HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Beauchemin, K. A. Articles by Buchanan-Smith, J. G. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Beauchemin, K. A. Articles by Buchanan-Smith, J. G.

An Automatic System for Quantification of Eating and Ruminating Activities of Dairy Cattle Housed in Stalls

University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1

ABSTRACT

A system for quantifying eating and ruminating activities of dairy cows was developed and tested. A transducer was constructed using two strain gauges to transform cow jaw movements into electrical signals. The analog signals were processed into discrete jaw movements by a computerized data acquisition system. An interpretative program classified the input data into one of three categories: eating, ruminating, or idling. The accuracy of the system was tested using five cows for 5 d by comparing visual records to chart recorder and computer records. Estimates of time spent eating and ruminating produced by the computer and recorder during 24-h intervals were similar. However, recorder estimates of eating and ruminating were 17.6 and 4.7% longer than visual records, respectively, and computer estimates were 19.4 and 1.3% longer. Eating was overestimated by both automatic systems because the transducer was unable to distinguish between jaw movements caused by eating and grooming activities. In contrast, ruminating was estimated accurately by monitoring jaw movements.

¹ Current address: Agriculture Canada, Box 3000, Main, Lethbridge, Alberta, T1J 4B1.

² School of Engineering.

³ Institute of Computer Science.

⁴ Department of Animal and Poultry Science.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				P. J. Kononoff, H. A. Lehman, and A. J. Heinrichs Technical Note--A Comparison of Methods Used to Measure Eating and Ruminating Activity in Confined Dairy Cattle J Dairy Sci, July 1, 2002; 85(7): 1801 - 1803. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]