Automatic Monitoring of dairy cows’ lying behaviour using a computer vision system in open barns
¹Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB), Department of Technological Assessment and Substance Cycles, Max-Eyth-Allee 100, DE14469 Potsdam, Germany
²German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence GmbH, Smart Enterprise Engineering, Parkstr. 40, DE49080 Osnabrück, Germany
³iotec GmbH, Albert-Einstein-Straße 1, 49076 Osnabrück, Germany
*Correspondence: fkurras@atb-potsdam.de
Abstract:
Precision Livestock Farming offers opportunities for automated, continuous monitoring of animals, their productivity, welfare and health. The video-based assessment of animal behaviour is an automated, non-invasive and promising application. The aim of this study is to identify possible parameters in dairy cows’ lying behaviour that are the basis for a holistic computer vision-based system to assess animal health and welfare. Based on expert interviews and a literature review, we define parameters and their optimum in form of gold standards to evaluate lying behaviour automatically. These include quantitative parameters such as daily lying time, lying period length, lying period frequency and qualitative parameters such as extension of the front and hind legs, standing in the lying cubicles, or total lateral position. The lying behaviour is an example within the research context for the development of a computer vision-based tool for automated detection of animal behaviour and appropriate housing design.
Key words:
animal welfare; computer vision; dairy cow monitoring, lying behaviour, precision livestock farming