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Schneidewind SJ, Al Merestani MR, Schmidt S, Schmidt T, Thöne-Reineke C, Wiegard M. Rumination Detection in Sheep: A Systematic Review of Sensor-Based Approaches. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:3756. [PMID: 38136794 PMCID: PMC10740880 DOI: 10.3390/ani13243756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of sensors to analyze behavior in sheep has gained increasing attention in scientific research. This systematic review aims to provide an overview of the sensors developed and used to detect rumination behavior in sheep in scientific research. Moreover, this overview provides details of the sensors that are currently commercially available and describes their suitability for sheep based on the information provided in the literature found. Furthermore, this overview lists the best sensor performances in terms of achieved accuracy, sensitivity, precision, and specificity in rumination detection, detailing, when applicable, the sensor position and epoch settings that were used to achieve the best results. Challenges and areas for future research and development are also identified. A search strategy was implemented in the databases PubMed, Web of Science, and Livivo, yielding a total of 935 articles. After reviewing the summaries of 57 articles remaining following filtration (exclusion) of repeated and unsuitable articles, 17 articles fully met the pre-established criteria (peer-reviewed; published between 2012 and 2023 in English or German; with a particular focus on sensors detecting rumination in sheep) and were included in this review. The guidelines outlined in the PRISMA 2020 methodology were followed. The results indicate that sensor-based systems have been utilized to monitor and analyze rumination behavior, among other behaviors. Notably, none of the sensors identified in this review were specifically designed for sheep. In order to meet the specific needs of sheep, a customized sensor solution is necessary. Additionally, further investigation of the optimal sensor position and epoch settings is necessary. Implications: The utilization of such sensors has significant implications for improving sheep welfare and enhancing our knowledge of their behavior in various contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Janet Schneidewind
- Institute of Animal Welfare, Animal Behaviour and Laboratory Animal Science, Freie Universität Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany; (C.T.-R.); (M.W.)
| | - Mohamed Rabih Al Merestani
- Department of Biosystems Engineering, Albrecht Daniel Thaer Institute for Agriculture, Humboldt University of Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | - Christa Thöne-Reineke
- Institute of Animal Welfare, Animal Behaviour and Laboratory Animal Science, Freie Universität Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany; (C.T.-R.); (M.W.)
| | - Mechthild Wiegard
- Institute of Animal Welfare, Animal Behaviour and Laboratory Animal Science, Freie Universität Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany; (C.T.-R.); (M.W.)
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Nelson XJ, Taylor AH, Cartmill EA, Lyn H, Robinson LM, Janik V, Allen C. Joyful by nature: approaches to investigate the evolution and function of joy in non-human animals. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:1548-1563. [PMID: 37127535 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The nature and evolution of positive emotion is a major question remaining unanswered in science and philosophy. The study of feelings and emotions in humans and animals is dominated by discussion of affective states that have negative valence. Given the clinical and social significance of negative affect, such as depression, it is unsurprising that these emotions have received more attention from scientists. Compared to negative emotions, such as fear that leads to fleeing or avoidance, positive emotions are less likely to result in specific, identifiable, behaviours being expressed by an animal. This makes it particularly challenging to quantify and study positive affect. However, bursts of intense positive emotion (joy) are more likely to be accompanied by externally visible markers, like vocalisations or movement patterns, which make it more amenable to scientific study and more resilient to concerns about anthropomorphism. We define joy as intense, brief, and event-driven (i.e. a response to something), which permits investigation into how animals react to a variety of situations that would provoke joy in humans. This means that behavioural correlates of joy are measurable, either through newly discovered 'laughter' vocalisations, increases in play behaviour, or reactions to cognitive bias tests that can be used across species. There are a range of potential situations that cause joy in humans that have not been studied in other animals, such as whether animals feel joy on sunny days, when they accomplish a difficult feat, or when they are reunited with a familiar companion after a prolonged absence. Observations of species-specific calls and play behaviour can be combined with biometric markers and reactions to ambiguous stimuli in order to enable comparisons of affect between phylogenetically distant taxonomic groups. Identifying positive affect is also important for animal welfare because knowledge of positive emotional states would allow us to monitor animal well-being better. Additionally, measuring if phylogenetically and ecologically distant animals play more, laugh more, or act more optimistically after certain kinds of experiences will also provide insight into the mechanisms underlying the evolution of joy and other positive emotions, and potentially even into the evolution of consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ximena J Nelson
- Private Bag 4800, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Alex H Taylor
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, 08193, Spain
- ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys, 23, Barcelona, Spain
- School of Psychology, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Erica A Cartmill
- Departments of Anthropology and Psychology, UCLA, 375 Portola Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Heidi Lyn
- Department of Psychology, University of South Alabama, 75 S. University Blvd., Mobile, AL, 36688, USA
| | - Lauren M Robinson
- Domestication Lab, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1a, Vienna, A-1160, Austria
| | - Vincent Janik
- Scottish Oceans Institute, School of Biology, University of St. Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 8LB, UK
| | - Colin Allen
- Department of History & Philosophy of Science, University of Pittsburgh, 1101 Cathedral of Learning, 4200 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
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Potential role of biologgers to automate detection of lame ewes and lambs. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2023.105847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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Pongrácz P, Camerlink I. Highlights of published papers in Applied Animal Behaviour Science in 2022. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2022.105798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Behavioral Fingerprinting: Acceleration Sensors for Identifying Changes in Livestock Health. J 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/j5040030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
During disease or toxin challenges, the behavioral activities of grazing animals alter in response to adverse situations, potentially providing an indicator of their welfare status. Behavioral changes such as feeding behavior, rumination and physical behavior as well as expressive behavior, can serve as indicators of animal health and welfare. Sometimes behavioral changes are subtle and occur gradually, often missed by infrequent visual monitoring until the condition becomes acute. There is growing popularity in the use of sensors for monitoring animal health. Acceleration sensors have been designed to attach to ears, jaws, noses, collars and legs to detect the behavioral changes of cattle and sheep. So far, some automated acceleration sensors with high accuracies have been found to have the capacity to remotely monitor the behavioral patterns of cattle and sheep. These acceleration sensors have the potential to identify behavioral patterns of farm animals for monitoring changes in behavior which can indicate a deterioration in health. Here, we review the current automated accelerometer systems and the evidence they can detect behavioral patterns of animals for the application of potential directions and future solutions for automatically monitoring and the early detection of health concerns in grazing animals.
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Williams EG, Davis CN, Williams M, Jones DL, Cutress D, Williams HW, Brophy PM, Rose MT, Stuart RB, Jones RA. Associations between Gastrointestinal Nematode Infection Burden and Lying Behaviour as Measured by Accelerometers in Periparturient Ewes. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12182393. [PMID: 36139252 PMCID: PMC9495098 DOI: 10.3390/ani12182393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Novel sensor technologies have great potential to improve animal health and welfare on farms by identifying disease early in livestock. These technologies are yet to be widely applied in sheep flocks despite their great potential to aid control of costly disease such as those caused by parasitic infection. In this study, leg-attached accelerometer sensors recorded the behaviour of 54 ewes in late pregnancy, with the aim of discovering if gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infection levels were associated with behavioural variation. It was found that ewes laid down more often on average when infected with increasing numbers of GIN. Each lying bout was also shorter in length on average in ewes infected with higher levels of GIN. The results demonstrate that ewe behaviour can be an indication of parasite infection levels, and thus automated monitoring of sheep behaviour could allow animals to be treated efficiently against GIN in the future, maximising animal health and minimising production losses. Abstract The application of precision livestock farming (PLF) technologies will underpin new strategies to support the control of livestock disease. However, PLF technology is underexploited within the sheep industry compared to other livestock sectors, and research is essential to identify opportunities for PLF applications. These opportunities include the control of endemic sheep disease such as parasitic gastroenteritis, caused by gastrointestinal nematode infections, which is estimated to cost the European sheep industry EUR 120 million annually. In this study, tri-axial accelerometers recorded the behaviour of 54 periparturient Welsh Mule ewes to discover if gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infection burden, as measured by faecal egg count (FEC), was associated with behavioural variation. Linear mixed models identified that increasing FECs in periparturient ewes were significantly associated with a greater number of lying bouts per day and lower bout durations (p = 0.013 and p = 0.010, respectively). The results demonstrate that FECs of housed periparturient ewes are associated with detectable variations in ewe behaviour, and as such, with further investigation there is potential to develop future targeted selective treatment protocols against GIN in sheep based on behaviour as measured by PLF technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eiry Gwenllian Williams
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth SY23 3DA, UK
| | - Chelsea N. Davis
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth SY23 3DA, UK
| | - Manod Williams
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth SY23 3DA, UK
| | - Dewi Llyr Jones
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth SY23 3DA, UK
| | - David Cutress
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth SY23 3DA, UK
| | - Hefin Wyn Williams
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth SY23 3DA, UK
| | - Peter M. Brophy
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth SY23 3DA, UK
| | - Michael T. Rose
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth SY23 3DA, UK
- Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay, TAS 7005, Australia
| | | | - Rhys Aled Jones
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth SY23 3DA, UK
- Correspondence:
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