The cattle industry is slowly entering a rebuilding phase. Recent market reports are showing that fewer heifers are going into feedlots. Pastures are improving across the Great Plains as the drought slowly recedes; South Dakota producers are planning their come back from the devastating fall snowstorm Atlas; and now is the time for all cow-calf producers to maximize replacement heifer performance by monitoring body condition score.

Why use body condition scores (BCS)? BCS is a visual indicator of nutritional status. Heifers increasing BCS over time are on a high plain of nutrition, are gaining weight in addition to condition and are on track for breeding. Heifers should be a BCS 5 or 6 going into the breeding season and should be managed to maintain that thru gestation and calving. Remember that even though she’s bred, she’s not done growing.

A number of universities suggest breeding heifers 3-4 weeks ahead of your cow herd. This gives them a longer period of time to return to estrus and improve BCS in order to breed on time and fit within the herds calving season in the years ahead. It is difficult if not impossible to move heifers up in the calving season once they start calving. Simple math tells us that calving earlier means more days to gain added pounds come weaning time. As noted in the table below, improving BCS shortens the post-partum interval or the time that it takes from calving to when the cows return to estrus.

You might be shaking your head, thinking that’s all well and good, but it’s costly to keep weight on heifers. What producers should be more concerned with is what is lost when heifers (and cows) are losing condition. What is one BCS worth?

(a)Income per calf x pregnancy rate Adapted from Funston, R.N. 2007; Nutrition and Reproduction Interactions; Proc. Applied Reproductive Strategies in Beef Cattle; Billings, MT, p 163-197; and Kunkle et al., 1998; UF/IFAS Publication SP-144.

Heifers and cows that are losing condition have less energy all around. They are losing condition because they aren’t getting enough to maintain themselves. This will lead to decreased milk production, decreased calf performance and a longer post-partum interval with lower pregnancy rates (your calving season gets longer).

Winter grazing (dormant range, corn stover) and stored forages can be just what your heifers need to keep and gain condition. The key is to have the right supplement available and monitor BCS. Both of these are made easy by CRYSTALYX^®.

The free CRYSTALYX^® Body Condition Score App is available for iPhone and Android platforms. This puts your cow herd in the palm of your hand. The app allows you to monitor as many cattle as you want simply by taking a picture. To learn more about the free Body Condition Score App, visit our website at www.crystalyx.com or watch the how to video on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpX8ST47LQg.

CRYSTALYX^® also offers a number of protein supplements, with complete trace mineral profiles, to fit any winter grazing situation. The Breed-Up^® line of supplements are formulated to provide additional protein along with minerals (including chelated/organic trace minerals) to get the most out of the forages available.

When setting up your replacement heifer program, don’t forget about nutrition. CRYSTALYX^® provides your heifers with complete mineral and vitamin nutrition. The convenience of a self-fed, weatherproof supplement frees up your valuable time, while ensuring your heifers are off to a great start. To learn more about which CRYSTALYX^® supplements will work best in your program, contact your local CRYSTALYX^® dealer or visit our website at www.crystalyx.com.