Abstract
Article Details: Received: 2020-10-25 | Accepted: 2020-11-27 | Available online: 2021-01-31 https://doi.org/10.15414/afz.2021.24.mi-prap.58-61 The climate in the Czech Republic is mild, transient between oceanic and continental, with a typical alternation of 4-year periods. The continental climate is characterized by high temperatures in summer and low temperatures in winter. During the extreme fluctuation of microclimatic conditions in the stable, there is also a change in individual reproductive indicators due to disruption of hormonal secretion, which further affects individual physiological processes, thus worsening conception or milder manifestations of heat, which we currently try to detect by neck responders and other modern systems.The experiment analyzed the effect of the average monthly temperature and humidity in the stable on the percentage of pregnant cows, in 2017 without the use of neck responders and in 2019, when all cows already had a neck responder. Monitoring was performed in 2017 and 2019 on the private farm GenAgro Řicany, a.s. (GPS 49 ° 12'32.319 N, 16 ° 23'42.666 V). The values of average temperatures and relative humidity were calculated from 15-minute interval recordings of HOBO brand data loggers (Onset), which were placed in the stable, at the height at the withers of the cows without the possibility of influencing the measurements by the cows themselves. The object of monitoring was a herd of approximately 700 cows of Czech Fleckvieh Simmental various lactations. Data on the conception of cows were obtained both from the monthly reports of the breeding organization and from the data of the breeder.Thermal stress can have a long-lasting effect observable for weeks or months after the summer. This is also evidenced by the results of the work, which shows the worsening conception of cows, especially in late summer and autumn. At the same time, the results show a positive effect of the used neck responders, which help with the detection of heat and thus improve the reproduction of the whole herd. Keywords: Czech Fleckvieh Simmental, smart farming, neck responders, reproduction, heat stress References Badinga, L., et al. (1985). Effects of climatic and management factors on conception rate of dairy cattle in subtropical environment. J Dairy Sci , 68, 78–85. Bertipaglia, E. C. A., et al. (2005). Fertility and hair coat characteristics of Holstein cows in a tropical environment . Anim Reprod , 2(3), 187–194. Bridges, P. J. et al. (2005). Elevated temperature (heat stress) in vitro reduces androstenedione and estradiol and increases progesterone secretion by follicular cells from bovine dominant follicles. Domestic Animal Endocrinology , 29, 508–522, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.domaniend.2005.02.017 . Funnell, A. (2015). Robots and the future of agriculture . [cited 2020-10-15]. Available from: http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/futuretense/a-swarmof-agbots/6968940 Jelinek, P., Koudela, K. et al. (2003). Fyziologie hospodařských zviřat . Brno: Mendelova zemědělska a lesnicka univerzita. Rensis, F. D., Scaramuzzi, R. . (2003). Heat stress and seasonal effects on reproduction in the dairy cow – a review. Theriogenology, 60,1139–1151, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0093-691X(03)00126-2 . Schmitt, E. J. et al. (1996). Differential response of the luteal phase and fertility in cattle following ovulation of the first-wave follicle with human chorionic gonadotropin or an agonist of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone. J Anim Sci , 74, 1074–1083, DOI: 10.2527/1996.7451074x Schwab, K. (2016). The fourth industrial revolution . New York: Crown Business. Ustundag, A., Cevikcan, E. (2017). Industry 4.0: managing the digital transformation . New York: Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Velechovska, J. (2016). Monitoring přežvykovani pro efektivnějsi chov . Chov [online]., 8. cislo 18–20 str. [cited 2020-10-15]. Available from: https://www.eurofarm.cz/sites/www.eurofarm.cz/files/u2018/08-2016-chov-priloha_str18-20-eurofarm.pdf Wolfenson, D., Roth, Z., Meidan, R. (2000). Impaired reproduction in heat stressed: basic and applied aspects. Anim Reprod Sci , 60, 535–547, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-4320(00)00102-0 .
Highlights
Cattle are the most demanding category of all types of livestock kept on farms in terms of investment, work, materials, and organization
The object of monitoring was a herd of approximately 750 cows of Czech Fleckvieh Simmental on various lactations, which were equipped with a neck responder – Vitalimeter
Average temperatures and relative humidity were calculated from 15-minute interval recordings of HOBO (Onset) brand loggers, which were placed in the stable at the height at the withers of the cows
Summary
Cattle are the most demanding category of all types of livestock kept on farms in terms of investment, work, materials, and organization. In their book, Ustundag and Cevickan (2017) state that agriculture is a very important point of Industry 4.0, as it ensures the livelihood of the population. They add that the agricultural sector has a very high potential for the use of digitization and mechanization. The previous revolution is summarized by Schwab (2016) as follows: the ability to a billion people. This industrial revolution is characterized by several new technologies that connect the digital, physical, and biological worlds
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