# Comparison of manual gold standard with 2 automatic body condition scoring systems for dairy cows

## TL;DR

This study compares manual and automated body condition scoring systems for dairy cows, finding that automated systems work well for herd-level tracking but need improvement for individual cow assessments.

## Contribution

The study evaluates and compares the performance of two automated body condition scoring systems against manual scoring in dairy cows.

## Key findings

- Manual body condition scoring showed high consistency and reliability across assessors.
- The newer automated system aligned more closely with manual scores than the older system.
- Both systems are effective for group-level BCS tracking but lack precision for individual cow monitoring.

## Abstract

Summary: This study compares manual body condition scoring with 2 automated systems developed by DeLaval for dairy cows. Manual body condition scoring, performed by experienced assessors, showed high consistency and reliability. The older automated system tended to overestimate body condition score (BCS), especially in thinner cows, whereas the newer system demonstrated closer alignment with manual assessments under the present conditions. Both systems effectively tracked group-level BCS dynamics throughout lactation, but limitations remain in individual cow assessment, particularly during the critical early-lactation phase. The findings suggest that, although automated systems are suitable for herd-level management, further refinement is needed to enhance precision for individual monitoring and research applications. This study provides valuable insights on the performance of automated BCS technologies and highlights the importance of accurate body condition scoring.

Summary: This study compares manual body condition scoring with 2 automated systems developed by DeLaval for dairy cows. Manual body condition scoring, performed by experienced assessors, showed high consistency and reliability. The older automated system tended to overestimate body condition score (BCS), especially in thinner cows, whereas the newer system demonstrated closer alignment with manual assessments under the present conditions. Both systems effectively tracked group-level BCS dynamics throughout lactation, but limitations remain in individual cow assessment, particularly during the critical early-lactation phase. The findings suggest that, although automated systems are suitable for herd-level management, further refinement is needed to enhance precision for individual monitoring and research applications. This study provides valuable insights on the performance of automated BCS technologies and highlights the importance of accurate body condition scoring.

•Manual BCS showed high consistency across assessors.•The older automatic BCS system overestimated BCS in thinner cows.•The newer system's scores seem to be more similar to manual scores.•Both systems are better suited for group-level BCS tracking.

Manual BCS showed high consistency across assessors.

The older automatic BCS system overestimated BCS in thinner cows.

The newer system's scores seem to be more similar to manual scores.

Both systems are better suited for group-level BCS tracking.

This study assessed the agreement between manual and automatic body condition scoring systems, with a focus on evaluating 2 automated scoring systems by DeLaval (older and newer) for commercial dairy farms. Manual scoring was conducted by experienced assessors using a standardized protocol, and results were compared with data from automated systems. Manual scores showed strong consistency between assessors, supporting the reliability of the method when properly applied. Both automated systems correlated well with manual scores. However, the older system consistently overestimated scores, particularly in thinner cows, whereas the newer system demonstrated closer alignment with manual assessments under the present conditions, though it slightly underestimated early-lactation body condition loss. Despite some limitations in individual cow assessment, especially during early lactation, the newer system represents a potential advancement and both systems are suitable for group-level management. Further refinement is recommended to enhance its precision for individual animal-level monitoring and research applications.