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Technical note: Quantifying and characterizing behavior in dairy calves using the IceTag automatic recording device
P Trénel1, M B Jensen, E L Decker
1AgroTech A/S, Institute for Agro Technology and Food Innovation, Udkaersvej 15, DK 8200 Aarhus, Denmark. pht@agrotech.dk
Journal of Dairy Science
|June 17, 2009
Summary
The IceTag device accurately measures lying and standing in dairy calves after applying a new filtering method. This validated procedure improves data on lying and upright periods, but moving behavior measures require caution.
Area of Science:
- Animal behavior science
- Agricultural technology
- Dairy science
Background:
- The IceTag device measures intensity (I) of lying, standing, and activity in dairy calves.
- Existing measures do not differentiate body movements during lying from upright activity, limiting accuracy.
Purpose of the Study:
- Validate the IceTag device for measuring dairy calf behavior.
- Enhance IceTag data accuracy by developing a filtering procedure for lying versus upright postures.
Main Methods:
- A 3-step procedure was developed: threshold determination, applying a lying period criterion (LPC), and estimating a new threshold for moving activity.
- IceTag data from 9 calves were compared with video recordings over 12 hours.
- Data from 4 calves determined the LPC, while the remaining 5 validated the procedure.
Main Results:
- The IceTag device accurately measured high-prevalence behaviors (lying and standing) with Se+Sp >1.90.
- Moving behavior was measured less accurately (Se+Sp = 1.39).
- The 3-step procedure with an optimal LPC of 24.8 s yielded valid measures of lying and upright periods (Se+Sp = 2.00).
Conclusions:
- The IceTag device, with the proposed filtering procedure, provides valid measures of lying and upright periods in group-housed dairy calves.
- The accuracy of lying and upright period detection is within a precision of 0 to 49 seconds.
- Measures of locomotion obtained from the IceTag device should be interpreted with caution.
