Do cows with similar body condition scores have similar fat reserves?

Nutritionists showed that overfeeding for 8 wk to nonpregnant, nonlactating cows increased adipose tissue mass in nonlactating dairy cows, with omental, mesenteric, and perirenal fat masses about twice as high; however, BCS at the end of the feeding period was not affected.

Thus, cows with excessive energy intake may have accumulated more adipose tissue in visceral depots, but this was not reflected in higher BCS.

There can be a nearly 2-fold difference in visceral adipose tissue weight between cows with the same subcutaneous mass and BCS.

If cattle with the same BCS have different internal adipose tissue depots, the effects on production may be different because visceral adipose tissue is more readily mobilized than subcutaneous adipose tissue.