The aim of the research reported in this Research Communication was to apply the 5-point body condition scoring (BCS) system to dairy buffaloes and subjectively validate it by assessing the intra- and inter-assessor agreement. For this purpose, the BCS system developed for dairy cows was applied to buffaloes. A total of 230 Nili Ravi buffaloes of varying parity, lactation stages and pregnancy status were enrolled from the Buffalo Research Institute, Pattoki, Pakistan. Four observers independently assigned BCS values to each enrolled buffalo in two phases, as follows: (1) during phase I, the assessors were trained for BCS assessment using a BCS chart developed by Elanco Animal Health Ltd.; and (2) during phase II, the assessors were trained using live buffaloes for BCS assessment. Kappa statistics (kw) were used to determine the intra- and inter-assessor agreement. The results revealed that the exact overall inter- and intra-assessor agreement was moderate (kw = 0.48–0.55) and increased to substantial levels after training on live animals (kw = 0.63–0.87). Furthermore, the intra- and inter-assessor exact agreement was higher (kw = 0.57–0.58) for buffaloes tied to the mangers compared to the buffaloes standing in the loafing area (kw = 0.50). The inter-assessor agreements within 0.25 and 0.5 points were almost perfect (kw = 0.97–1.0). The current results suggested that the 5-point BCS system (using a scale from 1 to 5 with 0.25 increments) had substantial agreement for assessment and repeatability when applied to buffaloes.

This research communication describes the relationship between the occurrence of lameness and body condition score (BCS) in a sample of 288 cows from a single farm that were repeatedly scored in the course of 9 months while controlling for confounding variables. The relationship between BCS and lameness was evaluated using generalised linear mixed-effects models. It was found that the proportion of lame cows was higher with decreasing but also with increasing BCS, increased with lactation number and decreased with time since the last claw trimming. This is likely to reflect the importance of sufficient body condition in the prevention of lameness but also raises the question of the impact of overcondition on lameness and the influence of claw trimming events on the assessment of lameness. A stronger focus on BCS might allow improved management of lameness that is still one of the major problems in housed cows.