Flock Nocturnal Activity: Is There a Rotative Guard?
Animal activity during the night period is of enormous importance, since it represents approximately half of animals’ lives, and monitoring it during this period makes it possible to detect problems related to well-being and safety, and allows us to infer energy expenditure on the basis of their act...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-11-01
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| Series: | Applied Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/22/11563 |
| _version_ | 1797465972937850880 |
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| author | Pedro Gonçalves Mário Antunes William Xavier António Monteiro |
| author_facet | Pedro Gonçalves Mário Antunes William Xavier António Monteiro |
| author_sort | Pedro Gonçalves |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Animal activity during the night period is of enormous importance, since it represents approximately half of animals’ lives, and monitoring it during this period makes it possible to detect problems related to well-being and safety, and allows us to infer energy expenditure on the basis of their activity level. The present study analyzes a sheep activity dataset created during the night period to validate non-invasive techniques of monitoring that can be used to infer energy expenditure at night and to detect abnormal nocturnal activity. The study allowed us to detect cyclic changes in activity during the night period, which is composed of inactive and active periods, and to identify sheep lying positions. The analysis of the joint activity of the flock allowed us to perceive a time lag in the rest cycles, which consisted of periods of activity of ewes undone between elements of the flock. Although it does not allow us to identify the components of the period of inactivity, since the method used does not monitor brain activity, the results allow us to confirm the cyclical character of the nocturnal activity of sheep that has been reported in the literature, as well as their typical posture when lying down. Although this is an exploratory application with a very small number of animals, the similarity between the results obtained and the results documented in the existing literature, which have mostly been obtained using invasive methods, is encouraging, and suggests it is possible to rely on activity monitoring processes based on inertial sensors. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T18:30:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4a9d02bef5f14b9ba32c7bc3c9f5a72e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T18:30:13Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Applied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-4a9d02bef5f14b9ba32c7bc3c9f5a72e2023-11-24T07:37:19ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172022-11-0112221156310.3390/app122211563Flock Nocturnal Activity: Is There a Rotative Guard?Pedro Gonçalves0Mário Antunes1William Xavier2António Monteiro3Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gestão de Águeda, Instituto de Telecomunicações, Universidade de Aveiro, 3830-193 Aveiro, PortugalInstituto Superior de Contabilidade e Administração de Aveiro, Instituto de Telecomunicações, Universidade de Aveiro, 3830-193 Aveiro, PortugaliFarmTec—Intelligent Farm Technologies, Zona Industrial da Mota, Rua 12, Lote 51, Fração E, 3830-527 Gafanha da Encarnação, PortugalEscola Superior Agrária do Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, CERNAS–Centro de Recursos Naturais, Ambiente e Sociedade, Quinta da Alagoa, Estrada de Nelas, 3500-606 Viseu, PortugalAnimal activity during the night period is of enormous importance, since it represents approximately half of animals’ lives, and monitoring it during this period makes it possible to detect problems related to well-being and safety, and allows us to infer energy expenditure on the basis of their activity level. The present study analyzes a sheep activity dataset created during the night period to validate non-invasive techniques of monitoring that can be used to infer energy expenditure at night and to detect abnormal nocturnal activity. The study allowed us to detect cyclic changes in activity during the night period, which is composed of inactive and active periods, and to identify sheep lying positions. The analysis of the joint activity of the flock allowed us to perceive a time lag in the rest cycles, which consisted of periods of activity of ewes undone between elements of the flock. Although it does not allow us to identify the components of the period of inactivity, since the method used does not monitor brain activity, the results allow us to confirm the cyclical character of the nocturnal activity of sheep that has been reported in the literature, as well as their typical posture when lying down. Although this is an exploratory application with a very small number of animals, the similarity between the results obtained and the results documented in the existing literature, which have mostly been obtained using invasive methods, is encouraging, and suggests it is possible to rely on activity monitoring processes based on inertial sensors.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/22/11563sheep monitoringnocturnal periodwearable accelerometerssleep cyclesrotative guard |
| spellingShingle | Pedro Gonçalves Mário Antunes William Xavier António Monteiro Flock Nocturnal Activity: Is There a Rotative Guard? Applied Sciences sheep monitoring nocturnal period wearable accelerometers sleep cycles rotative guard |
| title | Flock Nocturnal Activity: Is There a Rotative Guard? |
| title_full | Flock Nocturnal Activity: Is There a Rotative Guard? |
| title_fullStr | Flock Nocturnal Activity: Is There a Rotative Guard? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Flock Nocturnal Activity: Is There a Rotative Guard? |
| title_short | Flock Nocturnal Activity: Is There a Rotative Guard? |
| title_sort | flock nocturnal activity is there a rotative guard |
| topic | sheep monitoring nocturnal period wearable accelerometers sleep cycles rotative guard |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/22/11563 |
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