@article {3672,
	title = {Body condition scoring of sheep: intra- and inter-observer variability},
	journal = {New Zealand Journal of Animal Science and Production},
	volume = {80},
	year = {2020},
	month = {09/2020},
	pages = {107-112},
	address = {Online},
	abstract = {Body condition scoring (BCS) is a hands-on tool that farmers can use to make decisions about their animal feeding and management.
BCS, however, is a subjective measure of the muscle and fat cover of the lumbar spine. Observers, therefore, may show variability
in scores both across time and from other observers. This study aimed to determine the intra- and inter-observer variation of both
farmers and research technicians as part of a learning exercise of a farmer-learning group based at Massey University between
2011 and 2015. Nineteen farmers and three research technicians condition scored 45 mixed-age ewes on two consecutive days.
Data from both farmers and technicians were analysed to determine the intra- and inter-observer variability using a weighted
kappa. The results indicate that the majority of farmers and technicians had {\textquoteleft}excellent{\textquoteright} agreement (21 of the 22 observers had
kappa values greater than 0.75) between days. Similarly, among pairs of observers the agreement was also {\textquoteleft}excellent{\textquoteright} (212 of
231 comparisons had kappa values greater than 0.75). The distribution of scores that contributed to each median condition score,
however, indicated that lower scores (1, 1.5 and 2) has less variability than did higher scores (2.5 or greater). These results suggest
that BCS is a robust farm-management tool that can be used with a high degree of repeatability.
Keywords: body condition scoring; intra-observer variability, inter-observer variability},
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Corner-Thomas RA and Sewell AM and Kemp P and Wood BA and Gray DI and Morris ST and Blair HT and Kenyon PR}
}
@conference {41611,
	title = {Development of a model to predict pasture intake for grazing dairy cows in Argentina},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {66},
	year = {2006},
	month = {Jan},
	pages = {35-41},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	address = {Napier},
	abstract = {The nutritional value of legumes for high milk production is seldom captured because grazed dairy pastures in NZ typically contain insufficient legume tosatisfy the cows{\textquoteright} requirements. This paper reports interim results from a project investigating novel methods of forage presentation to cows, to enhance the contribution of legume to their diet. Four groups ofspring-calving cows (n=5) in late-lactation were allocated to four treatments in a balanced, cross-over design. Two treatments consisted of spatial and temporal arrangements of grass and white clover allocatedto cows as follows: i) continuous free access to grass and white clover growing separately as side-by-sidemonocultures (G/C) and ii) grass-only at {\textquoteright}night{\textquoteright} between the afternoon and morning milking and clover-only during the {\textquoteright}day{\textquoteright} between morning and afternoon milking (GnCd). These were compared against controlsof iii) a typical mixed ryegrass-white clover pasture (Mix; an industry standard) and iv) a ryegrass-only pasture (Grass; a forage standard). Cows grazed each treatment for 8 days before moving to the next treatment in the pre-determined sequence. Measurements included milk production and composition, the time spent grazing during the day and the night (separately for grass and white clover in G/C) and the concentrations in the milk of skatole and indole, as metabolic indicators of nutrient acquisition and utilisation in the contrasting forage treatments. Cows offered G/C or GnCd produced 19.4 and 17.9 kg milk/cow/day, respectively, compared with 15.0 and 14.6 kg/cow/day when offered Mix or Grass, respectively (P=0.01, SEM=0.74). The diurnal distribution of grazing was influenced by pasture treatment (treatment x  time interaction P <0.001). Cows on G/C grazed proportionately more at {\textquoteleft}night{\textquoteright} and cows on GnCd proportionately less at {\textquoteleft}night{\textquoteright} compared with Grass or Mix. GnCd constrained the cows to spend less time grazing clover than those offered G/C (245 vs. 408 mins grazing clover during 24 hrs) and more time grazing grass (253 vs. 105 mins in 24 hrs). The apparent {\textquoteright}restriction{\textquoteright} in GnCd to grazing clover-only during the day did not significantly reduce milk yield compared with G/C. The spatial and temporal allocations of grass and clover affected the concentrations of indolic compounds in PM and AM milk, suggesting there is scope to improve the efficiency of protein utilisation in the rumen.},
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Baudracco J and Lopez-Villalobos N and Holmes CW and Brookes IM and Kemp P and Comeron E and Romero LA and Horan B and Dillon P and Berry D}
}
