Detecting Heat Stress in Dairy Cattle Using Neck-Mounted Activity Collars

Christopher Davison, Craig Michie, Andrew Hamilton, Christos Tachtatzis, Ivan Andonovic and Michael Gilroy
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Christopher Davison: Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XQ, UK
Craig Michie: Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XQ, UK
Andrew Hamilton: Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XQ, UK
Christos Tachtatzis: Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XQ, UK
Ivan Andonovic: Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XQ, UK
Michael Gilroy: Afimilk Ltd., Glasgow G2 6HJ, UK

Agriculture, 2020, vol. 10, issue 6, 1-11

Abstract: Collar-based activity sensors are in common use as a means of detecting oestrus to optimise farm fertility and, hence, productivity. Recently, the same acceleration-derived signals have been processed to detect the time spent ruminating and eating, which, together, give an insight into animal welfare. Here, the use of neck-mounted accelerometers to provide a quantifiable measure of the time period that an individual animal exhibits signs of heat stress is reported. Heat stress has a significant impact on both animal welfare and productivity. Cattle studied during elevated temperatures were found to exhibit signs of exaggerated breathing motions, an indicator of heat stress, for 8 h on average per day, exceeding the time that cattle spend feeding and is similar to daily rumination times. No similar cases were recorded in the cooler conditions of a Scottish winter. The approach offers a cost-effective measure of heat stress and a potential tool to quantify its impact more generally.

Keywords: dairy cattle; heat stress; accelerometers; collar-based sensors; precision livestock farming (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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