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Prediction of Postpartum Beef Cow Body Composition Using Weight to Height Ratio and Visual Body Condition Score.

Sixty-four mature Charolais x Angus cows, products of rotational crossbreeding, were used to compare methods of predicting postpartum (PP) body composition. Body condition score (BCS), weight and weight:height ratio (WHR) were used to predict body composition as determined by slaughter. Cows were fed to reach BCS 3 (1 = very thin, 3 = moderate, 5 = very fat) during the second trimester of gestation. When cows reached an average of 190 d of gestation, they were blocked by percentage Charolais breeding, age, weight and pre-trial BCS and assigned randomly to a maintenance (ME) or a low-energy (LE) diet, respectively, to attain BCS of 3 and 2 by parturition, respectively. At parturition, cows were allotted randomly, from within prepartum (PRP) diet, to a high-energy (HE) or LE diet to attain BCS of 3.5 and 2.5 (from a BCS 3) and 2.5 and 1.5 (from a BCS 2), respectively, by 30 d PP. At d 30 +- 2 PP, cows were slaughtered. All body parts removed from the carcass, including empty viscera, were weighed at slaughter. Plate, viscera, liver and udder samples were analyzed for CP, lipid and DM. Plate composition values were used to estimate carcass composition. Regression equations using BCS plus weight predicted (P < .05) empty body and hot carcass weights (r = .95), chilled carcass weight (r = .94), backfat (r = .62), marbling score (r = .54), kidney, heart and pelvic fat weight (r = .78) and percentage lipid, CP and DM for plate (r = .73, -.73, .69), viscera (r = .73, -.76, .77) and udder (r = .41, -.46, .32) and percentage carcass lipid (r = .70), carcass CP (r = .59), total body lipid (r = .74) and total body CP (r = .47) the best. Results suggest that BCS plus weight is useful in determining body composition of cows in various body conditions.

Key Words: Beef • Cows • Body Condition • Body Composition

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