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.
