By Dean Kreager
Spring calving season may seem a long way off but getting cows in the proper condition needs to start early. Changing the body condition score (BCS) on a cow takes time and entering calving season too thin can have impacts that last well into the next year. Monitoring BCS is a great tool to guide nutrition and prepare cows for calving and breeding.
As many producers transition from grazing to feeding stored forages, they are faced with two major challenges again this year. First is the amount and quality of stored forage and second is the condition of the cow herd heading into winter. Drought conditions, for the second year in a row, caused many pastures and forage crops to suffer. With that, the cow herd is likely stressed and heading into winter with a little poorer body condition than ideal. To compound the problem, early wet conditions took a toll on the quality of stored forages. Hay was either rained on or not baled until it was past its prime.
Research by OSU Extension looked at 180 hay samples from 29 counties in Ohio. Of those, only a couple met the needs of a lactating beef cow, and only a few met the needs for both protein and energy of a spring calving beef cow in her third trimester. A forage analysis is our best way to determine if supplemental feed will be needed but BCS can be another important tool. Most producers do not have easy access to scales for monitoring weight of their cows through the winter. BCS is a way of monitoring changes in cows over time to help make decisions on supplying supplemental feed.
Source : osu.edu