Visual and ultrasonic assessment of condition status and its relationship to conception in dairy cows

Abstract

Assessment of energy reserves in the organism made through evaluation of body condition, basically represents the nutritional status of animal, valued by deposited adipose tissue, when body frame and weight have secondary importance. At the farm of high producing Holstein-Friesian cows with tie stall housing and average milk yield of 7000 liters, we followed the relation between the evaluation of body score condition and the conception rate. Total of 29 Holstein-Frisean cows were included in the study, aged between the first and fifth lactation. Cows were assessed on the basis of three major body areas examination (loin, pin bones and tail head). The evaluation was performed visually and ultrasonically by measuring backfat. Assessment of body condition and backfat measuring were performed at the same day as arteficial insemination. The cows were later divided into two experimental groups, pregnant and non-pregnant. The success rate of conception was 34.5%. The results of ultrasound backfat measurements were compatible with the visual assessment of body condition. As such, it represents a simple and objective method. Body condition score for both groups averaged 2.75. The average thickness of backfat was 16 mm in the group of pregnant cows, and 16.8 mm in the group of non-pregnant cows. Energy status of cows in this research seems to have had no significant effect on the conception rate.