Associations between precision sensor data with productivity, health and welfare indicator traits in native black and white dual-purpose cattle under grazing conditions

Jaeger, Michael M.; Brügemann, Kerstin; Brandt, H.; König, Sven

doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2019.01.008

Cited by 16 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…For example, an increase of feed intake (FEED) implies intensification of rumination time (RUM). Behavior-related feed intake had negative genetic impacts on BACT, enhanced BACT (HACT), and resting/sleeping (NACT) [68]. An increase in rumination and feeding contributes to improved milk production [69], but intensification of “production behavior” implies less time for BACT, HACT and NACT.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Cows with 1% higher levels for RUM and FEED produced 0.10 kg and 0.12 kg more milk [68], respectively, along with increased somatic cell count. A simultaneous increase of SCS is due to the antagonistic relationship between MY and SCS [73].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For the electronic recording of behavior traits, dual-purpose cows were equipped with sensors implemented in ear tags (Dutch CowManager system Agis Automatisering BV). The validation and testing phase of ear tag sensors under grazing conditions covered a period from 1 May 2016 until 31 June 2016 [68]. After one month of adaptation, ongoing analyses considered sensor data from July 2016 until March 2018 from 319 cows.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Multi-breed genome-wide association studies across countries for electronically recorded behavior traits in local dual-purpose cows

et al. 2019

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Basic bovine behavior is a crucial parameter influencing cattle domestication. In addition, behavior has an impact on cattle productivity, welfare and adaptation. The aim of the present study was to infer quantitative genetic and genomic mechanisms contributing to natural dual-purpose cow behavior in grazing systems. In this regard, we genotyped five dual-purpose breeds for a dense SNP marker panel from four different European countries. All cows from the across-country study were equipped with the same electronic recording devices. In this regard, we analyzed 97,049 longitudinal sensor behavior observations from 319 local dual-purpose cows for rumination, feeding, basic activity, high active, not active and ear temperature. According to the specific sensor behaviors and following a welfare protocol, we computed two different welfare indices. For genomic breed characterizations and multi-breed genome-wide association studies, sensor traits and test-day production records were merged with 35,826 SNP markers per cow. For the estimation of variance components, we used the pedigree relationship matrix and a combined similarity matrix that simultaneously included both pedigree and genotypes. Heritabilities for feeding, high active and not active were in a moderate range from 0.16 to 0.20. Estimates were very similar from both relationship matrix-modeling approaches and had quite small standard errors. Heritabilities for the remaining sensor traits (feeding, basic activity, ear temperature) and welfare indices were lower than 0.09. Five significant SNPs on chromosomes 11, 17, 27 and 29 were associated with rumination, and two different SNPs significantly influenced the sensor traits “not active” (chromosome 13) and “feeding” (chromosome 23). Gene annotation analyses inferred 22 potential candidate genes with a false discovery rate lower than 20%, mostly associated with rumination (13 genes) and feeding (8 genes). Mendelian randomization based on genomic variants (i.e., the instrumental variables) was used to infer causal inference between an exposure and an outcome. Significant regression coefficients among behavior traits indicate that all specific behavioral mechanisms contribute to similar physiological processes. The regression coefficients of rumination and feeding on milk yield were 0.10 kg/% and 0.12 kg/%, respectively, indicating their positive influence on dual-purpose cow productivity. Genomically, an improved welfare behavior of grazing cattle, i.e., a higher score for welfare indices, was significantly associated with increased fat and protein percentages.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Multi-breed genome-wide association studies across countries for electronically recorded behavior traits in local dual-purpose cows

et al. 2019

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“…The behavioral information is useful to avoid missing the timing of artificial insemination, to decrease accidents at calving (e.g., fetal death due to dystocia) and to find and treat health disorders in early stages, and thus can reduce economic loss and enhance management efficiency. Despite the recent spread into various systems (cow-calf or fattening of beef, or dairy), onfarm monitoring of individual cattle behavior has been primarily validated and utilized in confinement systems such as free-stall barns, with much fewer uses in grazing systems (Jaeger et al, 2019).…”

Section: Current Situation Of Commercially Available Monitoring Systems Of Animal Behaviormentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Owing to increasing interests in animal personality and similar concepts such as temperament, behavioral syndrome and coping style, the relationships of behavioral consistency with fitness (Smith and Blumstein, 2008) and energy metabolism (Biro and Stamps, 2010), which support growth, survival and breeding success of individuals, have been investigated and discussed for various species of animals. Cattle personality has been found to be associated with productivity-related traits [e.g., weight gain (Petherick et al, 2009), feed conversion efficiency (Gregorini et al, 2015), days from calving to body weight nadir, calf weaning weight (Wesley et al, 2012), carcass quality (Hall et al, 2011), and milk and fat yield (Jaeger et al, 2019)] and welfare-related traits [e.g., body condition score as a measure of hunger (Matthews et al, 2012) and somatic cell count as a measure of udder health (Jaeger et al, 2019)]. Since several personality traits are heritable (García et al, 2020), application of the associations to breeding programs of a herd by selecting animals that have more productive and adaptive personality traits may enhance productivity and welfare of animals.…”

Section: Prospects and Challenges For Grazing Management Based On Individual Animal Behaviormentioning

confidence: 99%

Individual Monitoring of Behavior to Enhance Productivity and Welfare of Animals in Small-Scale Intensive Cattle Grazing Systems

Anzai

Hirata

2021

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.

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To enhance productivity and welfare of individual animals maintained as a group, management based on individual behavioral tendencies is essential, which requires individual monitoring of animal behavior. Several behavior monitoring systems are currently available to livestock producers. The data obtained from these systems are analyzed to detect significantly high or low frequencies or intensities of behavior associated with estrus, calving and poor health conditions based on thresholds or past trends of the monitored individual. However, because behavior under grazing is more complex and changeable than under confinement, behavioral symptoms are more difficult to detect, and on-farm monitoring of individual animal behavior has been less validated and utilized in grazing systems. Nevertheless, individual monitoring of all animals in a herd is more feasible and cost-effective in small-scale intensive grazing systems because these systems pursue high productivity at the individual level with smaller herd size than large-scale extensive systems. Individually tailored management to enhance productivity and welfare will be possible by focusing on inter-individual differences in behavior within a herd. Behavior of an individual can be analyzed and understood in more detail by comparing it with those of the herd mates. Higher or lower levels of specific activities than the other animals can be associated with health disorders, temporal changes in physiological states, or productivity- or welfare-related traits. More sensitive monitoring and detection of behavioral responses of individuals to changes in nutritional, physical and social environments will lead to more efficient and welfare-conscious management that better meets the needs of individuals.

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Accelerometer systems as tools for health and welfare assessment in cattle and pigs – A review

Chapa

Maschat

Iwersen

et al. 2020

Behavioural Processes

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Associations between precision sensor data with productivity, health and welfare indicator traits in native black and white dual-purpose cattle under grazing conditions

Cited by 16 publications

References 37 publications

Multi-breed genome-wide association studies across countries for electronically recorded behavior traits in local dual-purpose cows

Multi-breed genome-wide association studies across countries for electronically recorded behavior traits in local dual-purpose cows

Individual Monitoring of Behavior to Enhance Productivity and Welfare of Animals in Small-Scale Intensive Cattle Grazing Systems

Accelerometer systems as tools for health and welfare assessment in cattle and pigs – A review

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