Determination of live weight and body condition score in lactating Mediterranean buffalo by Visual Image Analysis

The computerized image analysis system (Visual Image Analysis, VIA) was employed in morphological assays, the determination of live weight (LW) and degree of fattening (body condition score, BCS) of buffalo species. Ten Mediterranean multiparous, lactating buffaloes were selected and measured, both manually (with a Lydtin measuring stick) and by VIA, for the following linear parameters: withers height (WIH), rump height (RUH), body height (BOH), trunk length (TRL) and rump length (RUL). An angular parameter (with the apex at the tip of the rump and with the two half-line tangents at the iliac tuberosities (AIT)) was measured by VIA on 100 Mediterranean multiparous lactating buffaloes, plus three surface parameters, i.e. surface areas of the lateral profile (SLP), of the profile of the hindquarters (SHP) and of the lateral iliac tuberosity (SIT), in addition to recording live weight and BCS. A comparison between linear measurements and VIA showed a large degree of similarity (differences ranged between 0.32 and 1.55%). With respect to the indirect determination of live weight, the simple regression equations (SLP vs. LW; SHP vs. LW) were significant at P < 0.001 and had high determination coefficients equal to 0.94 and 0.92, respectively. The multiple equation (LW = − 427.7445 + 0.0431 SLP + 0.1263 SHP) has an R2 = 0.96 and significance at P < 0.001. Satisfactory results (R2 = 0.77 and 0.81, P < 0.001) were obtained from the simple regression equations (AIT vs. BCS; SIT vs. BCS) for the objective determination of the degree of fattening; the multiple equation (BCS = − 7.4026 + 0.0537 AIT + 0.0180 SIT) was significant at P < 0.001 with R2 = 0.85. The results confirm that, for buffalo species, computerized image analysis is an effective measuring system for the indirect determination of live weight. Furthermore, this technique has proved to be technologically innovative for the objective determination of degree of fattening.