Using Acceleration Data to Automatically Detect the Onset of Farrowing in Sows
The aim of the present study was to automatically predict the onset of farrowing in crate-confined sows. (1) Background: Automatic tools are appropriate to support animal surveillance under practical farming conditions. (2) Methods: In three batches, sows in one farrowing compartment of the Futterka...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2018-01-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/18/1/170 |
| _version_ | 1798041369945571328 |
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| author | Imke Traulsen Christoph Scheel Wolfgang Auer Onno Burfeind Joachim Krieter |
| author_facet | Imke Traulsen Christoph Scheel Wolfgang Auer Onno Burfeind Joachim Krieter |
| author_sort | Imke Traulsen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The aim of the present study was to automatically predict the onset of farrowing in crate-confined sows. (1) Background: Automatic tools are appropriate to support animal surveillance under practical farming conditions. (2) Methods: In three batches, sows in one farrowing compartment of the Futterkamp research farm were equipped with an ear sensor to sample acceleration. As a reference video, recordings of the sows were used. A classical CUSUM chart using different acceleration indices of various distribution characteristics with several scenarios were compared. (3) Results: The increase of activity mainly due to nest building behavior before the onset of farrowing could be detected with the sow individual CUSUM chart. The best performance required a statistical distribution characteristic that represented fluctuations in the signal (for example, 1st variation) combined with a transformation of this parameter by cumulating differences in the signal within certain time periods from one day to another. With this transformed signal, farrowing sows could reliably be detected. For 100% or 85% of the sows, an alarm was given within 48 or 12 h before the onset of farrowing. (4) Conclusions: Acceleration measurements in the ear of a sow are suitable for detecting the onset of farrowing in individually housed sows in commercial farrowing crates. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T22:20:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f9b5929003b24cb28c0d2a47b5e2ff5c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T22:20:35Z |
| publishDate | 2018-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-f9b5929003b24cb28c0d2a47b5e2ff5c2022-12-22T04:00:10ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202018-01-0118117010.3390/s18010170s18010170Using Acceleration Data to Automatically Detect the Onset of Farrowing in SowsImke Traulsen0Christoph Scheel1Wolfgang Auer2Onno Burfeind3Joachim Krieter4Livestock Systems Group, Department of Animal Science, Georg-August University, Albrecht-Thaer Weg 3, 37075 Göttingen, GermanyInstitute of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, Christian-Albrechts-University, Olshausenstr, 40, 24098 Kiel, GermanyMKW Electronics GmbH, Jutogasse 3, 4675 Weibern, AustriaChamber of Agriculture Schleswig-Holstein, 24327 Blekendorf, GermanyInstitute of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, Christian-Albrechts-University, Olshausenstr, 40, 24098 Kiel, GermanyThe aim of the present study was to automatically predict the onset of farrowing in crate-confined sows. (1) Background: Automatic tools are appropriate to support animal surveillance under practical farming conditions. (2) Methods: In three batches, sows in one farrowing compartment of the Futterkamp research farm were equipped with an ear sensor to sample acceleration. As a reference video, recordings of the sows were used. A classical CUSUM chart using different acceleration indices of various distribution characteristics with several scenarios were compared. (3) Results: The increase of activity mainly due to nest building behavior before the onset of farrowing could be detected with the sow individual CUSUM chart. The best performance required a statistical distribution characteristic that represented fluctuations in the signal (for example, 1st variation) combined with a transformation of this parameter by cumulating differences in the signal within certain time periods from one day to another. With this transformed signal, farrowing sows could reliably be detected. For 100% or 85% of the sows, an alarm was given within 48 or 12 h before the onset of farrowing. (4) Conclusions: Acceleration measurements in the ear of a sow are suitable for detecting the onset of farrowing in individually housed sows in commercial farrowing crates.http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/18/1/170farrowingacceleration measurementCUSUM control chartmanagement assistanceear sensor |
| spellingShingle | Imke Traulsen Christoph Scheel Wolfgang Auer Onno Burfeind Joachim Krieter Using Acceleration Data to Automatically Detect the Onset of Farrowing in Sows Sensors farrowing acceleration measurement CUSUM control chart management assistance ear sensor |
| title | Using Acceleration Data to Automatically Detect the Onset of Farrowing in Sows |
| title_full | Using Acceleration Data to Automatically Detect the Onset of Farrowing in Sows |
| title_fullStr | Using Acceleration Data to Automatically Detect the Onset of Farrowing in Sows |
| title_full_unstemmed | Using Acceleration Data to Automatically Detect the Onset of Farrowing in Sows |
| title_short | Using Acceleration Data to Automatically Detect the Onset of Farrowing in Sows |
| title_sort | using acceleration data to automatically detect the onset of farrowing in sows |
| topic | farrowing acceleration measurement CUSUM control chart management assistance ear sensor |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/18/1/170 |
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