Technical note: Validation of an ear-tag accelerometer to identify feeding and activity behaviors of tiestall-housed dairy cattle

Abstract

The objective of this study was to validate the CowManager SensOor ear-tag accelerometer (Agis Automatisering BV, Harmelen, the Netherlands) against visual observations of feeding, rumination, resting, and active behaviors of tiestall-housed dairy cows. Prior validation of the sensor has been published for freestall and grazing dairy herds. However, the behavioral differences that exist among these and a tiestall system necessitate additional validation. Lactating Holstein cows (n = 10) at different lactation stages and parities were included in the study. Cows were monitored both visually and with the sensor for 10 h/d for 4 consecutive days (10 cows × 10 h × 4 d = 400 h of observation total). A single trained observer classified each minute of visual observation into 1 of 13 behaviors and then summarized them into the 4 behavioral categories of eating, rumination, not active, or active. The sensor registered ear movements continuously and, based on a proprietary model, converted them into the behavioral categories. Multivariate mixed models were run to obtain covariance estimates, from which correlation coefficients were computed to assess agreement between visual observation and sensor data. The models included the percentage of time spent performing each behavior per day as the dependent variable and technology (visual observation versus sensor) and day as fixed effects. The models also included the random effects of technology and the repeated effects of technology and day. The correlation strength between visual observation and sensor data varied from poor to almost perfect by behavioral category

Transition dairy cow health is associated with first postpartum ovulation risk, metabolic status, milk production, rumination, and physical activity

“…Although visually observed feeding behavior and activity-monitored eating time are moderately correlated when using the SensOor ear tags (Borchers et al, 2016), eating times were underestimated by these same ear tag sensors used in the present study compared with previous visual observations (Grant and Albright, 2000). Our observations are consistent with conclusions of another report (Zambelis et al, 2019) in which the same sensors showed promise for identifying feeding behaviors in general, but the independent classification of rumination and eating may require additional sensitivity. Despite seemingly underestimating the absolute magnitude of eating time, healthy cows in our study tended to spend more time eating than diseased cows during the postpartum period.…”

Symposium review: Precision technologies for dairy calves and management applications

“…Validation studies compare behavior data recorded by the technology to a known measure of behavior, such as visual observation, or to another validated technology known as the gold standard. Validation studies have highlighted the importance of validating multiple PDT in one location (Borchers et al, 2016), as well as validating the same technology (ear-based accelerometer in this instance) in different settings such as on pasture (Pereira et al, 2018), in tiestalls (Zambelis et al, 2019), or in freestalls (Borchers et al, 2016), and in cattle of different ages (Reynolds et al, 2019). This type of validation of PDT is essential to establish that it is precise and accurate in multiple settings.…”

Transport, Associated Handling Procedures and Behaviour of Calves Marketed through Chilean Auction Markets

“…We quantified slips, falls, jumps, balks, turns, vocalizations, mounts, aggressions and defecation/urination in each observed load of animals. Definitions of behavioural indicators used [11,[14][15][16], are presented in Table 1.…”