Impacts of heat stress on the accuracy of a noseband sensor for detection of eating and rumination behavior in confined cattle

Authors: WEINERT-NELSON, JENNIFER; JACOBS, ALAYNA - OAK RIDGE INSTITUTE FOR SCIENCE AND EDUCATION (ORISE); WERNER, JESSICA - UNIVERSITY OF HOHENHEIM; WILLIAMS, CAREY - RUTGERS UNIVERSITY; Davis, Brittany

Submitted to: Journal of Dairy Science Communications
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/5/2024
Publication Date: 7/17/2024
Citation: Weinert-Nelson, J.R., Jacobs, A.A., Werner, J., Williams, C.A., Davis, B.E. 2024. Impacts of heat stress on the accuracy of a noseband sensor for detection of eating and rumination behavior in confined cattle. Journal of Dairy Science Communications. 5(4): 350-355. https://doi.org/10.3168/jdsc.2023-0524.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3168/jdsc.2023-0524

Interpretive Summary: Precision monitoring of feeding behaviors can aid in dairy herd management. Noseband sensors have served as a gold standard for evaluating other technologies in grazing cows. However, further validation is needed in confined cattle. In addition, whether sensors are accurate during heat stress is not known. Therefore, this study assessed automated noseband sensors in confined cattle under thermoneutral and heat stress conditions. Visual observations were compared with automated measurements of eating and rumination time, even during heat stress. These results indicate noseband sensors may be used as a benchmark for future precision technology validations in dairy cattle managed in confinement.

Technical Abstract: Precision monitoring of feeding behaviors can aid in dairy herd management. Noseband sensors (RumiWatch System [RW] Itin+Hoch GmbH, Liestal, Switzerland) have been established as a gold standard for evaluating precision technologies in grazing cows, but more advanced algorithms have not been validated in confinement settings. Additionally, little is known regarding effects of environmental conditions on sensor performance. Therefore this study evaluated the accuracy of RW in quantifying eating and rumination time in confinement using two versions of the RW software algorithms (v.7.3.2 and v.7.3.36) under both thermoneutral (TN: 21.0 °C, 64.0% humidity, temperature-humidity index [THI] = 67) and heat stress conditions (HS: cyclical daily temperatures to mimic diurnal patterns; 23.2 °C – 33.6 °C, 39.5 – 70.0% humidity, THI = 70.3 – 83.5). Nine individually-housed (3×3 m) Holstein x Simmental cross steers were fitted with RW halters. Visual obserations (1-min scan sampling) were compared with hourly summaries of eating and rumination time generated using RW. Agreement for eating time was very high in TN regardless of software version (concordance correlation coefficient [CCC]: v.7.3.36 = 0.91; v.7.3.36 = 0.94), and remained high to very high (CCC: v.7.3.2 = 0.89; v.7.3.36 = 0.95) during HS. Agreement for rumination time was very high regardless of software version in both TN (CCC: v.7.3.2 = 0.93; v.7.3.36 = 0.99) and HS (CCC: v.7.3.2 = 0.91; v.7.3.36 = 0.99). Overall, RW accurately reported both eating and ruminating time in confined cattle and noseband sensors retained this accuracy under heat stress conditions. Thus, results of this study indicate RW may serve as a benchmark for future precision technology validations in dairy cattle managed in confinement.