Body condition scoring is a fundamental welfare assessment tool for dairy cows that reflects nutritional status, metabolic health, and overall welfare throughout the production cycle.
Body condition is a window into dairy cow welfare that integrates nutrition, health, and metabolic function. Thin cows are suffering from inadequate nutrition relative to their metabolic demands. The transition period around calving is the highest welfare risk period, when energy demands of both the late pregnancy and onset of lactation create maximum metabolic pressure. Cows that enter this period in poor condition or lose excessive condition rapidly are at risk of painful metabolic diseases including ketosis and fatty liver. Regular body condition monitoring with targeted nutritional intervention is one of the most impactful herd-level welfare management tools available.