The Milk Producer - February 2010 - (Page 40)

RUMINATIONS By Mario S. Mongeon Welcome addition New imaging technology hooked up to a computer will take the guesswork out of body condition scoring ou will soon be able to add an automated body condition scoring (BCS) system to your precision management toolbox. This valuable tool will let you predict a dairy cow’s energy status, as well as potential health and reproductive problems. BCS, around since the early 1980s, monitors dairy cow body fat reserves. In North America, we use a five-point scoring scale. A score of 1 is considered very thin and a score of 5 is considered obese. Differing scales in other countries use the same principle. If you were to monitor a cow’s BCS regularly, from onset to end of lactation, and then draw a graph, it would be a mirror image of the lactation curve. You would expect to see a low point in the BCS at the same time the cow’s lactation peaks. As milk production decreases, the cow slowly builds her reserves back up, until the end of her lactation. Decreased BCS in early lactation is Y Scoring each animal can give you a heads-up on individual energy status and potential health and reproductive issues. Ruminations is prepared by Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs livestock technology specialists to provide information you can use on your farm. perfectly normal, and cannot be totally eliminated through improved feeding. Some cows tend to lose more than others under similar conditions. The genetic makeup of these animals could well be a factor. In recent studies, BCS variation of early-lactation cows was monitored when environmental factors, including feeding, were kept constant. Contrary to what you would expect, BCS variation was unrelated to potential inadequate feeding, suggesting BCS variation was under genetic control. One study found up to 60 per cent of BCS variability within a group of similarly managed animals can be attributed to their genetic makeup. Another recent review of BCS 40 | February 2010 | MilkPRODUCER

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Milk Producer - February 2010

The Milk Producer - February 2010
Contents
Editor's Notes
DFO Chair's Message
Dairy Update
DFC Policy
Industry Roundup
DFC Promotion
Quest for Quota
Issues Update
Research
Applied Science
Ruminations
Markets
New 'N' Noted
Back Forty

The Milk Producer - February 2010