Machine learning algorithms can predict tail biting outbreaks in pigs using feeding behaviour records

Abstract

Tail biting is a detrimental behaviour that impacts the welfare and health of pigs. Early detection of tail biting precursor signs allows for preventive measures to be taken, thus avoiding the occurrence of the tail biting event. This study aimed to build a machine-learning algorithm for real time detection of upcoming tail biting outbreaks, using feeding behaviour data recorded by an electronic feeder. Prediction capacities of seven machine learning algorithms (e.g., random forest, neural networks) were evaluated from daily feeding data collected from 65 pens originating from 2 herds of grower-finisher pigs (25-100kg), in which 27 tail biting events occurred. Data were divided into training and testing data, either by randomly splitting data into 75% (training set) and 25% (testing set), or by randomly selecting pens to constitute the testing set. The random forest algorithm was able to predict 70% of the upcoming events with an accuracy of 94%, when predicting events in pens for which it had previous data. The detection of events for unknown pens was less sensitive, and the neural network model was able to detect 14% of the upcoming events with an accuracy of 63%. A machine-learning algorithm based on ongoing data collection should be considered for implementation into automatic feeder systems for real time prediction of tail biting events.