Relationships among body condition score, linear measures, body mass indexes, and growth performance of yearling Alpine doelings consuming high-forage diets

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective Our objective was to evaluate the relationships among BCS, linear measures and associated body mass indexes (BMI), and growth performance of yearling Alpine doelings consuming forage-based diets. Materials and Methods Fifty-four doelings (initial age of 306 ± 1.9 d and 31.7 ± 0.38 kg of BW) consumed 75% forage diets ad libitum in a 12-wk experiment. Linear measures included height at the withers (Withers), length from shoulder to hook (Hook) and pin bones (Pin), and circumference from heart girth (Heart). The BMI included Withers (BW/Withers), Hook (BW/Hook), Pin (BW/Pin), Heart (BW/Heart), Withers × Hook [BW/(Withers × Hook)], Withers × Pin [BW/(Withers × Pin)], Heart × Hook [BW/(Heart × Hook)], and Heart × Pin [BW/(Heart × Pin)], all with the unit of grams per square centimeter. Results and Discussion Correlation coefficients of BCS were 0.39, 0.21, and 0.32 for BW, ADG, and DMI (g/d), respectively (P Implications and Applications Due to stronger relationships between measures of performance of yearling Alpine doelings consuming a forage-based diet and BMI compared with BCS, future research should address BMI with other physiological states and production conditions.