Body condition scoring of swine: A review

Abstract

Body condition scoring (BCS) is a manage mental tool used by producer to optimize production, evaluate health and assess the nutritional status of pigs and is measured by subjective (manual body scoring) and objective methods (Sow caliper, Flank to flank & Renco Lean Meater) (Young & Aherne, 2005). The BCS score ranges from 1 – 5. BCS 1 indicate extreme emaciation, whereas, BCS 5 stands for extreme obesity while at BCS 3 the reproductive performance of sow is optimum. The BCS at weaning, farrowing and gestation affect the litter size at birth, birth weight, growth rate, survival-to-weaning and piglet mortality. Prolonged farrowing, stillbirth, secondary uterine inertia and higher preweaning mortality are observed at higher BCS in pigs. Whereas, in low BCS, shoulder injury and acyclic condition of ovaries are more common. While optimum BCS of pig increases the chances of healthy and viable piglet in the litter. BCS also influence the lameness which affects reproductive performance in pig. Moreover to this, it is also affected by the seasonal changes. Therefore, it can be concluded that maintenance of optimum BCS can improve the reproductive performance of swine besides increasing the life span of swine.