ESCORE DE CONDIÇÃO CORPORAL E SUA INFLUENCIA NA TAXA DE PRENHEZ DE VACAS ANELORADAS

Abstract

The document contains the mandatory internship report, along with the self-authored article, followed by the summary below: Brazil is one of the largest producers of beef, supplying both the domestic and international markets, and exporting a quarter of its total production. However, to achieve and maintain satisfactory production, it is necessary for producers to have technologies that help them in more efficient production, both in terms of quality and quantity of slaughtered animals. With this in mind, the reproduction of herds requires special attention, and the use of Fixed Time Artificial Insemination (FTAI) brings significant advantages, such as increased reproductive efficiency, higher weaning weights, and reduced age at slaughter, among others. However, FTAI alone does not control all aspects of reproduction. The nutritional status of the animals plays a crucial role in this process, as animals with a low Body Condition Score (BCS), lower than 3, tend not to respond well to hormone treatments used in the FTAI process and, as a result, fail to achieve satisfactory pregnancy rates at the end of the protocol. In contrast, animals with a BCS above 3 usually exhibit good pregnancy rates. The study presented here highlights the nutritional influence on pregnancy rates, with results showing that underweight animals have greater difficulty reproducing, as they achieved a pregnancy rate lower than 40%, compared to the group with better body conditions, which reached rates above 70%, demonstrating that the nutritional status of animals directly influences pregnancy rates.