New protocol for automated measures of lying behaviour

Measures of lying behaviour can be used to track the early onset of illness and provide insight into how comfortable the environment is for the animals; research at the UBC’s AWP has shown that cows that stand up for longer are at a higher risk of becoming lame, and once they are lame, they lie down for longer. Other studies have shown that resting time is compromise if the bedding is wet or the stalls are too restrictive. Lying behaviour can be continuously and automatically monitored on farm using tridimensional accelerometers. The AWP has developed a standard operating protocol for the use of accelerometers and management of the resulting data and have now made this protocol publicly available.

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