Watch: Body Condition Scoring at Moorepark
Here John Paul Murphy, Moorepark farm manager, and Kieran McCarthy, assistant farm manager, are body condition scoring and weighing cows after milking.
Cows are weighed and body condition scored weekly. The majority of the cows are at the ideal body condition score (BCS) of 3.00. Measured on a scale of 1 to 5, body condition scoring involves handling and accessing the fat cover of the animal's pin bone, hip bone and short ribs. Any cows that are under condition are monitored at this time of year and - if they are still under condition by the end of lactation - will be dried off earlier.
Getting cows to the correct body condition score at calving is one of the most important tasks for dairy farmers. Trouble-free calving, good conception rates, reduced culling and better milk solids production are all linked to this simple measure. Therefore, correcting body condition score through the dry period is of utmost importance.
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Target BCS for cows at calving is 3.25, with an acceptable range of 0.25 units above or below this point
Rule of thumb: Every condition score (~ 50 kg) below target at calving results in the cow milking 450L less during the next lactation and reduced fertility.
Come to the Moorepark Open Day on July 4th to learn how to body condition score your cows in our brand new Skills Village
Follow MooreparkOpenDay23 on Instagram for more updates! #Moorepark23