Prediction of calving in dairy cows using a tail-mounted tri-axial accelerometer: A pilot study

Detection of the time of foaling by accelerometer technique in horses (Equus caballus)—a pilot study

“…This pilot study suggests that automated systems based on accelerometers developed for monitoring of cattle (Krieger et al, 2017) record an increased restlessness in horse mares shortly before or during the onset of foaling. Such systems are thus potentially useful for birth alert and health monitoring in horses.…”

“…Even if technical improvements and especially the development of a foaling‐specific algorithm are required for field usage, accelerometer‐based foaling alert systems seem to be a promising tool for birth monitoring in the future. The same accelerometers as in our study were used to detect tail raising in association with calving and resulted in correct alerts in all five cows tested (Krieger et al., ). Including additional variables obtained by the accelerometers such as number and duration of lying bouts might increase the sensitivity of birth alert systems.…”

“…Monitoring devices in cattle are often made for long‐term recordings and are fixed permanently on the animal whereas for birth alert, pedometers (Nishimura et al., ; Titler et al., ) or intravaginal sensors (Palombi et al., ) are used. In cattle, also accelerometers used to detect tail movements have resulted in promising results with regard to birth alert (Krieger et al., ). In horses, owner acceptance of alert systems which are attached directly to the animal is low.…”

“…Near-continuous observation of preparturient mares is extremely labour-intensive, and time requirements would be markedly reduced with automated monitoring systems. In cattle, automated monitoring and alert systems are used for oestrous detection (Chanvallon et al, 2014;Pennington, Albright, & Callahan, 1986;Roelofs, van Eerdenburg, Soede, & Kemp, 2005) and health management (Borchers, Chang, Tsai, Wadsworth, & Bewley, 2016;Müller & Schrader, 2003) and are also increasingly advocated for monitoring of cows before calving (Krieger et al, 2017;Marchesi et al, 2013;Ouellet et al, 2016). Monitoring devices in cattle are often made for long-term recordings and are fixed permanently on the animal whereas for birth alert, pedometers (Nishimura et al, 2017;Titler et al, 2015) or intravaginal sensors (Palombi et al, 2013) are used.…”

“…In cattle, also accelerometers used to detect tail movements have resulted in promising results with regard to birth alert (Krieger et al, 2017). In horses, owner acceptance of alert systems which are attached directly to the animal is low.…”