Validation of a methodology for characterization of rumination, lying, standing, and performing non-nutritive oral behaviors and behavioral patterns in Holstein dairy calves
ABSTRACT: Calf behavior is closely related to its early growth, production performance, and health performance. Continuous behavior recording is the most accurate but also time-consuming method used for monitoring animal behaviors, so the instantaneous sampling method is often adopted to minimize th...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Journal of Dairy Science |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030223004071 |
| _version_ | 1797741466896826368 |
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| author | Rong Peng Jianxin Xiao Tianyu Chen Gibson Maswayi Alugongo Hui Yang Siyuan Zhang Zhijun Cao |
| author_facet | Rong Peng Jianxin Xiao Tianyu Chen Gibson Maswayi Alugongo Hui Yang Siyuan Zhang Zhijun Cao |
| author_sort | Rong Peng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT: Calf behavior is closely related to its early growth, production performance, and health performance. Continuous behavior recording is the most accurate but also time-consuming method used for monitoring animal behaviors, so the instantaneous sampling method is often adopted to minimize the time required to quantify behavioral observations in animal studies. Moreover, the optimal sampling intervals required to yield accurate information for estimating Holstein dairy calves' behaviors are still unknown. Our primary objective was to determine the most optimal sampling intervals for monitoring behaviors of Holstein dairy calves during preweaning and weaning periods to improve efficiency while maintaining reliability. The secondary objective was to describe their behavioral patterns. Rumination, lying, standing, and non-nutritive oral behavior (NNOB) data of 18 calves (observation time: 360 h/calf, 6,480 h in total) were continuously recorded for 15 d (3 d at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 wk of age). The continuous behavioral data were compared with instantaneous sampling at 5 s, 10 s, 15 s, 30 s,1 min, 3 min, 5 min, 10 min, 15 min, 30 min, and 60 min intervals. Sampling intervals were considered accurate if they met 4 criteria: coefficient of determination ≥0.90 (i.e., strongly related to true values), slope = 1, intercept = 0 (i.e., they did not over- or underestimate true values), and relative error <10%. The most optimal sampling interval was considered the highest sampling interval among the 11 sampling intervals that meet the criteria for accurate monitoring. As expected, the strength of the linear relationship between the continuous recording and instantaneous sampling decreased as the sampling intervals increased. The results varied across the different behaviors, with rumination, lying, standing, and NNOB being reliable at instantaneous recordings of 3 min, 10 min, 10 min, and 1 min for the preweaning period (1, 3, and 6 wk of age) and 10 min, 10 min, 15 min, and 3 min for the postweaning period (9 and 12 wk of age). In terms of behavioral patterns, lying time decreased, whereas rumination, standing, and NNOB time increased with age. After weaning, no significant changes in time spent performing these behaviors. Additionally, the rumination behavioral pattern becomes stable after wk 6 with decreasing after the morning feeding and occurring mainly in the morning. In conclusion, instantaneous sampling is a reliable method for monitoring the behaviors of dairy calves, but the optimal sampling intervals should be selected based on different ages and management conditions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T14:27:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7fb60028737442e4b5eb0a446b06abeb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0022-0302 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T14:27:25Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
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| series | Journal of Dairy Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-7fb60028737442e4b5eb0a446b06abeb2023-08-18T04:30:27ZengElsevierJournal of Dairy Science0022-03022023-09-01106964026415Validation of a methodology for characterization of rumination, lying, standing, and performing non-nutritive oral behaviors and behavioral patterns in Holstein dairy calvesRong Peng0Jianxin Xiao1Tianyu Chen2Gibson Maswayi Alugongo3Hui Yang4Siyuan Zhang5Zhijun Cao6State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, PR ChinaState Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, PR China; Key Laboratory of Low Carbon Culture and Safety Production in Cattle in Sichuan, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, PR ChinaState Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, PR ChinaState Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, PR ChinaState Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, PR ChinaState Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, PR ChinaState Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, PR China; Corresponding authorABSTRACT: Calf behavior is closely related to its early growth, production performance, and health performance. Continuous behavior recording is the most accurate but also time-consuming method used for monitoring animal behaviors, so the instantaneous sampling method is often adopted to minimize the time required to quantify behavioral observations in animal studies. Moreover, the optimal sampling intervals required to yield accurate information for estimating Holstein dairy calves' behaviors are still unknown. Our primary objective was to determine the most optimal sampling intervals for monitoring behaviors of Holstein dairy calves during preweaning and weaning periods to improve efficiency while maintaining reliability. The secondary objective was to describe their behavioral patterns. Rumination, lying, standing, and non-nutritive oral behavior (NNOB) data of 18 calves (observation time: 360 h/calf, 6,480 h in total) were continuously recorded for 15 d (3 d at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 wk of age). The continuous behavioral data were compared with instantaneous sampling at 5 s, 10 s, 15 s, 30 s,1 min, 3 min, 5 min, 10 min, 15 min, 30 min, and 60 min intervals. Sampling intervals were considered accurate if they met 4 criteria: coefficient of determination ≥0.90 (i.e., strongly related to true values), slope = 1, intercept = 0 (i.e., they did not over- or underestimate true values), and relative error <10%. The most optimal sampling interval was considered the highest sampling interval among the 11 sampling intervals that meet the criteria for accurate monitoring. As expected, the strength of the linear relationship between the continuous recording and instantaneous sampling decreased as the sampling intervals increased. The results varied across the different behaviors, with rumination, lying, standing, and NNOB being reliable at instantaneous recordings of 3 min, 10 min, 10 min, and 1 min for the preweaning period (1, 3, and 6 wk of age) and 10 min, 10 min, 15 min, and 3 min for the postweaning period (9 and 12 wk of age). In terms of behavioral patterns, lying time decreased, whereas rumination, standing, and NNOB time increased with age. After weaning, no significant changes in time spent performing these behaviors. Additionally, the rumination behavioral pattern becomes stable after wk 6 with decreasing after the morning feeding and occurring mainly in the morning. In conclusion, instantaneous sampling is a reliable method for monitoring the behaviors of dairy calves, but the optimal sampling intervals should be selected based on different ages and management conditions.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030223004071dairy calfinstantaneous samplingsampling intervalbehavioral pattern |
| spellingShingle | Rong Peng Jianxin Xiao Tianyu Chen Gibson Maswayi Alugongo Hui Yang Siyuan Zhang Zhijun Cao Validation of a methodology for characterization of rumination, lying, standing, and performing non-nutritive oral behaviors and behavioral patterns in Holstein dairy calves Journal of Dairy Science dairy calf instantaneous sampling sampling interval behavioral pattern |
| title | Validation of a methodology for characterization of rumination, lying, standing, and performing non-nutritive oral behaviors and behavioral patterns in Holstein dairy calves |
| title_full | Validation of a methodology for characterization of rumination, lying, standing, and performing non-nutritive oral behaviors and behavioral patterns in Holstein dairy calves |
| title_fullStr | Validation of a methodology for characterization of rumination, lying, standing, and performing non-nutritive oral behaviors and behavioral patterns in Holstein dairy calves |
| title_full_unstemmed | Validation of a methodology for characterization of rumination, lying, standing, and performing non-nutritive oral behaviors and behavioral patterns in Holstein dairy calves |
| title_short | Validation of a methodology for characterization of rumination, lying, standing, and performing non-nutritive oral behaviors and behavioral patterns in Holstein dairy calves |
| title_sort | validation of a methodology for characterization of rumination lying standing and performing non nutritive oral behaviors and behavioral patterns in holstein dairy calves |
| topic | dairy calf instantaneous sampling sampling interval behavioral pattern |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030223004071 |
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