NUTRITION Body Condition Scoring: Four Things to Know about “F. I. V. E.” During times of physiological stress, such as late gestation and peak lactation, maintaining the body condition of a cow is critical to ensure weight and condition are not lost. By Courtney Verzosa WHEN YOU’RE OUT “checking the cows” it can be difficult to remember how evaluating and assigning body condition scores (BCS) to your cattle can be useful. And the last thing you want to be doing is standing in a pasture trying to remember important information about the benefits that come from utilizing the BCS system. To simplify the process and organize key points, I like to use the acronym “F. I. V. E.” that covers four basic ideas. Armed with this tool and the BCS descriptions (see Table 1.), you can strive for optimum performance and body condition, from your cow herd.
“F”: Fall The most opportunistic time to achieve the desired BCS is from when the cow is dry, until about the first month into her third trimester. For a spring calving herd, this is mostly during the fall season. During this time of the year, dry, pregnant cows have minimal nutritional requirements, making it easier to provide adequate nutrition while allowing supplementation to be economical. This is because the high demands of peak lactation 16 | JANUARY 2014
have yet to occur and nutrients are still being used to increase muscle mass and body condition. The further along into gestation, the harder it becomes to increase body condition of a cow due to the fetus developing 75 percent of its final BCS 1
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weight during the third trimester. Soon, the majority of nutrients the cow takes in will be diverted to supply her calf with everything it needs to grow and establish immunity.
Description Emaciated – Cow is extremely thin with no evidence of fat and little muscling. Bone structure is sharp and easily visible. Poor – Little evidence of fat deposition but some muscling in the hindquarters. The spinous processes feel sharp and it is easy to see the spaces between them. Thin – Beginning of fat cover over the loin, back, and foreribs. Backbone still highly visible. Processes of the spine can be identified individually by touch and spaces between the processes are less pronounced. Lower conception rates, calf survival, and poor herd health. th th Borderline – Foreribs not noticeable, but 12 and 13 ribs are visible. Transverse spinous processes can be identified only by palpation and feel rounded. Full but straightness of the muscling in the hindquarters. th Optimum – Generally overall good appearance. 12 and th 13 ribs are not noticeable. Transverse spinous processes can only be felt with firm pressure and feel rounded. Spaces between the processes are not visible and areas on each side of the tail head are fairly well filled, but not mounded. High Moderate – Ribs fully covered, not visually noticeable. Hindquarters are plump and full. Firm pressure now required to feel transverse processes. Good – Ends of spinous processes can be felt only with very firm pressure. Spaces between processes can barely be distinguished. Abundant fat cover on either side of tail head. Typically have trouble breeding back, due to large amounts of internal fat surrounding reproductive organs. Fat – Animal has a smooth, blocky appearance. Bone structure disappearing from sight. Fat cover think and spongy, with rounds or pones developing at the tail head. Extremely Obese – Bone structure not seen or easily felt. Tail head buried in fat. Mobility may be impaired by excess amount of fat.
Table 1. Definitions for body condition scores (BCS).