A system for studying biorhythms in domestic sheep in confinement

A system is described for studying biorhythms in domestic sheep. One animal in each of four temperature and light controlled rooms can be studied in pens designed to permit continuous monitoring of eating, drinking, walking, resting, body temperature and cardiac rate. Automated data acquisition, including analog-to-digital conversion, is controlled with a minicomputer. Digitized data are recorded on magnetic and punched paper tape. Data processing on large scale computers includes editing, summarisation, machine plotting and time-series statistical analysis of the period, amplitude and phase of the biorhythms.