"Dystocia rates in beef heifers may not be controlled by nutritional restriction during late pregnancy. On the contrary, the loss of 0.5 kg/day
during the last trimester of pregnancy in beef heifers is associated with weak labor, increased dystocia rate, reduced calf growth rate, prolonged postpartum anestrus, reduced pregnancy rate, and increased morbidity and mortality. It is recommended that heifers be fed to allow modest rates of gain (0.5 kg/day) during late pregnancy. Protein malnutrition in late pregnancy has been associated with weak calf syndrome and may be a factor contributing to neonatal mortality."
Quoted from your article
I totally agree with a cow being in a state of GAIN prior to breeding.
Here's another article:
http://beef2live.com/story-body-conditi ... s-0-122338
and a quote from it: "The moral of this story is: "Young cows must be in good (BCS = 5.5 or better) body condition at calving time to return to estrus cycles soon enough after calving to maintain a 365 day calving interval."
I'm not saying you don't manage to get your cattle bred for 12 months intervals, but all research (this was just ONE article, there are tons of research saying the same thing) says they will perform better with a better BCS.
You are getting your cows to perform, but how much better would they do on your weaning weights if they were in better BCS? Obviously, you are satisfied with your cow performance, and that is all that counts.
I just like to point out facts - research - so that others that are reading our bantering, can make informed decisions.