Relationships Among International Body Condition Scoring Systems

Abstract

Scoring body condition and assessing changes in the body condition of dairy cattle have become strategic tools in both farm management and research. Consequently, body condition score (BCS) is being researched extensively throughout the world. However, international sharing, comparing, and use of data generated are limited because different BCS systems exist. In the United States and Ireland a 5-point BCS system is used for dairy cows, whereas Australia and New Zealand use 8- and 10-point scales, respectively. The New Zealand 10-point scale was compared with the scoring systems in the United States, Ireland, and Australia by trained assessors. Cows were assessed visually in the United States and Australia, and in Ireland, cows were assessed by palpating key areas of the cow's body (n = 154, 110, and 120, respectively). Data were analyzed by regression. Significant positive linear relationships were found between the New Zealand 10-point scale and the other scoring systems: US 5-point scale, r(2) = 0.54; Irish 5-point scale, r(2) = 0.72; and Australian 8-point scale, r(2) = 0.61. Those relationships must be interpreted cautiously because respective BCS within a given country were by just one experienced evaluator in each country in comparison to a separate evaluator scoring all cows in all counties using the New Zealand 10-point scale. Also, few very thin or very fat cows limit evaluation across extremes of BCS. However, differences between systems were not accurately predicted by simple mathematical calculations. The relationship may be closer for New Zealand and Ireland (r(2) = 0.72) because both of those scoring systems include palpation of individual body parts, whereas visual evaluation is done in Australia and the United States. The current study is the first to examine relationships among differing BCS systems. These results may be useful for comparing/extrapolating research findings from different countries.

Relationship between the pre- and postpartum body condition scores and periparturient indices and fertility in high-yielding dairy cows

“…Chagas et al (9) showed a negative relationship between BCS at calving and its changes in the early lactation and the duration of return to ovarian activity, connected with reduced LH secretion and lowered ovarian follicle excitability to the action of gonadotropic hormones. In the opinion of Roche et al (25), a loss of more than 0.5 BCS during early lactation reduces the chance of successful insemination in the first 6 weeks after calving, which was not confirmed in this study. However, it was shown that the body condition on the dry-off day had a statistically significant effect on the insemination index in herd B.…”

Relationship between body condition score and health traits in first-lactation Canadian Holsteins

“…Body condition score may be less accurate in thin cows with little subcutaneous fat, and it may be more difficult to assess subcutaneous fat levels accurately in obese cows (Roche et al, 2009). Nevertheless, fewer animals are at the extremes of the BCS scale (Ruegg and Milton, 1995;Roche et al, 2004;Berry et al, 2007), and Schröder and Staufenbiel (2006) summarized from various studies that a 1-unit change in BCS consistently correlated with about 50 kg of empty body fat. Additionally, Waltner et al (1994) reported a strong correlation between BCS and observed body fat.…”

The Effect of Body Condition Score at Calving on Milk Yield, Milk Composition and Udder Health Status of Dairy Animals

“…1 It is a quick, non-invasive, inexpensive, visual and tactile way of assessing the degree of fatness of dairy animals 2 and it is recognized by the animal scientists and producers as an important factor in dairy bovine management. 3 Optimal body condition of dairy cow is important for obtaining elite herd and quantity milk production because low or excessive body energy reserve may have a greater risk of lower milk yield and higher milk somatic cell count, SCC.…”