Reproduction
Reproduction
Managing Body Condition to Improve Reproductive Efficiency in Beef Cows Reproductive Management
Many factors influence Postpartum Interval, including the cow’s age and nutritional status, suckling of the calf, and difficulty in delivery. Some are not easily influenced by management, but nutritional status can be controlled both before and after calving. Since most reproductive failures can be attributed to improper nutrition and thin body condition, control of nutritional status may have dramatic effects on how efficiently cows rebreed. Nutritional status can be most easily determined by evaluating the body condition score (BCS) of cows, which can lead to improved management and feeding. The ideal body condition score for cows in between 4.5 and 6.5 for optimum reproductive efficiency. Cows with a precalving BCS of 6 will have a calving interval of approximately 360 days, thus putting them on schedule for to maintain a yearly production cycle.
