Over time, selection pressure for improved growth efficiency and earlier reproductive maturity in cattle has focused heavily on muscle development, fat deposition and reproductive performance, while the skeletal system is often overlooked. However, these same selection pressures also influence skeletal growth and maturity, making proper bone development critical to overall cattle performance.

Skeletal muscle plays a crucial role in dairy cows’ health and productivity, but it’s also a very dynamic tissue. It can be mobilized to support milk production during periods of negative energy balance, but recovery of lost muscle is much slower.