Body condition score (BCS) records of primiparous Holstein cows were analyzed both as a single measure per animal and as repeated measures per sire of cow. The former resulted in a single, average, genetic evaluation for each sire, and the latter resulted in separate genetic evaluations per day of lactation. Repeated measure analysis yielded genetic correlations of less than unity between days ...

The relationship of body condition score (BCS) and blood urea and ammonia to pregnancy outcome was examined in Italian Mediterranean Buffalo cows mated by AI. The study was conducted on 150 buffaloes at 145 +/- 83 days in milk that were fed a diet comprising 14.8% crude protein, 0.9 milk forage units.kg-1 dry matter and a non-structural carbohydrate/crude protein ratio of 2.14. The stage of the...

The objective of the present study was to quantify the relationships among body condition score (BCS; scale 1 to 5), live weight (WT) and milk production in Irish Holstein-Friesian spring calving dairy cows. Data were from 66 commercial dairy herds during the years 1999 and 2000. The data consisted of up to 9886 lactations with records for BCS or WT at least once pre-calving, or at calving, nad...

Basierend auf den Beobachtungen von 487 weiblichen Jungrindern eines Praxisbetriebes, zeigte für die Modellierung der Körpermasse, ein Random Regression Modell (RRM) mit Polynomen 2. Grades die beste Anpassung. Bei der Rückenfettdicke wurde ebenfalls ein RRM gewählt, jedoch unter Verwendung von Splines mit zwei optimierten Knotenpunkten. Auch für die Modellierung des BCS wurde ein RRM ausgewähl...

The experiment was designed to validate the use of ultrasound to evaluate body composition in mature beef cows. Both precision and accuracy of measurement were assessed. Cull cows (n = 87) selected for highly variable fatness were used. Two experienced ultrasound technicians scanned and assigned BCS to each cow on 2 consecutive days. Ultrasound traits were backfat thickness (UBFT), LM area (ULM...

Seventy graded Murrah parous buffaloes presented for the fi rst postpartum AI maintained under village system of rearing free from apparent pathological abnormalities of the reproductive tract were selected to study the effect of body condition score (BCS) and size of the preovulatory follicle on conception rate. After evaluating Body condition score (BCS) by visual examination and estrus inten...

Leptin is a cytokine produced by adipocytes, and plays a key role in the regulation of energy balance. In the present study, we measured plasma leptin concentrations of 166 normal and obese dogs visiting veterinary practices, and clarified the influence of age, gender and breed on plasma leptin levels in dogs. Leptin levels were higher in the dogs with higher body condition scores. There was no...

Body condition score (BCS) is a useful tool in assessing the energy status of dairy cattle. Previous research has shown that it is heritable and genetically correlated to reproductive performance. Currently, interest exists in developing selection indexes for fertility that include BCS information. Before such indexes are developed, it is important to assess the genetic covariance between BCS a...

BACKGROUND In equids, health and welfare depend on body composition. A growing number of equids are now used as leisure and companion animals, and often found overfeed. The need for a close monitoring of body fatness led to the search for tools allowing a rapid and non-invasive estimation of fatness. This study intends to assess real-time ultrasonography (RTU) usefulness in establishing a relat...

BCS is a method to estimate body fat stores and accumulated energy balance of cows. This value influences productivity, reproduction, and health of cows. Therefore, it is important to monitor BCS to achieve a better animal response. In practice, this task is performed by expert scorers mainly visually, and could vary between scorers and be time-consuming. For this reason, several studies have t...