Fact Sheet Written by:
L. H. Anderson, W. R. Burris, J. T. Johns, and K. D. Bullock
And Provided by
University of Kentucky http://www.ca.uky.edu/
The economics of the beef cattle industry forces cowcalf operations to produce efficiently, and percent of calf crop weaned (really a measure of reproductive efficiency) has a big influence on how efficient production will be. One way to improve reproductive efficiency is to shorten the number of days from calving to rebreeding (postpartum interval, or PPI). If cows are to maintain a yearly production cycle, they must breed back within 80-85 days after calving, but research shows that PPI can range from 30 to 170 days.
Nutritional status can be most easily determined by evaluating the body condition score (BCS) of cows, which can lead to improved management and feeding. A quantitative body condition scoring system was developed to quantify changes in cow nutritional status so economical nutritional programs could be implemented logically. A 9-point (1 through 9) scale can be successfully used.
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