Computational Vision Use For Evaluation Of Confined Dairy Cows Behavior

Changes on dairy cows behavior can be observed as a result of microclimate variances. However, conventional steps that had been used until now are still evasive and they can even lead to some uncertainties in interpretation of results. The experiment described in this paper was conducted on a commercial farm in São Pedro (São Paulo, Brazil), where dairy cows were monitored through micro-cameras that were installed in strategic places to assess their behavior. The objective of this work was to development software to evaluate the behavior of confined dairy cows in freestalls through digital imaging. It is also important to point out that in this case, software validation was conducted through real-time testing. Obtained images were observed by three different methodologies (indirect way of instantaneous (VII), indirect spaced (VIE), and computer vision (VC)), in order to quantify the percentage of animals that presented behavioral activities, and also to analyze and compare these three distinct registration methods. Based on this study, it was possible to conclude that although computer vision methodology developed for behavioral evaluation presented some constrains, it demonstrated to be an excellent tool to evaluate dairy cows' behavior.943948Marchant, J.A., and C.P. Schofield. 1990 Pigs, Snakes and Maggots. Div. Note, Silsoe Research Institute, Silsoe, Bedford. MINAGAWA, H., IECHIKAWA, T (1992) Measurement of pig weights by an image analysis. ASAE Paper 92-0000, 8 p. ASAE, Chicago(2004) Minitab® Statistical Software for Windows, , http://www.minitab.com/products/minitab, MINITAB, Disponivel em, Acesso em 10 fev. 2004Palmer, R.W., Wagner-Storch, A.M., Cow preference for different freestall bases in pens with different stocking rates (2003) Proceedings of the Fifth International Dairy Housing Conference, pp. 155-164Shao, J., Xin, H., Harmon, J.D., Comparison of image feature extraction for classification of swine thermal comfort behavior (1998) Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 19, pp. 223-232Spink, A.J., Tegelenbosch, R.A.J., Buma, M.O.S., Noldus, L.P.J.J., The EthoVision video tracking system: A tool for behavioral phenotyping of transgenic mice (2001) Physiology and Behavior, 73, pp. 731-74

Image Analysis For Characterization The Activities Of Dairy Cows Inside The Confinement Housing [análise De Imagens Para A Caracterização Das Atividades De Vacas Leiteiras Dentro Do Galpão De Confinamento]

Today's animal production need the use of information technology and automation in the animal's rearing environment in order to analyze their interference both in the production and animal welfare. The objective of this research was to compare the efficiency of two methodologies of image analysis for evaluating the presence of dairy cows in specific places in the confinement shed. The experiment was done in a commercial farm and the cows were monitored by six cameras. Two ways of analyzing the presence of the cows in the pre- selected places (bedding, drinker and feeder) were used: images analyzed as seen in the computer screen (T1), and automatically by the software developed for capturing the images of the cows in the freestall shed (T2). The attendance data were analyzed using the technique of the principal component analysis and to compare the two methods, it was applied the Student t - test with 95% reliability for the mean count of the presence of cows in each studied area. No significant difference between the methods was found, and both methods were efficient for registering the presence of cows in the activities.31610361043Barbosa Filho, J.A.D., Silva, I.J.O., Silva, M.A.N., Silva, C.J.M., Avaliação dos comportamentos de aves poedeiras utilizando sequência de imagens (2007) Engenharia Agrícola, Jaboticabal, 27 (1), pp. 93-99. , http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-69162007000100002&lng=en&nrm=iso, Disponivel em:Acesso em: 7 ago. 2010Bokkers, E.A.M., Effects of interaction between humans and domesticated animals (2006), pp. 31-41. , In: HASSINK, J.VANDIJK, M. Farming for health. Wageningen: Wageningen University and Research Centre, cap 3Cangara, O., Leroyaeroya, T., Guarinob, M., Vrankena, E., Fallonc, R., Lenehanc, J., Meed, J., Berckmansa, D., Automatic real-time monitoring of locomotion and posture behaviour of pregnant cows prior o calving using online image analysis (2008) Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, Amsterdam, 64, pp. 53-60Costa, M.J.R., Broom, D.M., Consistency of side choice in the milking parlour by Holstein-Friesian cows and its relationship with their reactivity and milk yield (2001) Applied Animal Behaviour Science, Bristol, 70 (3), pp. 177-186Frazzi, E., Calamari, L., Calegari, F., Stefanini, L., Behavior of dairy cows in response to different barn cooling systems (2000) Transactions of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers, St. Joseph, 43 (2), pp. 387-394(2004), MINITAB. Statistical Software, version 14. Cd-ROMMüller, R., Schrader, L.A., new method to measure behavioral activity levels in dairy cows (2005) Applied Animal Behaviour Science, Bristol, 83 (4), pp. 247-258Noldus, L.P.J.J., Trienes, R.J.H., Hendriksen, A.H., Jansen, H., Jansen, R.G., The Observer Video-Pro: New software for the collection, management, and presentation of time-structured data from videotapes and digital media files (2000) Behavior Research Methods, Instruments and Computers, Amsterdam, 32 (1), pp. 197-206O'Connell, N.E., Ferris, C.P., Patterson, D.C., Mayne, C.S., Effect of feed barrier design and feed space allowance on performance and behavioural parameters in dairy cows (2010) Applied Animal Behaviour Science, Bristol, 127, pp. 20-27Palmer, R.W., Wagner-Storch, A.M., Cow preference for different freestall bases in pens with different stocking rates (2003), pp. 155-164. , In: INTERNATIONAL DAIRY HOUSING, 5., Fort Worth. Proceedings. Fort Worth: American Society of Agricultural EngineersPereira, D.F., Nääs, I.A., Romanini, C.B., Salgado, D.D., Pereira, G.O.T., Indicadores de bem-estar baseados em reações comportamentais de matrizes pesadas (2005) Engenharia Agrícola, Jaboticabal, 25 (2), pp. 308-314. , http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-69162005000200003&lng=pt&nrm=iso, Disponivel em: Acesso em: 07 ago. 2010Perissinotto, M., Moura, D.J., Cruz, V.F., Souza, S.R.L., Lima, K.A.O., Mendes, A.S., Conforto térmico de bovinos leiteiros confinados em clima subtropical e mediterrâneo pela análise de parâmetros fisiológicos, utilizando a teoria dos conjuntos fuzzy (2009) Ciência Rural, Santa Maria, 39 (5), pp. 1.492-1.498Rousing, T., Wemelsfelder, F., Qualitative assessment of social behaviour of dairy cows housed in loose housing systems (2006) Applied Animal Behaviour Science, Bristol, 101, pp. 40-53Sariego, J.C.L., http://paginas.terra.com.br/educacao/sariego/o_estudo_do_comportamento.htm, O que é Etologia? Online Disponivel em:Acesso em 29 abr. 2005Schutz, K.E., Rogers, A.R., Cox, N.R., Tucker, C.B., Dairy cows prefer shade that offers greater protection against solar radiation in summer: Shade use, behaviour, and body temperature (2009) Applied Animal Behaviour Science, Bristol, 116, pp. 28-34Schwager, M., Anderson, D.M., Butler, Z., Rus, D., Robust classification of animal tracking data (2007) Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, Amsterdam, 56 (1), pp. 46-59Teixeira, D.L., Hötzel, M.J., Machado Filho, L.C., Designing better water troughs 2 (2006) Surface area and height, but not depth, influence dairy cows' preference. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, Bristol, 96 (1-2), pp. 169-175Trevisan, N.B., Quadros, F.L.F., Silva, A.C.F., Bandinelli, D.G., Martins, C.E.N., Simões, L.F.C., Maixner, A.R., Pires, D.R.F., Comportamento ingestivo de novilhos de corte em pastagem de aveia-preta e azevém com níveis distintos de folhas verdes (2004) Ciência Rural, Santa Maria, 34 (5), pp. 1.543-1.54

Dairy Cattle Linear and Angular Kinematics during the Stance Phase

Rosana G. Moreira, Editor-in-Chief; Texas A&M UniversityThis is a paper from International Commission of Agricultural Engineering (CIGR, Commission Internationale du Genie Rural) E-Journal Volume 9 (2007): Dairy Cattle Linear and Angular Kinematics during the Stance Phase. Manuscript BC 06 006. Vol. IX. June, 2007

Mapping Of The Internal Environment And Contour Conditions Of Housing For Broilers Using Computational Fluid Dynamics Techniques

The housing environment of broilers has a direct influence on production, because an unhealthy indoor environment affects poultry welfare. The objective of this study was to map the internal environment of the broiler house and detect the dispersion of gaseous pollutants through simulation, with the aim of achieving welfare and comfort for the poultry. For this, we used CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) techniques with which it was possible to estimate various situations for the same problem by changing parameters, verifying the results for different boundary conditions and analysing the risks with confidence and speed. Data were collected in two sheds at a commercial broiler farm located in Campinas, for broilers at 28, 35 and 42 days old. In both sheds G1 and G2, the conditions near the hoods were of higher intensity than other locations in the shed, with no homogeneity in the region of the litter. The simulator proved to be a good tool for determining the behaviour of NH3 and of the air circulating inside the sheds.658663FancomBrewer, S.K., Costello, T.A., In situ measurement of ammonia volatilization from broiler litter using an enclosed air chamber (1999) Transaction of ASAE, 42 (5), pp. 1415-1422Coelho, C.N., Borges, M., Ocomplexo agro-industrial (CAI ) da Avicultura (1999) Revista de Política Agrícola, 8 (3), pp. 1-36. , http://www.agricultura.gov.br/spa/rpa3tri99/3t99s2a2.htm, Disponível emMiragliotta, M.Y., Nääs, I.A., Baracho, M.S., Aradas, M.E.C., Qualidade do ar de dois sistemas produtivos de frangos de corte com ventilação e densidade diferenciadas-Estudo de casos (2002) Revista Engenharia Agricola, 22 (1), pp. 1-10. , JaboticabalRedwine, J.S., Lacey, R.E., Mukhtar, S., Carey, J.B., Concentration and emissions of ammonia and particulate matter in tunnel-ventilated broiler houses under summer conditions in Texas (2002) U.S. Transactions of ASAE, 45 (4), pp. 1101-110