Development of an Electronic System to Measure Cattle Rumination

Authors

1 Department of Biosystems Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran

2 Agricultural Engineering Research Department, Kerman Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Areeo, Kerman, Iran

3 Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran

Abstract

Introduction
Agriculture is a vital sector in the country, with the livestock industry playing a significant role. Rumination is a key activity in livestock, and its condition can indicate overall health. Abnormal rumination patterns may signal health issues that can reduce productivity, making monitoring essential. Traditional visual observation is costly and often inaccurate; therefore, an electronic system was developed to monitor cattle rumination.
Materials and Methods
The system utilizes an accelerometer to detect muscle movement in animals. It comprises an Arduino Pro Mini board, ADXL345 accelerometer, LF33CV3 voltage regulator, Wi-Fi module, lithium battery, dual battery holder, and a smartphone. Acceleration data is captured along three directions (X, Y, Z) and transmitted to a smartphone via Wi-Fi. The necessary code was written in the Arduino programming environment. Outlier data were filtered using R software before transferring the remaining data to Excel for further analysis.
Results and Discussion
The system was tested in two configurations: as a necklace and on the snout of livestock. The snout configuration yielded optimal results with 88% sensitivity, 94% precision, and 94% F-score. Ensuring comfort for the livestock while using the monitoring system was crucial; thus, efforts were made to design lighter and smaller electronic components using SMD technology. Final evaluations showed sensitivity at 91%, accuracy at 82%, and F-score at 86%.
Conclusion
The ADXL345 accelerometer with ±8g sensitivity is ideal for measuring acceleration across X, Y, and Z directions due to its low data dispersion and high accuracy. Its affordability and compact size make it suitable for research applications comparable to a priority booklet. A waterproof bag installation proved effective as it maintains sensor position while protecting against environmental factors like rain or humidity.
In this study, the optimal installation location was determined to be on the muzzle due to significant muscle activity during chewing. This positioning allows for accurate acceleration measurements across all three axes during rumination while maximizing accuracy, sensitivity, and F-score. The circuit was installed in SMD mode with minimal error at a compact size on the animal's muzzle, ensuring nearly zero disconnection risk and improved data collection performance.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Agricultural Mechanization
Volume 9, Issue 4
December 2024
Pages 15-28

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History

  • Receive Date: 26 September 2023
  • Revise Date: 15 November 2024
  • Accept Date: 03 December 2024

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