Abstract
Simple SummaryOwing to the small size and lightweight of wearable cameras, they do not affect cattle behavior when attached to their bodies. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the suitability of wearable cameras for monitoring and analyzing calf behavior. We conclude that wearable cameras are suitable for observing calf behavior, particularly their posture (standing or lying), as well as their ruminating and feeding behaviors.Understanding cattle behavior is important for discerning their health and management status. However, manual observations of cattle are time-consuming and labor-intensive. Moreover, during manual observations, the presence or position of a human observer may alter the normal behavior of the cattle. Wearable cameras are small and lightweight; therefore, they do not disturb cattle behavior when attached to their bodies. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the suitability of wearable cameras for monitoring and analyzing cattle behavior. From December 18 to 27, 2017, this study used four 2-month-old, group-housed Holstein calves at the Field Science Center of the Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Japan. Calf behavior was recorded every 30 s using a wearable camera (HX-A1H, Panasonic, Japan) from 10:00 to 15:30 and observed directly from 11:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 15:00. In addition, the same observer viewed the camera recordings corresponding to the direct observation periods, and the results were compared. The correlation coefficients of all behavioral data from direct and wearable camera video observations were significant (p < 0.01). We conclude that wearable cameras are suitable for observing calf behavior, particularly their posture (standing or lying), as well as their ruminating and feeding behaviors.
Highlights
Behavioral observations are an effective means of understanding the health condition and feeding management status of dairy cows
Behaviors related to postures, standing and lying, were distinguished from each other in the footage by the distance from the ground (Figure 3a,b)
Comparing behavioral observations obtained by direct observation with those obtained through a recorded video using a wearable camera indicates that it is possible to observe calf behavior using a wearable camera
Summary
Understanding cattle behavior is important in discerning their health and management status [1]. Behavioral observations are an effective means of understanding the health condition and feeding management status of dairy cows. Manual observation of cattle is time-consuming and labor-intensive [2]. The limitations of manual observation include personnel training, subjectivity, and brevity [3]. Inter-observer reliability is affected by observer experience when observing multiple animals using many observers [4], and observer expectations may invalidate the subjective recording of behavior [5]. It is common to observe behavior using recordings from a fixed-point video camera [6]; it is difficult to observe free-ranging animals because the observational accuracy can be reduced by the camera’s field of view and blind spots
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