Body condition scoring is a key welfare indicator in dairy cattle. Poor body condition reflects inadequate nutrition and is associated with metabolic diseases that cause significant suffering.
The metabolic demands of modern high-yield dairy production push cows into energy deficit during early lactation, mobilising body fat reserves rapidly. This causes ketosis, fatty liver, and associated conditions that cause pain, lethargy, and immune suppression. Managing body condition through the entire production cycle — avoiding both excessive fatness and excessive thinness — is a fundamental welfare responsibility. Genetic selection for ever-higher yields without proportional attention to metabolic health has created a welfare challenge that requires systemic reform.