Validation of accelerometer use to measure suckling behaviour in Northern Australian beef calves

摘要: Abstract Knowledge of suckling behaviour in beef calves is important for understanding the health and wellbeing both cows calves. The present study was conducted to explore use tri-axial accelerometers identify bouts duration per bout under free-range conditions. Three experiments were conducted: Experiment 1 develop a model characterise calves; Experiments 2 3 apply when cattle managed pastoral paddock One Holstein Friesian one Droughtmaster cow-calf pair used 2 days. accelerometer fitted neck collar calf at bottom right side halter on consecutive days. initial developed using data collected from day only classify into non-suckling periods. In 2, 24 Belmont Red with attached halters visually observed 10 days. applied raw obtained through could be successfully 98.8% compared recorded behavioural data. average by 9.72 ± 0.20 min, whereas it 9.32 ± 0.19 min. 3, 20 Brahman 6 h 95% data, corresponding total number visually. 13.69 ± 1.82 min, while visual observations 12.23 ± 1.77 min. results indicate that are very effective tool record