A multi-sensor approach to calving detection

Abstract

The advent of remote livestock monitoring systems provides numerous possibilities for improving on-farm productivity, efficiency, and welfare. One potential application for these systems is for the detection of calving events. This study describes the integration of data from multiple sensor sources, including accelerometers, global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), an accelerometer-derived rumination algorithm, a walk-over-weigh unit, and a weather station for parturition detection using a support vector machine approach. The best performing model utilised data from GNSS, the ruminating algorithm, and weather stations to achieve 98.6% accuracy, with 88.5% sensitivity and 100% specificity. The top-ranking features of this model were primarily GNSS derived. This study provides an overview as to how various sensor systems could be integrated on-farm to maximise calving detection for improved production and welfare outcomes.