A new ambulatory data logger for a long-term determination of grazing and rumination behaviour on free-ranging cattle, sheep and goats

Abstract

A new ambulatory data logger (named ‘jaw recorder’), which simultaneously records the number of jaw movements and number of pauses between jaw movements longer than 3 s min −1, was developed and tested using cattle, sheep and goats. Since this apparatus was more simple, light-weight and compact than our previously developed ones, it could be carried on the neck band of the sheep and goat as well as on the top of the halter on the cattle. The apparatus had a large data storage capacity (32 768 data points), enabling it to record data every minute for a maximum of 22 days in one recording session. Grazing and rumination periods in the sheep and goats as well as cattle could be distinguished by a combination of jaw movements and pauses between jaw movements longer than 3 s min −1. The jaw recorder used in this experiment should provide a further useful means for analyzing grazing and rumination behaviour of large and medium body size free-ranging domestic animals.