Prior livestock research provides evidence for the importance of accurate detection pig positions and postures better understanding animal welfare. Position posture can be accomplished by machine vision systems. However, current systems require rigid setups fixed vertical lighting, top-view camera perspectives or complex systems, which hinder their adoption in practice. Moreover, existing focus on specific pen contexts may difficult to apply other facilities. Our main contribution is...

Automatic monitoring of animal feeding behaviour in commercial farms is desirable as it an important indicator for the well-being and health animals. Low-frequency high-frequency radio frequency identification (RFID) systems have been tested detection visits growing-finishing pigs, but suitability ultra-high (UHF) RFID this application has not yet shown. Therefore, objective study was validation a UHF-RFID system, consisting reader, antennas passive transponder ear tags, pigs at short trough...

This study investigated NH3 concentrations in and around a large–scale commercial pig farm with the so–called "gan qing fen" manure collection system near Beijing from April 2009 to August 2011. emissions fattening houses were calculated based on heat balance method. Monthly of time–averaged house averaged 3 392 182 μg m−3 ranged 1 044 7 514 35.4 478 m−3, respectively. Daily varied 767 2 389 184 574 outside. Time–averaged 21.6 558 within while outside 38.4 at distance 10 m 14.0 650 m....

Continuous monitoring of pig posture is important for better understanding animal behavior. Previous studies focused on day recordings and did not investigate how deep learning models could be applied during longer periods including night under near-infrared light from several pens. Therefore, the objective this research was to study a suitable model continuous 24/7 detection achieved. We selected over 150 different configurations covering experiments concerning 3 heads, 4 base networks, 5...

The potential of passive ultra-high frequency radio identification (UHF-RFID) as an electronic technology for precision livestock farming applications has been evaluated in different projects. Despite very promising advantages, such a high read range and simultaneous animals, the application UHF transponders ear tags still struggles with strong influence that body tissue vicinity on reading performance system. A detailed precise investigation ears transponder to support development is hardly...

The main objective of this paper is the monitoring daily activity patterns fattening pigs at different locations in housing environment using UHF-RFID. Four hundred were equipped with UHF-RFID ear tags and monitored during period for about four months. RFID antennas installed feeding troughs, playing devices drinkers. A validation phase each these was carried out prior to first data collection. sensitivity (true positive rate) system 80% trough device 60% mean visiting time all 55 min....

Electronic animal identification is an important technology in modern husbandry providing great benefits. Low-frequency applications are state-of-the-art within the radio frequency of animals. Quasi-simultaneous detection several animals and reading transponders over longer distances impossible with low-frequency systems. Ultra-high-frequency (UHF) suitable for this purpose. However, UHF systems have disadvantages through their susceptibility to metallic surfaces liquids. Thus, reflection...

Cow-calf contact systems are attracting increasing interest among farmers and some already being implemented into dairy farms. However, a comprehensive assessment of animal welfare in these is lacking. One reason for this the large amount time required behavioral observations. increased use sensors herd management assistance offers new opportunities automated monitoring welfare. For example, accelerometers can be used to collect activity data specific pattern analysis. In study, ultradian...

Animal welfare labels have been introduced to improve housing conditions in conventional pig systems. should be increased by, e.g. offering a well-accepted and comfortable solid lying area. This study investigates the effect of bright light from an LED spotlight slatted area on elimination behavior fattening pigs. It was tested for two pen designs different feeder arrangement with 18 pigs per pen. The took place compartments (spatial repetition) pens each design. intensity by spotlights...

Increasing demands on animal welfare and the higher temperatures in summer due to climate change make it necessary adapt conventional pig husbandry systems. A cooled, solid lying area has potential increase comfort reduce heat stress, which improves welfare. In present study, effect of a elimination behavior was investigated. two fattening compartments, eight pens with 28 pigs each were rebuilt. Two pen designs, different feeder place type, tested. The floor cooled from 24.5 20 °C by cool...

Abstract. Feeding and drinking behavior contain valuable information that can be used for various needs including pen design, livestock management, identification of sick animals, determination genetic differences. The objective this paper is to document the development validation a new system record feeding grow-finish pigs. was designed using low frequency RFID readers, 4- 8-channel multiplexers, custom-made antennas, microcomputers. output readers collected by microcomputer. summarized...

Tail biting is a common problem in pigs kept conventional fully slatted pens. Suitable enrichment materials can help to prevent the occurrence of this behavioural disorder by encouraging increase exploration behaviour. We investigated whether additional flavours behaviour undocked pigs. Therefore, we offered straw pellets flavoured with either fried onion (FO), strawberry (SB), ginger, almond (AL), vanilla or without flavour (control) during rearing (eight groups total) and fattening (16...

Monitoring the activity of animals can help with assessing their health status. We monitored walking fattening pigs using a UHF-RFID system. Four hundred ear tags were recorded by RFID antennas at troughs, playing devices and drinkers during period. A minimum distance, or virtual was determined for each pig per day calculating distances between two consecutive reading areas. This automatically calculated value used as an measure not only showed differences but also different stages. The...

The electronic identification of sheep and goats has been obligatory in the European Union since 2010 by means low-frequency radio-frequency systems. pigs cattle is currently based on a visual ear tag, but animal gaining importance. already offers additional use systems for their council regulation. Besides identification, an ultra-high-frequency tag possibility identification. benefits latter frequency band are high range, quasi-simultaneous reading data transmission rate. First systematic...

<b><sc>Abstract.</sc></b> Disruptions in feeding behavior can be indicative of a beginning illness and other impairments animal well-being. The objectives this study were to 1) develop an autoregressive linear model predict daily time grow-finish pigs, 2) detect anomalous decreases time, 3) compare the algorithm with caretaker records. was collected low-frequency RFID system for total 2880 pigs over 12 different groups. Animal caretakers checked health daily. Detected subsequent treatments...

The dynamics of odour emissions from a pig house was investigated by olfactometry and using an electronic sensor. In addition, several suggested influencing factors on the emission were measured to get insight into reasons for fluctuation emission. Odour tended increase over fattening period August November 2000 factor two three, although temperature air-flow rate decreased according seasons. Feeding caused significant temporary rise in animal activity, dust concentration resulting sensor...

There is need for research regarding the optimization of air supply and cooling systems livestock houses fattening pigs. A decision support project German Ministry Agriculture has been established to investigate such technologies on a farm under practical conditions. Since January 2011, Landesanstalt fr Schweinezucht (LSZ Boxberg) measurements three have carried out: Underfloor inlet supply, pad high pressure evaporative indoor cooling. The present results show differences concerning...

Knowledge about feed intake and adequate nutritional status of dairy cows is important to achieve high milk yield in grazing systems. A possible, but subjective, method estimate changes could be rumen fill scoring. Thus, a novel flow chart, based on existing criteria for scoring was developed simplify this approach. The first objective study develop flowchart reduce training time untrained observers support the their decision-making process. Therefore, quality four trained that used...

Abstract. Analyzing animals' behavior can lead to conclusions on their health status. The objectives of this paper are 1) monitor the growing-finishing pigs throughout fattening period with an ultra-high frequency radio identification system (UHF-RFID) and 2) detect lameness individual animals a calculated measure activity, so-called "virtual walking distances". RFID consisted UHF readers antennas at specific hotspots in pen, as well transponder ear tags for each pig software data...