Abstract Concerns for farm animal welfare have led to the use of environmental enrichment stimulate natural behaviours and promote positive emotions. In cattle, provision brushes is sometimes recommended but their in calves effects they may are not well established. The precision technologies enables collection detailed behavioural data that can be used as indicators. Here we ultra-wideband location sensors measure activity play, along with automatic milk feeders feeding. We assessed...

Individuals within a population often show consistent between individual differences in their average behavioural expression (personality), and variability of behaviour around the mean (predictability). Where correlations different personality traits and/or predictability exist, these represent or syndromes. In wild populations, syndromes have consequences for individuals' survival reproduction affect structure functioning groups populations. The farm animals are less well explored, partly...

Social network analysis in dairy calves has not been widely studied, with previous studies limited by the short study duration, and low number of animals replicates. In this study, we investigated social proximity interactions 79 Holstein-Friesian from 5 cohorts for up to 76 days. Networks were computed using 4-day aggregated associations obtained ultrawideband location sensor technology, at 1 Hz sampling rate. The effect age, familiarity, health, weaning status on networks was assessed....

Abstract Previous research shows that feeding and activity behaviours in combination with machine learning algorithms has the potential to predict onset of bovine respiratory disease (BRD). This study used 229 novel previously researched feeding, movement, social behavioural features classification BRD events pre-weaned calves. Data for 172 group housed calves were collected using automatic milk machines ultrawideband location sensors. Health assessments carried out twice weekly a modified...

Abstract Play behaviour can act as an indicator of positive animal welfare. Previous attempts to predict play in farmed calves are limited because the classification methods used, which lead overestimation, and short time periods that observed. The study aimed automatically classify quantify using location data from ultra-wide band sensors investigate factors associated with behaviour. Location were collected 46 three cohorts for a period 18 weeks. Behavioural observations video footage...

Individual calves show substantial between- and within-individual variation in their feeding behavior, the existence extent of which are not fully researched. In this study, 57,196 records, collected by a computerized milk feeder from 48 pre-weaned over 5 weeks, were collated analyzed for individual differences three different behaviors using multi-level modeling approach. For each we quantified behavioral calculating repeatability coefficient predictability. Our results indicate that...

Farm animal personality traits are of interest since they can help predict individual variation in behaviour and productivity. However, currently inferred using behavioural tests which impractical outside research settings. To meet the definition a trait, between-individual differences related behaviours must be temporally as well contextually stable. In this study, we used data collected by computerised milk feeders from 76 calves over two contexts, pair housing group housing, to test if...

Individual consistency in behaviour, known as animal personality, and behavioural plasticity response to environmental changes are important factors shaping individual behaviour. Correlations between them, called personality-dependent plasticity, indicate that personality can affect reactions the environment. In farm animals this could impact management or stressors but has not yet been investigated. Here we use ultra-wideband location sensors measure movement of 90 dairy calves for up 56...

Abstract The ecology of the harvest mouse ( Micromys minutus ) is poorly understood, partly because it a difficult species to monitor. It commonly associated with reedbeds, where evidence suggests that experiences strong seasonal fluctuations in abundance. However, unknown whether these are caused by real changes population size, or movement between habitats. This study investigated size and habitat use mice, other small mammal species, trapping reedbed three types: woodland, pasture arable...

Sheep farming is an important part of UK agriculture with significantly more breeding females than either the pig or cattle sectors. Whether grazing alongside arable rotations utilising marginal uplands, sheep farms arguably play a key role that embedded within rural society. However, research led by University Nottingham has identified various challenges and barriers have affected relationships between farmers veterinary profession. In response to these findings, Flock Health Clubs were...