Cattle Body Research Articles

A depth camera-based system for automatic measurement of live cattle body parameters

Many studies have purposed in order to measure live animal body characteristics using RGB-D cameras. However, most of these studies were made only for specific body measurements in interactive manner. A deviation from the expected animal body characteristics can indicate ill thrift, diseases and vitality. Currently, the farm manager can measure the body characteristics manually. Manual measuring generally requires a lot of labor, and it is, therefore, time consuming and stressful for animals. In this work we propose a non-intrusive depth camera-based system for automatic measurement of various cattle body parameters such as linear and integral characteristics along directional lines and local areas, geodesic distances, perimeters of cross sections, etc

Monitoring of the core body temperature of cows using implantable wireless thermometers

Monitoring of cattle body temperature is useful for the detection of estrus, prediction of parturition, and maintenance of health. Recently, methods of monitoring body temperature in sites including the rumen, vagina, skin surface, and subcutis, have been studied. However, these methods are associated with limitations, such as loss of a device and the induction of stress. In addition, these studies did not consider differences among the measurement sites. In the present study, we developed implantable wireless thermometers and implanted them into a cow in 10 different anatomical locations. We then investigated the relationships among the temperatures recorded at these locations and rectal temperature (RT). The temperatures in three endoceliac and seven subcutaneous locations were monitored and compared over 6 weeks during winter. The temperatures in the abdominal cavity and inner flank wall correlated strongly with RT (r = 0.74 and 0.76, respectively). Of the subcutaneous locations, the tail-base (TB) was associated with a high reception rate for wireless transmission (97.6%) and the temperatures at this location also correlated well with RT (r = 0.62). These results indicate that the implantable wireless thermometer can continuously monitor core body temperature over a long period. Endoceliac sites and the TB are good candidates for bovine temperature monitoring. In addition, we were able to predict body temperatures that strongly correlated with the temperatures at endoceliac sites using machine learning and inputs of subcutaneous and ambient temperatures. The correlation coefficients were 0.93 when seven subcutaneous temperatures were used, and 0.77 when two were used. These results suggest that long-term monitoring of core body temperature would be possible using a wireless thermometer implanted in a subcutaneous location.

IDENTIFIKASI UKURAN TUBUH DAN KUALITAS SEMEN SAPI KUANTAN JANTAN

Kuantan cattle is one of the Indonesia's local cattle originating from Riau Province. This research were aimed to determine the average body size and test the fresh semen quality of Kuantan cattle. Measurements of Kuantan cattle body were carried out in 16 adult bulls by observing body length, chest circumference, and shoulder height. Semen quality testing was carried out on four years old bulls with ±150kg weight with the parameters are odor, color, pH, volume, consistency and degrees of viscosity, motility, viability and abnormality. The results showed that the average body size of cattle in Kuantan included body length (cm), chest circumference (cm) and shoulder height (cm) of Kuantan cattle were 88.45 ± 3.92, 119.77 ± 16.18 and 98.94 ± 10.28, while motility, viability, abnormalities were 75.00%, 81.33%, 6.8%. The conclusions of this study were Kuantan cattle body size in small size and the semen feasible to be diluted into frozen semen. Keywords: Body Size, Semen Quality, Kuantan Cattle

Real-time temperature monitoring for the early detection of mastitis in dairy cattle: Methods and case researches

Mastitis commonly occurs in dairy cattle during lactation. This disease has huge effects on the productivity of dairy cattle and the profits of stock farms. Enhancing the efficiency of mastitis treatment begins with the early detection of the disease. The purpose of this research is early detection of mastitis by monitoring the pathogenesis of mastitis through real-time measurements of the rumen temperature by utilizing an ingestible bio-sensor. The ingestible bio-sensor used for this research is orally administered and settles in the rumen. This bio-sensor can measure the cattle's body temperature accurately without any interference from the ambient environment. Also, this method requires less labor and the cattle experience less stress. The measured body temperature data is collected and transmitted to a server for analysis to detect any abnormalities. We administered bio-sensors to 50 Holstein dairy cattle and monitored their rumen temperatures for six months by measuring the temperatures in 10-min intervals. The farm manager could receive mastitis alert messages through a mobile application when a rise in a cow’s body temperature was detected. In addition, the manager conducted daily CMT to diagnose any mastitis incidence. The study results showed 15 subclinical mastitis incidences including recurrences from 9 cows, with 14 alert messages sent from the body temperature monitoring system. The average temperature of high fever cases was 41.10 °C. And the temperature difference between the average temperature of the experimental animals and the highest temperature of mastitis afflicted animals was on average 2.42 °C which shows that mastitis is accompanied with a high rise in body temperature.

Impact of Forage Programme on Cattle Body Condition Score of Smallholder Farmers in Cambodia

Impact of Forage Programme on Cattle Body Condition Score of Smallholder Farmers in Cambodia

Genome-wide associations and detection of potential candidate genes for direct genetic and maternal genetic effects influencing dairy cattle body weight at different ages

BackgroundBody weight (BW) at different ages are of increasing importance in dairy cattle breeding schemes, because of their strong correlation with energy efficiency traits, and their impact on cow health, longevity and farm economy. In total, 15,921 dairy cattle from 56 large-scale test-herds with BW records were genotyped for 45,613 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). This dataset was used for genome-wide association studies (GWAS), in order to localize potential candidate genes for direct and maternal genetic effects on BW recorded at birth (BW0), at 2 to 3 months of age (BW23), and at 13 to 14 months of age (BW1314).ResultsThe first 20 principal components (PC) of the genomic relationship matrix ({mathbf{G}}) grouped the genotyped cattle into three clusters. In the statistical models used for GWAS, correction for population structure was done by including polygenic effects with various genetic similarity matrices, such as the pedigree-based relationship matrix ({mathbf{A}}), the {mathbf{G}}-matrix, the reduced {mathbf{G}}-matrix LOCO (i.e. exclusion of the chromosome on which the candidate SNP is located), and LOCO plus chromosome-wide PC. Inflation factors for direct genetic effects using {mathbf{A}} and LOCO were larger than 1.17. For {mathbf{G}} and LOCO plus chromosome-wide PC, inflation factors were very close to 1.0. According to Bonferroni correction, ten, two and seven significant SNPs were detected for the direct genetic effect on BW0, BW23, and BW1314, respectively. Seventy-six candidate genes contributed to direct genetic effects on BW with four involved in growth and developmental processes: FGF6, FGF23, TNNT3, and OMD. For maternal genetic effects on BW0, only three significant SNPs (according to Bonferroni correction), and four potential candidate genes, were identified. The most significant SNP on chromosome 19 explained only 0.14% of the maternal de-regressed proof variance for BW0.ConclusionsFor correction of population structure in GWAS, we suggest a statistical model that considers LOCO plus chromosome-wide PC. Regarding direct genetic effects, several SNPs had a significant effect on BW at different ages, and only two SNPs on chromosome 5 had a significant effect on all three BW traits. Thus, different potential candidate genes regulate BW at different ages. Maternal genetic effects followed an infinitesimal model.

Determinants of Market Participation and Supply of Beef Cattle Value Chain in Konso District, Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ Region, Ethiopia

Beef cattle value addition linkage system has not yet been systematically studied and documented in the study area. This study is therefore aimed at analyzing the major determinants of market participation and supply of beef cattle value chain using both primary and secondary data. The primary data were collected from producers, middle men, traders and consumers. Whereas, the secondary data were collected from different Central Statistical Agencies and different government offices. The Heckman two stage sample selection model was employed and the result shows that market participation in beef cattle was positively affected by sex, age, household size, access to veterinary service, distance of feed source, beef cattle body condition and access to credit. On the other hand, quantity of the beef cattle supplied was affected negatively by access to veterinary service, distance from feed source, market distance and access to credit while household income affected it positively. Therefore, policy aiming at increasing access to modern inputs and market, developing and improving infrastructure and create awareness about how to use available resources intensively. Control of informal, illegal and expired animal drugs entrance in to the district by responsible agents or experts should be in place. Also, making strong visit, follow up and creation of awareness after credit provision should be done. Keywords : Value chain, Actors, Heckman two stage model, Beef cattle DOI : 10.7176/FSQM/83-01

Impact of forage introduction on cattle grazing practices and crop–livestock systems: a case study in an upland village in northern Laos

Lao smallholders are experiencing livestock grazing land constraints due to resettlement, increasing cattle numbers and commercial cash crop plantations. In this paper we describe changes in cattle grazing systems in an upland village in northern Laos, including the role of forage crops and their effects on cattle productivity. We interviewed 92 Hmong and Khmu households about their migration history, cattle grazing practices, cattle productivity and other livelihood activities. In addition, we measured the heart girths of 231 cattle. We found that the traditional free-range cattle grazing has diverged into three distinct systems incorporating fields fenced to different degrees. Although none of the three systems increased cattle body size, the forage pasture and swidden-farming system successfully increased the grazing capacity compared with other systems. Thus, this method appeared to be the most suitable for Hmong smallholders to manage crop and cattle production in the context of land constraints. Efforts should be made to examine how the newly implemented systems could attenuate villager livelihood and pre-emptively address the problems associated with degrading fallow land.

Distribution of the cattle ticks from mid hills to plains of Nepal

Ticks cause serious economic losses in livestock production worldwide. A study was conducted in 2017/18 to determine the abundance of tick population on different geographical regions and body parts of cattle. Three study sites were taken from mid hill, inner terai and terai region of Nepal. A total of 45 dairy cattle (15 from each region) were included randomly for the study. Regarding the distribution of ticks in cattle body part, higher number of ticks were recorded on dewlap (38.61%) followed by perineum and udder (25.10%), ear base (15.06%), tail base (9.07%), abdomen (7.34%) and withers (4.83%). Similarly, highest numbers of ticks were recorded in Chitwan (19.46 ticks on an average) cattle followed by Dang (9.13 ticks on an average) and least in Lamjung (5.73 ticks on an average) cattle. This result indicates that higher tick infestation was found in warm, moist, hidden sites with good vascular supply and thin skin in cattle body. Similarly, more tick were recorded in cattle keeping with poor animal husbandry practices.

Cross-sectional prevalence of gastrointestinal helminth parasites in cattle in Lira District, Uganda.

The prevalence of gastrointestinal helminth parasite infections and associated risk factors was studied in traditionally reared East African short-horned zebu cattle in Lira District, Uganda. Fecal samples were collected from 205 cattle and coprologically examined for the presence of helminth parasites using the simple salt flotation method complemented with the sedimentation method. The overall prevalence of gastrointestinal helminth parasites (GITPs) in cattle in Adekokwok, Lira District, was 32.2%. Of these, 12 (18.18%) were cases of mixed infections mainly of Amphistomes and other GITPs. Paramphistomum was the most prevalent parasite contributing up to 45.5% of infections, followed by Fasciola, Toxocara, strongyles, Trichuris, and Nematodirus, in descending order of abundance. GITP infections were not influenced by the sex of cattle, while infection with Toxocara was associated with cattle age. The mean body condition score (BCS) for all animals studied was 2.37 ± 0.07. A low BCS was associated with gastrointestinal helminth infections. Nevertheless, other factors such as nutritional stress are likely to augment the effects of parasites in the traditional agro-pastoral system particularly in the dry season and should therefore be considered when using the cattle body condition as an indicator of parasitism.

The stable oxygen isotope ratio of resin extractable phosphate derived from fresh cattle faeces.

RationalePhosphorus losses from agriculture pose an environmental threat to watercourses. A new approach using the stable oxygen isotope ratio of oxygen in phosphate (δ18OPO4 value) may help elucidate some phosphorus sources and cycling. Accurately determined and isotopically distinct source values are essential for this process. The δ18OPO4 values of animal wastes have, up to now, received little attention.MethodsPhosphate (PO4) was extracted from cattle faeces using anion resins and the contribution of microbial PO4 was assessed. The δ18OPO4 value of the extracted PO4 was measured by precipitating silver phosphate and subsequent analysis on a thermal conversion elemental analyser at 1400°C, with the resultant carbon monoxide being mixed with a helium carrier gas passed through a gas chromatography (GC) column into a mass spectrometer. Faecal water oxygen isotope ratios (δ18OH2O values) were determined on a dual‐inlet mass spectrometer through a process of headspace carbon dioxide equilibration with water samples.ResultsMicrobiological results indicated that much of the extracted PO4 was not derived directly from the gut fauna lysed during the extraction of PO4 from the faeces. Assuming that the faecal δ18OH2O values represented cattle body water, the predicted pyrophosphatase equilibrium δ18OPO4 (Eδ18OPO4) values ranged between +17.9 and +19.9‰, while using groundwater δ18OH2O values gave a range of +13.1 to +14.0‰. The faecal δ18OPO4 values ranged between +13.2 and +15.3‰.ConclusionsThe fresh faecal δ18OPO4 values were equivalent to those reported elsewhere for agricultural animal slurry. However, they were different from the Eδ18OPO4 value calculated from the faecal δ18OH2O value. Our results indicate that slurry PO4 is, in the main, derived from animal faeces although an explanation for the observed value range could not be determined.

PRODUKSI DAN KARAKTERISTIK GELATIN HALAL BERBAHAN DASAR USUS AYAM

Gelatine is one of the most indispensable products in the food industry, pharmaceutical industry, photography industry, and other industries. Currently, the demand for gelatine in Indonesia is almost 100% fulfilled by gelatine imports from various countries. Imported gelatineare obtained from the hydrolysis of collagen from pigs and cattle body parts, which causes the anxiety of the Indonesian because the majority of Indonesian are moslems. Moslems forbid all types of food products derived from pigs and livestock that are not slaughtered using Islamic ways. Therefore, it is necessary to find out various raw materials alternatives to get halal gelatine. Gelatine can be made from various body tissues of livestock such as chicken intestines. The main ingredients of the intestine are proteins including collagen. Gelatine is obtained from collagen hydrolysis. Optimization of the acid concentration and soaking time at the demineralization stage influence to gelatine quality. This experiment was conducted experimentally, the design used was a complete randomized design with factorial pattern, the treatments were hydrochloric acid concentration (3, 5, and 7%) and soaking time (24, 48, and 72 hours), each treatment was repeated four times. Variant analysis was used to determine the treatment difference, followed by Duncan’s Multiple Range Test (DMRT) to test the differences between treatments. The results showed that there was an interaction between the use of hydrochloric acid concentration with the length of soaking time on the quality of chicken intestine gelatine. The use of 3% hydrochloric acid with 24 hours soaking time resulted the best quality of chicken intestine gelatin, and had gelatine characteristic ie yield of 4.33%; water content of 5.49%; ash content 3.80%; pH 5.5; and gel strength of 157.48 g bloom.Keywords: gelatin, characterization, production, chicken intestine

Bali Cattle Carcass Characteristic of Different Butt Shape Condition

Carcass was main product on cattle slaughtering which contain beef for human consumption and it has high nutritional and economical value. Carcass production on cattle has been influenced by several factors, such as cattle breed, feed, and body conformation. Cattle Butt Shape was one of part cattle body conformation which allegedly has have positive correlation on produced carcass. This research was aimed to evaluate Butt Shape condition influenced on Bali cattle carcass characteristic. The research was using Bali cattle which slaughter in Kendari Slaughtering House (Rumah Potong Hewan/RPH - Kendari). The observation includes weighing, and measuring parts of carcass was conducted on 60 heads of Halal process slaughtered Bali cattle which traditionally maintained. The research parameters were carcass productivity parameters i.e: slaughtering weight, carcass weight and length, leg length and circumstances. Obtained data were analyzed using Complete Randomized Design and post hoc analyzed using Least Significant Different if have any influence. The research result showed that cattle Butt Shape condition have significant (p<0, 05) influence on all Bali cattle carcass productivity parameters. Butt shape with B category was result the best carcass productivity compare the others, while C category was better than D. It can be concluded that body and carcass weight were linearly influenced by cattle butt shape.

Black cattle body shape and temperature measurement using thermography and KINECT sensor

Black cattle body shape and temperature measurement system is introduced. It is important to evaluate the quality of Japanese black cattle periodically during their growth process. Not only the weight and size of cattle, but also the posture, shape, and temperature need to be tracked as primary evaluation criteria. In the present study, KINECT sensor and thermal camera obtains the body shape and its temperature. The whole system is calibrated to operate in a common coordinate system. Point cloud data are obtained from different angles and reconstructed in a computer. The thermal data are captured too. Both point cloud data and thermal information are combined by considering the orientation of the cow. The collected information is used to evaluate and estimate cattle conditions.

Automated measurement of cattle surface temperature and its correlation with rectal temperature.

The body temperature of cattle varies regularly with both the reproductive cycle and disease status. Establishing an automatic method for monitoring body temperature may facilitate better management of reproduction and disease control in cattle. Here, we developed an Automatic Measurement System for Cattle’s Surface Temperature (AMSCST) to measure the temperature of metatarsus by attaching a special shell designed to fit the anatomy of cattle’s hind leg. Using AMSCST, the surface temperature (ST) on the metatarsus of the hind leg was successively measured during 24 hours a day with an interval of one hour in three tested seasons. Based on ST and rectal temperature (RT) detected by AMSCST and mercury thermometer, respectively, a linear mixed model was established, regarding both the time point and seasonal factors as the fixed effects. Unary linear correlation and Bland-Altman analysis results indicated that the temperatures measured by AMSCST were closely correlated to those measured by mercury thermometer (R2 = 0.998), suggesting that the AMSCST is an accurate and reliable way to detect cattle’s body temperature. Statistical analysis showed that the differences of STs among the three seasons, or among the different time points were significant (P<0.05), and the differences of RTs among the different time points were similarly significant (P<0.05). The prediction accuracy of the mixed model was verified by 10-fold cross validation. The average difference between measured RT and predicted RT was about 0.10 ± 0.10°C with the association coefficient of 0.644, indicating the feasibility of this model in measuring cattle body temperature. Therefore, an automated technology for accurately measuring cattle body temperature was accomplished by inventing an optimal device and establishing the AMSCST system.

Genome-wide association studies identified multiple genetic loci for body size at four growth stages in Chinese Holstein cattle.

The growth and maturity of cattle body size affect not only feed efficiency, but also productivity and longevity. Dissecting the genetic architecture of body size is critical for cattle breeding to improve both efficiency and productivity. The volume and weight of body size are indicated by several measurements. Among them, Heart Girth (HG) and Hip Height (HH) are the most important traits. They are widely used as predictors of body weight (BW). Few association studies have been conducted for HG and HH in cattle focusing on single growth stage. In this study, we extended the Genome-wide association studies to a full spectrum of four growth stages (6-, 12-, 18-, and 24-months after birth) in Chinese Holstein heifers. The whole genomic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were obtained from the Illumina BovineSNP50 v2 BeadChip genotyped on 3,325 individuals. Estimated breeding values (EBVs) were derived for both HG and HH at the four different ages and analyzed separately for GWAS by using the Fixed and random model Circuitous Probability Unification (FarmCPU) method. In total, 27 SNPs were identified to be significantly associated with HG and HH at different growth stages. We found 66 candidate genes located nearby the associated SNPs, including nine genes that were known as highly related to development and skeletal and muscular growth. In addition, biological function analysis was performed by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis and an interaction network related to development was obtained, which contained 16 genes out of the 66 candidates. The set of putative genes provided valuable resources and can help elucidate the genomic architecture and mechanisms underlying growth traits in dairy cattle.

Comparison and reliability of techniques to estimate live cattle body weight

ABSTRACTFive different techniques of estimating the live cattle body weight were evaluated with the objective to identify the most reliable technique for use in the field. Weighbridge was used as the reference for other techniques. The measurement techniques evaluated were Weighbridge, Weigh tape, Rondo tape, Schaeffer’s formula, Agarwal’s formula, and calculator method. The body weights of 89 Brown Swiss and 34 Jersey Cross cattle were estimated by each technique. Compared with Weighbridge, the body weight estimates in Brown Swiss cattle exceeded by about 70 and 66 kg for Agarwal’s formula and Rondo tape, respectively. In Jersey Cross cattle, the estimates exceeded by about 122 and 84 kg for Agarwal’s formula and Rondo tape, respectively. In both breeds, the estimates of Schaeffer’s formula were not significantly different from the Weighbridge. The estimates of weight tape were also not significantly different from the Weighbridge although the estimates exceeded by over 21 kg in Brown Swiss cattle and over 44 kg in Jersey Cross cattle. The study concluded that Schaeffer’s formula is the most reliable of all techniques to estimate live body weight of cattle, followed by weigh tape. Agarwal’s formula and Rondo tape are less reliable and their use in the field must be discontinued.

Abundance, diversity and seasonal dynamics of hard ticks infesting cattle in Isfahan province, central Iran

The objectives of this study were to determine the diversity, seasonal dynamics and abundance of ticks infesting cattle in Isfahan zone, Iran. The study was conducted in three traditional cattle farms. No acaricides had been applied to cattle at the selected farms. Adult ticks were collected twice per month from different parts of the cattle's body. Environmental data, including relative humidity, temperature and rainfall data were recorded in each sampling. A total of 1206 ticks (56% male and 44% female) were collected in the selected farms: Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum was the most abundant species (85.5%), followed by Hyalomma marginatum marginatum (8.7%) and Rhipicephalus sanguinus (6.5%), respectively. Ixodid tick abundance showed a dramatic increase, which led to remarkable abundance peaks during the spring (April, May and June), mainly due to the H. anatolicum anatolicum activity. The highest number of H. marginatum marginatum belonged to the end of the spring, and early summer. R. sanguinus was only collected in March (end of the winter) and June (end of the spring). The maximum density of the collected hard ticks was belonged to the spring (68.4%). About 27.1%, 3.5% and 1% of the whole tick samples were collected in summer, fall and winter, respectively. The maximum number of ticks were collected from udders (63.2%) followed by 36.1% from under the tail and 0.7% between the legs, while no ticks were found on the other parts of the animal’s body. Significant correlation was detected between tick number and mean temperature (P <0.05).

Characterization of Gofa Cattle Population, Production System, Production and Reproduction Performance in Southern Ethiopia

Characterization of Gofa Cattle Population, Production System, Production and Reproduction Performance in Southern Ethiopia

Using an observer rating method to assess the effects of rotational stocking method on beef cattle temperament over time

The objectives of this study were to propose behavioral-based definitions for the adjectives used in an observer rating method, and to use this approach to characterize temperament over time in cattle kept under rotational stocking method. We also analyzed the feasibility of the rating method under commercial cattle farming conditions. We evaluated the temperament evolution of 1,979 pure and crossbred Nellore young bulls over time on three commercial farms located in Northeastern Para State, Brazil. All animals were kept under a rotational stocking method. The observer rating method included 14 behaviorally predefined adjectives for which we defined the minimum and maximum scores. The first factor was considered a qualitative temperament index (QTI) ranging from 'relaxed'/'calm'/'comfortable' to 'fearful'/'agitated'. According to the QTI, cattle temperament improved over time. For Farms A and B, QTI decreased over evaluations, and for Farm C, QTI did not differ from the first to the second evaluations, but decreased from the second assessment onwards. The observer rating method consisting of behaviorally pre-defined adjectives is an adequate indicator of cattle temperament that may be feasible under farm conditions. The method captures different aspects of cattle temperament and distinguishes between slight variations in cattle body language that successfully reveal temperament changes over time.