Aiming for the midrange: Body condition scoring for beef cows

Though beef cattle producers constantly assess the condition of their cows and heifers, agriculture nutrition specialists say applying a more scientific approach, called body condition scoring, can help producers assess their nutritional program and make better informed business decisions about production.

Research has proven that body condition, or how much body fat a beef cow or heifer has, directly affects the health of its calf through amount and quality of colostrum production and determines how soon the cow cycles for re-breeding after calving, along with affecting the general health of...