Computer based animal monitoring in suckler cow husbandry
Suckler cow husbandry is usually managed as an extensive housing system. Extensive in this case means grassland farming with a small livestock (very often less than two large animal units per hectar). Extensive in suckler cow husbandry also means the use of cost-saving housing systems in order to meet the economic demands required by the market. One example for this is to keep the cattle outdoors all year through. But while there is a trend to minimize the expenses
for the housing systems, the standards for process and product quality keep rising.
Objective
Computer-based animal monitoring is at the centre of a recent project in the field of precision livestock farming. The investigations are expected to reveal whether by the use of sensors and the online acquisition of physiological parameters, reliable information about the condition and status of the suckler cows can be collected. Special attention is being paid to the periods of time of oestrus, calving and possible illness.
Method
The data acquisition is made up by the parameters animal activity, drinking, live weight development of the suckler cows as well as feed concentrate taking of the calves. The investigations are carried out with ten suckler cows at a laboratory farm in Blumberg near Berlin. The parameter values are being collected by a fixed and proved installation consisting of a scale, a water place and a feed concentrate automat, frequented daily by the suckler cows. The animal activity is measured by pedometers in exact time intervals. GPS-based observation of spatial pasture utilization is expected to gather supplementary and supporting information in the periods of time mentioned. Parallel to the technical data acquisition, discontinuous observation of the animals is being carried out in order to guarantee the comparability of the collected information. All values are to be checked individually and combined by the help of Fuzzy Logic in regard to their quality significance.
Status of research
The investigations in regard to calving time will be finished by March 2003. First results from a suckler cow herd at a farm in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern show that it is possible to specify the time of birth with the help of animal activity measurement to a reasonable degree of exactness. The animal activity data also show the difference between prenatal and postnatal behaviour. These first results are confirmed by the running observations.
Kaufmann, Otto Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. (Details) (Livestock Industries and Techniques in Animal Handling)
Duration of project
Start date: 09/1999
End date: 12/2005
Research Areas
animal monitoring, Brunst, cattle, Geburt, oestrus, parturition, precision livestock farming, rechnergestützte Tierhaltung, Rind, Tierüberwachung
