CONDIÇÃO CORPORAL E TAXA DE PRENHEZ DE FÊMEAS CRUZADAS MANTIDAS A PASTO EM ITUIUTABA-MG

Abstract

The study evaluated the relationship between body condition, weight gain, ovarian activity, and pregnancy rate of crossbred beef females kept exclusively on pasture in the municipality of Ituiutaba, MG. A total of 31 cows, nelore and crossbred (Nelore × Girolando), were monitored from September 2024 to June 2025, with measurements of body weight, body condition score (BCS) using the Vetscore®, follicular diameter via ultrasonography, and pregnancy diagnosis. The evaluations covered different periods of the year, following the natural oscillation in forage availability between the dry and rainy seasons. The results showed that the females’ body performance closely followed pasture seasonality, with greater weight gain during the rainy season and reduced performance during the dry–rainy transition. Cows with an adequate BCS exhibitedgreater ovarian activity and higher pregnancy probability, demonstrating the direct relationship among nutrition, reproductive cyclicity, and productive efficiency. Thus, the findings reinforce that nutritional strategies aimed at maintaining BCS within the ideal range are essential to optimize reproductive performance in pasture-based beef production systems in the savana region of Minas Gerais.