Animal welfare monitoring relies on sensor accuracy for detecting changes in animal well-being. We compared the distance calculations based on global positioning system (GPS) data alone or combined ...with motion data from triaxial accelerometers. The assessment involved static trackers placed outdoors or indoors vs. trackers mounted on cows grazing on pasture. Trackers communicated motion data at 1 min intervals and GPS positions at 15 min intervals for seven days. Daily distance walked was determined using the following: (1) raw GPS data (RawDist), (2) data with erroneous GPS locations removed (CorrectedDist), or (3) data with erroneous GPS locations removed, combined with the exclusion of GPS data associated with no motion reading (CorrectedDist_Act). Distances were analyzed via one-way ANOVA to compare the effects of tracker placement (Indoor, Outdoor, or Animal). No difference was detected between the tracker placement for RawDist. The computation of CorrectedDist differed between the tracker placements. However, due to the random error of GPS measurements, CorrectedDist for Indoor static trackers differed from zero. The walking distance calculated by CorrectedDist_Act differed between the tracker placements, with distances for static trackers not differing from zero. The fusion of GPS and accelerometer data better detected animal welfare implications related to immobility in grazing cattle.
Virtual fencing systems have emerged as a promising technology for managing the distribution of livestock in extensive grazing environments. This study provides comprehensive documentation of the ...learning process involving two conditional behavioral mechanisms and the documentation of efficient, effective, and safe animal training for virtual fence applications on nursing Brangus cows. Two hypotheses were examined: (1) animals would learn to avoid restricted zones by increasing their use of containment zones within a virtual fence polygon, and (2) animals would progressively receive fewer audio-electric cues over time and increasingly rely on auditory cues for behavioral modification. Data from GPS coordinates, behavioral metrics derived from the collar data, and cueing events were analyzed to evaluate these hypotheses. The results supported hypothesis 1, revealing that virtual fence activation significantly increased the time spent in containment zones and reduced time in restricted zones compared to when the virtual fence was deactivated. Concurrently, behavioral metrics mirrored these findings, with cows adjusting their daily travel distances, exploration area, and cumulative activity counts in response to the allocation of areas with different virtual fence configurations. Hypothesis 2 was also supported by the results, with a decrease in cueing events over time and increased reliance with animals on audio cueing to avert receiving the mild electric pulse. These outcomes underscore the rapid learning capabilities of groups of nursing cows in responding to virtual fence boundaries.
Abstract
Use of adapted beef cattle biotypes is gaining momentum as a novel management strategy for limiting the environmental footprint of ranching and adapting to climate change in the southwest. ...We compared supplement intake (SI), calf birthweights, cow weights, and body condition scores (BCS) of desert-adapted Brangus (BR; n = 15) vs. Raramuri Criollo (RC; n = 28) cows in four adjacent pastures (1098±85 ha) for three months (Mar 7 – Jun 9, 2020) using ANOVA for a RCBD (significance at P < 0.05). Cows had ad libitum access to 18% crude protein lick tubs in all pastures, which were weighed weekly to determine SI. Brangus cows had greater SI than RC, both overall (BR: 0.21±0.04 vs. RC: 0.08±0.03 kg×cow×d-1) and on a metabolic bodyweight basis (BR: 2.31±0.09 vs. RC: 0.95±0.09 g×kg0.75). All cows were bred to Brangus bulls and calf birth weights were not different between biotypes (BR: 31.5 ± 1.0; RC: 29.6±0.9 kg). Brangus cows weighed more at the beginning (535.0±14.8 kg) and end (582.2±14.5 kg) of the study compared to RC (beginning: 345.5±11.8 kg; end: 357.0±12.0 kg). Percent of bodyweight change was not different between biotypes (BR: 8.51±2.35; RC: 2.85±1.81 %). On a 1 to 5 scale, BCS of Brangus (4.06±0.09) was greater than RC (3.18 ± 0.07) at the onset of the study, but biotypes had similar BCS at the end of the trial (BR: 4.09 ± 0.09; RC: 3.89±0.08). Our preliminary results indicate that lighter RC cows were capable of gaining bodyweight and improving BCS with reduced SI, both overall and on a metabolic bodyweight basis. This finding may reflect lower nutrient requirements, better relative efficiencies and lesser grazing impacts on desert rangelands by RC cattle. Future studies will seek to replicate these breed-comparison trials over multiple years, research sites, and supply chains, with an emphasis on overall systems production efficiency and sustainability.
Abstract
The Chihuahuan desert ecosystem has experienced a decrease in black grama (Bouteloua eriopoda), a perennial grass species with high ecological value, alongside a subsequent increase in ...mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa). This trend is thought to be due to several management- and environment-related factors. We compared diet selection of a heritage Raramuri Criollo (RC) vs. Angus-X-Hereford (AH) cattle, typical of the region, using fecal DNA metabarcoding conducted by a commercial laboratory to determine the proportion of black grama and mesquite in samples. RC and AH cows grazed two adjacent pastures (~1,100 ha) separately, switched at the mid-point of each period. Rectal fecal samples were collected from 10 cows/ breed/ pasture/ period. The study was replicated across seasons (growing and dormant) for three consecutive years (240 total fecal samples) in a completely randomized design. Relative abundance of plant species was ranked over the entire study and by season. The MIXED procedure of SAS 9.4 was used to analyze the proportions of black grama and mesquite in fecal samples by breed, season, year, and all interactions. Black grama was a more important forage resource than mesquite (ranked 8 vs. 11), particularly during dormancy (ranked 3 vs. 7). When examined by breed, AH fecal samples had twice the percentage of black grama vs. RC (P< 0.05) and even more so during the dormant season (P< 0.05). In contrast, RC fecal samples tended to contain a greater percentage of mesquite (P=0.05). Adjustments for BW differences between breeds (545 vs. 350 kg mean BW for AH vs. RC respectively) suggest that AH consumed 3.09-fold more black grama while RC consumed 1.59 times more mesquite. Differences in diet composition appear to support the hypothesis that RC cattle could impose a lighter grazing pressure on black grama populations, potentially serving as a conservation management tool on Chihuahuan Desert rangelands.
The objective of this study was to compare foraging behavior of mature Raramuri Criollo (RC, heritage breed) and Angus Hereford crossbred (AH, commercial breed) cows grazing Chihuahuan Desert ...rangeland during summer and winter in three consecutive years. Movement, activity, and spatial distribution variables were calculated from 10-min interval GPS positions of 5–11 randomly selected cows of each breed. Thirteen pasture pixel attributes were used to analyze grazing utilization and selection patterns of both breeds. Statistical mixed models were used to determine the effects of breed and season on all foraging response variables. Spatial regression analysis was used to examine resource utilization. Compared to AH, RC cows traveled farther at higher velocity rates, spent less time resting, more time grazing and traveling, explored larger areas as individuals, and exhibited lower herd cohesion. The RC herd explored more grazing patches (30-m pixel) overall and exhibited lower patch residence times in winter, a foraging strategy linked with lighter environmental footprint. During summer, similar pixel variables explained re-visitation rates of cows of both breeds. Both breeds avoided areas far from water, but RC cows showed higher avoidance of pixels farther out from a drinker during the dormant season. RC cows appeared to exhibit a keener ability to select patches with differing surface temperature, and greenness compared to AH counterparts. RC cows showed higher preference for pixels with high shrub density than AH counterparts in summer. During the dormant season, AH cows exhibited a strong preference for black grama patches, a species with high ecological value, and higher avoidance of patches with high density of other grasses. Differences in foraging behavior documented in this study support the hypothesis that RC cattle could impose a lighter footprint on desert rangeland relative to commonly raised commercial beef cattle.
•Raramuri Criollo cows (heritage breed) exhibited more desirable spatial distribution patterns (traveled farther, spent more time grazing and traveling, and explored larger areas of the pasture) than commercial beef breed counterparts.•Breed differences in resource selection and utilization were largest during the dormant season.•Raramuri Criollo (heritage breed) could have a lighter footprint on desert rangeland compared to Angus Hereford crossbred (commercial breed) cattle.
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