There is a relationship between body condition and fertility. University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers studying fertility share that when diary cows lose a lot of body condition, they have much lower fertility than their herd mates that maintain or gain weight in early lactation.
Source: Dairy Herd Management, January/February 2024. Link.
It’s not a foregone conclusion that cows have to lose body condition after calving.” – Paul M. Fricke, Ph.D., UW Madison
INSIGHTS: For veterinary teams, the metrics comparing early lactation body condition status against first-service conception rates are compelling and worthy of sharing with dairy producer clients.
Also see: Search for body condition scores: AHD Archives. Link.