the 60-day window post-weaning, as lactation require­ments have diminished and pregnancy demands will be lower than during the last 90 days prior to calving. Assessing BCS at weaning in a spring-calving herd can save you money in supplemental costs as well as improving subse­quent reproductive performance. For example, sorting the herd into groups of thin and optimum BCS at weaning will allow cows requiring extra nutrients to be fed in a group by themselves. If the whole herd is fed together, there is no guarantee the target cows will be consuming the nutrients.
Making sure cows are in proper condition entering the calving season is a must. For example, if a cow is in thin condition (BCS 3) at calving and will be bred in 80 days, it will need to gain two BCS scores by breeding time, or 160 lbs. to reach the optimum BCS. Expecting two pounds of gain a day during lactation in late winter to early spring will not be an economical situation in most cases. The longer producers wait to evaluate BCS after calving, the harder it will be to achieve the desired BCS at breeding.
There have been many studies that have evaluated the effects of BCS at calving on subsequent reproductive performance. A 2003 Kansas State University study looking at the reproductive records of over 2,500 cows in various BCS showed cows with scores of 4, 5 and 6 had percent cycling rates of 42%, 59% and 80%, respectively, by breeding time.
Managing cows to be in good to moderate condition at key times of the year will set up a scenario in which less feed may be required and nutrition should not affect the reproductive efficiency of the herd. Body condition scoring is a low input tool that is very simple to use, but the returns can be significant.