For spring-calving beef herds, calves are being weaned in late October and November. At the time of weaning and calves are processed, it would also be a good time to body condition score the cow herd. Condition scoring the herd will take some extra time, but it will be time well spent. You will be able to identify cows that may need extra feed before calving.

The scoring system used for beef cows is the 1 to 9 system (https://beef.unl.edu/learning/condition1a.shtml.) The scoring system is a visual assessment of the relative fatness of a beef female. Using the 1 to 9 condition scoring system, 1 is a very thin cow and 9 is an obese cow. Seldom seen are cows that are in condition score 1, 2, 8, and 9. Visually assess the amount of fatness in 6 areas of the cow (brisket, over the backbones, ribs, hooks, pins and tailhead areas), and give the cows a score between 1 and 9. The ribs, backbones, hooks, pins, and bones on either side of the tailhead can easily be seen in thin cows, and there is no evidence of fat in the brisket. The ribs, backbones, and hooks are not seen and there is fat in the tailhead area and brisket in cows scored 6 and greater. If you don’t have a lot of experience condition scoring, run some cows through a chute and feel for condition over the backbones, ribs and tailhead and score based on feel. One challenge when scoring cows is to make sure you are assessing condition (fat) and not muscle. Another challenge is avoiding the temptation to lower the condition score based on gut fill, as this can falsely influence the visual assessment of true condition across the 6 key areas. Also, noting it is more difficult to assess condition on cows that have long hair.

The body condition scoring system can be used as a management tool, and cow condition can be changed through the nutrition program. In addition, body condition score at calving impacts cow performance, influencing both the quantity of colostrum with a good supply of antibodies for the calf and how quickly cows will begin cycling after calving.

At weaning, condition score each cow. Pay particular attention to young females weaning their first calf. Young cows are most likely to be thin at this time. If there is a pattern of a lot of thin, young cows, consider managing them as a group on range or corn residue fields. Score them again in 45 days to see if they are regaining body condition. If they are not regaining body condition, this group may need to be supplemented. Packaging them as a group makes it easier to strategically supplement them.

Depending on the goals and resources of the operation, it may be more economical to get condition back on March calving cows in the late fall and early winter as compared to waiting until closer to calving. If mature cows are thin at weaning, it is probably not a bad sign because they put nutrients consumed into milk for the calf. Since removing lactation (weaning) decreases nutrient needs, cows should begin to regain condition without supplementation if they fit your feed resources. Score cows again 45 days after weaning. This will give you a good idea how quickly they are regaining body condition and how the 1^st-calf-females are responding after weaning their calf.

The goal is to have cows at a body condition score of 5 and 1^st-calf females at a body condition score of 6 by calving time next spring. With that goal in mind, condition score the cow herd again at 90 days prior to calving. If cows are still thin, this will be the last time condition can be put on economically. Feeding cows to put on condition after calving is difficult. If at 90 days pre-calving you need to formulate a feeding strategy to get cows to the target body condition before calving, contact your extension educator or nutritionist. They can help you.