CattleEye Announce Body Condition Scoring

CattleEye today announced the launch of its Body Condition Scoring (BCS) system for dairy cows. Requiring only a security camera to be placed at the exit of a milking parlour the system uses the very latest in artificial intelligence to derive insights from the video footage of cows walking past the camera.

The company who launched its award winning locomotion scoring service in 2022 is adding the BCS insight to its product portfolio using the same camera, allowing customers the flexibility of having either or both locomotion and BCS insights using a camera that costs around £100.

Implementing Body Condition Scoring (BCS) management can significantly enhance dairy farm profitability through several key economic factors.

Optimising Rations: By managing the body condition of dairy cows, farmers can fine-tune feed rations to match their nutritional needs and maximise feed utilisation efficiency. This control over income over feed costs (IOFC) can result in savings of up to $0.50 per cow per day, equating to annual savings of approximately $180 per cow​

Reducing Metabolic Diseases: Proper BCS management helps prevent over- or under-conditioning, reducing metabolic diseases, such as ketosis and fatty liver. These reductions can save up to $150 per cow annually on veterinary costs and lost productivity​

Improving Greenhouse Gas Efficiency: Optimally conditioned cows are more productive and healthier, which leads to improved feed conversion efficiency. This can reduce greenhouse gas emissions per unit of milk produced by up to 10%, enhancing environmental sustainability and potentially reducing costs associated with environmental compliance​

The accuracy of the CattleEye BCS system was proven to be similar to a highly trained veterinarian in a peer reviewed study published in the journal of dairy science by the University of Liverpool. https://www.journalofdairyscience.org/article/S0022-0302(23)00804-4/fulltext

If you are interested in finding out more about this technology please contact your CattleEye sales rep or email contact@cattleeye.com