Body condition scoring in dairy cows is a critical management tool for detecting metabolic disease, preventing suffering, and optimizing reproductive health.
Body condition scoring represents a simple, low-cost intervention with significant welfare impact on dairy cows. Excessive body condition loss after calving - common in high-producing dairy systems that prioritize milk yield over health - causes painful metabolic diseases including ketosis, fatty liver, and lameness. These conditions cause prolonged suffering and reduced lifespan. Cows that are over-fat at calving face different but equally serious welfare risks. Regular body condition monitoring, combined with willingness to adjust feeding and production targets, is fundamental to dairy cow welfare.