Too fat for good calving?

[Rosepath]

Hi, I have a new-to-us Jersey heifer, she's due with her first calf the third week of May. She's not got the svelte dairy look I'm used to from my other cows. (some people think they're almost bony, you know the "dairy" look as opposed to beef build). When my daughter took a Jersey cow to the fair one year, a fantastic udder, etc. but she was knocked down in the placings due to "overcondition" meaning fat. What can I say, every critter on the place is probably living the dream, foodwise.
Anywho, how much should she be getting, going into her last few weeks?
She's on pasture, I give her a little alfalfa/grass hay in evening, and a scoop of whole grain/ground feed mixed up by my feed mill. The pasture is not lush, it's short, but I can move her to some better spots daily.

I'm paranoid about milk fever, having lost my best cow ever, many years ago, to the dread malady.
Wanting to do this management thing correctly for her health and the health of the calf. Any thoughts will be gratefully received and implemented. TIA!

[ErinP]

I don't know about "how much she should be getting," I'd just say she shouldn't be more than a 7 or 8 on the condition score, going into calving.
Feedlot heifers, for example, that have calves after they're being fattened don't usually have calving problems exactly, but the calves themselves are NOT healthy...

'Course that's just my uneducated opinion...and its worth exactly what you paid for it

[G. Seddon]

Here's a document with photos on body condition scoring for dairy cattle. Perhaps it will help:

http://www.uaex.edu/other_Areas/Publ...F/FSA-4008.pdf

[Rosepath]

Thanks, everyone, and I especially found the body condition document helpful.
Now I know what she should look like, I appreciate your help and ideas!