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Computerized Biotelemetry System for Environmental Research on Dairy Animals¹

Department of Animal Sciences, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822

G. L. Seawright and R. R. Brown

E-Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87544

ABSTRACT

A data collection and data analysis system has been developed for monitoring animals in typical livestock environments through biotelemetry. The equipment consists of a PDP 11V03 microcomputer interfaced to a telemetry receiver and time interval digitizer. Radio-telemetry provides information on diurnal temperature patterns in dairy cattle at monitoring intervals anywhere from once a minute to once a day. Weather conditions are monitored by radiotransmitters adapted to provide wet bulb, dry bulb, and black globe temperatures. Up to 100 transmitters may be monitored. Software for data collection and data analysis was developed in FORTRAN IV and assembly language. Data analysis capabilities of the system are discussed in relation to monitoring effects of heat stress and management on dairy cattle performance.

¹ This work was supported by grant no. 58-9AHZ-0-532, from the USDA, SEA/ARS. Hardware modification and data collection software was developed by R. R. Brown through the support of USDA (APHIS) and the Department of Energy (DOE) under DOE/USDA interagency agreement.