Tri-axial accelerometers for recording grazing and ruminating time in dairy cows: an alternative to visual observations

The aim of this study was to validate the recordings of a commercial tri-axial accelerometer (HOBO ® Pendant G data loggers) with respect to visual observations of grazing and ruminating time of dairy cows. Seven lactating Holstein cows with a mean body weight of 602±45 kg were used for the study. Grazing and ruminating times were recorded using HOBO loggers (31.5 hours of total observations fo r grazing and ruminating) that were attached to the lateral-medial side of the jaw using a strap attached to the head of each cow in a position such that the X-axis was parallel to the ground, the Y-axis was perpendicular to the ground pointing upward, and the Z-axis was parallel to the ground point ing away from the sagittal plane, these relative positions were defined when the cow was in a natural head up position.
Source: Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research - Category: Veterinary Research Authors: Source Type: research