Time-budget and location of activities in the paddock can be estimated from GPS-data

Time-budget and location of activities in the paddock can be estimated from GPS-data. 10. International Symposium on the Nutrition of Herbivores (ISNH

Development of a methodological framework for a robust prediction of the main behaviours of dairy cows using a combination of machine learning algorithms on accelerometer data

International audienc

Influence of pasture characteristics and time of day on dairy cow behaviour predicted from GPS-data

The relationship between animal behaviour and pasture characteristics needs to be explored to facilitatepasture management. Using Global Positioning System (GPS) data, this paper aims to study the influenceof pasture characteristics and time of day on (1) cow distribution in the paddock and (2) the mainbehaviour inferred in each area. Fourteen Holstein cows were tracked with GPS receivers mounted oncollars for an entire day and were observed simultaneously. A vegetation cover characterisation (floralspecies and dry matter) and sward height measurements were carried out before and after grazing. Eachof these measurements was also GPS located. A heterogeneous distribution of cows inside the paddockwas observed. Using distances and turning angles, main behaviours (grazing, resting and walking) werepredicted using a decision tree. Cows spent significantly more time resting in the afternoon than in themorning and frequently rested near the drinking trough. A greater difference in sward height betweenentry and exit of cows was observed in areas where resting was the main behaviour. These findingsshowed that cow time-budget can be studied efficiently without laborious observation using GPS-locatedresources and GPS data