Process / pipelineNutritional Assessment
Body Condition Scoring
Body Condition Scoring (BCS) is a semi-quantitative visual and palpation assessment method used to evaluate the nutritional status and adipose tissue reserves of livestock, particularly dairy cattle, beef cattle, and small ruminants. Developed systematically in the 1980s, BCS provides a practical, non-invasive tool for herd management, reproductive performance prediction, and feed efficiency optimization.
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Sources
- Ferguson, J. D., Galligan, D. T., & Thomsen, N. (2004). Principal descriptors of body condition score in Holstein cows. Journal of Dairy Science, 87(12), 3793-3806. DOI: 10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(04)73519-1 ↗
- Bewley, J. M., Peacock, A. M., Lewis, O., Boyce, R. E., Roberts, D. J., Coffey, M. P., & Kenyon, S. J. (2008). Evaluating the prevalence of lameness in dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Science, 91(2), 907-920. DOI: 10.3168/jds.2007-0571 ↗
- Green, M. J., Macrae, A., & Green, L. (2014). Predicting dairy cow body condition score from features of herbage during grazing. Livestock Science, 160, 47-53. DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2013.10.019 ↗