Assessment of the Intra- and Inter-Observer Reliability of Beef Cattle Mobility Scoring Performed by UK Veterinarians and Beef Farmers

Background: Lameness in cattle negatively affects welfare and productivity. Early identification of lameness allows for prompt treatment, and mobility scoring allows for herd-level prevalence data to be monitored. The reliability of a four-point mobility scoring system was investigated when used by beef farmers and veterinary surgeons. Methods: An online questionnaire that contained forty video clips of beef cattle was created for mobility scoring performed by farmers and vets. Results: The Fleiss kappa coefficient for inter-observer agreement across all 81 respondents and all videos was 0.34, which showed fair agreement. Beef farmers generally had lower agreement than vets (0.29 vs. 0.38). Vets had significantly higher inter-observer reliability compared to beef farmers (p = 0.035). Overall, Cohen’s kappa coefficient for intra-observer agreement across all respondents varied from 0.085 (slight agreement) to 0.871 (almost perfect agreement). Limitations: The survey was only available online, which may have limited distribution and engagement. The recruitment of participants was not specific to differing levels of previous experience in mobility scoring. The mobility scoring was not performed in person, which could be more reflective of clinical application. Conclusions: The application of a four-point mobility scoring system for beef cattle had fair inter-observer reliability and a wide range of intra-observer reliability, but this is poorer than previously reported. This presents a challenge for the identification of lame beef cattle at both the individual and herd levels.