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Siachos N, Neary JM, Smith RF, Oikonomou G. Automated dairy cattle lameness detection utilizing the power of artificial intelligence; current status quo and future research opportunities. Vet J 2024; 304:106091. [PMID: 38431128 DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2024.106091] [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: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Lameness represents a major welfare and health problem for the dairy industry across all farming systems. Visual mobility scoring, although very useful, is labour-intensive and physically demanding, especially in large dairies, often leading to inconsistencies and inadequate uptake of the practice. Technological and computational advancements of artificial intelligence (AI) have led to the development of numerous automated solutions for livestock monitoring. The objective of this study was to review the automated systems using AI algorithms for lameness detection developed to-date. These systems rely on gait analysis using accelerometers, weighing platforms, acoustic analysis, radar sensors and computer vision technology. The lameness features of interest, the AI techniques used to process the data as well as the ground truth of lameness selected in each case are described. Measures of accuracy regarding correct classification of cows as lame or non-lame varied with most systems being able to classify cows with adequate reliability. Most studies used visual mobility scoring as the ground truth for comparison with only a few studies using the presence of specific foot pathologies. Given the capabilities of AI, and the benefits of early treatment of lameness, longitudinal studies to identify gait abnormalities using automated scores related to the early developmental stages of different foot pathologies are required. Farm-specific optimal thresholds for early intervention should then be identified to ameliorate cow health and welfare but also minimise unnecessary inspections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nektarios Siachos
- Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, CH64 7TE, UK.
| | - Joseph M Neary
- Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, CH64 7TE, UK
| | - Robert F Smith
- Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, CH64 7TE, UK
| | - Georgios Oikonomou
- Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, CH64 7TE, UK
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Kappes A, Tozooneyi T, Shakil G, Railey AF, McIntyre KM, Mayberry DE, Rushton J, Pendell DL, Marsh TL. Livestock health and disease economics: a scoping review of selected literature. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1168649. [PMID: 37795016 PMCID: PMC10546065 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1168649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal diseases in production and subsistence environments have the potential to negatively affect consumers, producers, and economies as a whole. A growing global demand for animal sourced food requires safe and efficient production systems. Understanding the burden of animal disease and the distribution of burden throughout a value chain informs policy that promotes safe consumption and efficient markets, as well as providing more effective pathways for investment. This paper surveys existing knowledge on the burden of animal disease across economic categories of production, prevention and treatment, animal welfare, and trade and regulation. Our scoping review covers 192 papers across peer-reviewed journals and reports published by organizations. We find there exists a gap in knowledge in evaluating what the global burdens of animal diseases are and how these burdens are distributed in value chains. We also point to a need for creating an analytical framework based on established methods that guides future evaluation of animal disease burden, which will provide improved access to information on animal health impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Kappes
- The Lewin Group, Falls Church, VA, United States
- School of Economic Sciences and Paul G. Allen School for Global Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Takesure Tozooneyi
- Department of Agricultural Economics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, United States
| | - Golam Shakil
- School of Economic Sciences and Paul G. Allen School for Global Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Ashley F. Railey
- Department of Sociology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, United States
| | - K. Marie McIntyre
- Modelling, Evidence and Policy Group, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | | | - Jonathan Rushton
- Institution of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Dustin L. Pendell
- Department of Agricultural Economics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, United States
| | - Thomas L. Marsh
- School of Economic Sciences and Paul G. Allen School for Global Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
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Lemmens L, Schodl K, Fuerst-Waltl B, Schwarzenbacher H, Egger-Danner C, Linke K, Suntinger M, Phelan M, Mayerhofer M, Steininger F, Papst F, Maurer L, Kofler J. The Combined Use of Automated Milking System and Sensor Data to Improve Detection of Mild Lameness in Dairy Cattle. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13071180. [PMID: 37048436 PMCID: PMC10093521 DOI: 10.3390/ani13071180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to develop a tool to detect mildly lame cows by combining already existing data from sensors, AMSs, and routinely recorded animal and farm data. For this purpose, ten dairy farms were visited every 30–42 days from January 2020 to May 2021. Locomotion scores (LCS, from one for nonlame to five for severely lame) and body condition scores (BCS) were assessed at each visit, resulting in a total of 594 recorded animals. A questionnaire about farm management and husbandry was completed for the inclusion of potential risk factors. A lameness incidence risk (LCS ≥ 2) was calculated and varied widely between farms with a range from 27.07 to 65.52%. Moreover, the impact of lameness on the derived sensor parameters was inspected and showed no significant impact of lameness on total rumination time. Behavioral patterns for eating, low activity, and medium activity differed significantly in lame cows compared to nonlame cows. Finally, random forest models for lameness detection were fit by including different combinations of influencing variables. The results of these models were compared according to accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. The best performing model achieved an accuracy of 0.75 with a sensitivity of 0.72 and specificity of 0.78. These approaches with routinely available data and sensor data can deliver promising results for early lameness detection in dairy cattle. While experimental automated lameness detection systems have achieved improved predictive results, the benefit of this presented approach is that it uses results from existing, routinely recorded, and therefore widely available data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Lemmens
- Department of Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University Clinic for Ruminants, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Katharina Schodl
- Department of Sustainable Agricultural Systems, Institute of Livestock Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, 1180 Vienna, Austria
| | - Birgit Fuerst-Waltl
- Department of Sustainable Agricultural Systems, Institute of Livestock Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, 1180 Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | - Kristina Linke
- ZuchtData EDV-Dienstleistungen GmbH, 1200 Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | | | | | - Franz Papst
- Institute of Technical Informatics, Graz University of Technology, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Austria and Complexity Science Hub Vienna, 1080 Vienna, Austria
| | - Lorenz Maurer
- Department of Sustainable Agricultural Systems, Institute of Livestock Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, 1180 Vienna, Austria
| | - Johann Kofler
- Department of Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University Clinic for Ruminants, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria
- Correspondence:
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Edwardes F, van der Voort M, Hogeveen H. The economics of sensor-based management of dairy cow suboptimal mobility. J Dairy Sci 2022; 105:9682-9701. [DOI: 10.3168/jds.2021-21726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Gajpal Y, Appadoo SS, Shi V, Hu G. Optimal multi-stage group partition for efficient coronavirus screening. ANNALS OF OPERATIONS RESEARCH 2022:1-17. [PMID: 35221417 PMCID: PMC8860262 DOI: 10.1007/s10479-022-04543-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The outbreak of COVID-19 has affected the economy worldwide due to entire countries being on lockdown. This has been highly challenging for governments facing constraints in terms of time and resources related to the availability of testing kits for the virus. This paper develops an optimal method for multiple-stage group partition for coronavirus screening using a dynamic programming approach. That is, in each stage, a group of people is divided into a certain number of subgroups, each will be tested as a whole. Only the subgroup(s) tested positive will be further divided into smaller subgroups in the next stage or individuals at the last stage. Our multiple-stage group partition scheme is able to minimize the total number of test kits and the number of stages. Our scheme can help solve the test kit shortage problem and save time. Finally, numerical examples with useful managerial insights for further investigation are presented. The results confirm the advantages of the multi-stage sampling method over the existing binary tree method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuvraj Gajpal
- Asper School of Business, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 5V4 Canada
| | - S. S. Appadoo
- Asper School of Business, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 5V4 Canada
| | - Victor Shi
- Lazaridis School of Business and Economics, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5 Canada
| | - Guoping Hu
- School of Business Administration, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu, China
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Puerto MA, Shepley E, Cue RI, Warner D, Dubuc J, Vasseur E. The hidden cost of disease: II. Impact of the first incidence of lameness on production and economic indicators of primiparous dairy cows. J Dairy Sci 2021; 104:7944-7955. [PMID: 33865579 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2020-19585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Lameness is a persistent and underreported health and welfare problem in the dairy industry, resulting in reduced cow performance and profitability as well as early culling. The study objectives were (1) to quantify the impact of the first instance of lameness, at different stages of lactation, on production and economic performance, and (2) to further quantify the impacts of the first instance of lameness when only cows that remain in the herd for at least 100 d in milk (DIM) and those that remain for 305 DIM are included in the analysis. A retrospective longitudinal study was conducted using pre-existing data from animal health records and Dairy Herd Improvement Association records. Data were edited based on selected inclusion criteria, yielding a data set containing records from 15,159 first-lactation Holstein cows from 120 herds with year of first calving between 2003 and 2014. Lame cows were assigned to 1 of 4 groups based on when in the lactation the first event of lameness occurred: transition (1-21 DIM), early lactation (22-100 DIM), mid-lactation (101-200 DIM), or late lactation (201+ DIM). Mid- and late-lactation lame cows were also stratified by cumulative milk yield before the lameness event. Healthy cows (i.e., no recorded lameness event) were randomly assigned for each lactation stage, with mid-lactation healthy and late-lactation healthy cows similarly stratified. Production performance (cumulative milk, fat, and protein yield) and economic performance [milk value, margin over feed cost (MOFC), and gross profit] were analyzed using a mixed model with herd as a random effect. Cumulative milk yields were 811 to 1,290 kg lower for lame cows than for healthy cows, with milk component yields undergoing similar reductions. Reductions in milk yield contributed to losses in milk value (-Can$527 to -Can$1,083; -US$419 to -US$862) and MOFC (-Can$510 to -Can$774; -US$406 to -US$616). Higher losses were reported using gross profit (-Can$753 to -Can$1,052; -US$599 to -US$837), which includes all lameness-related costs. Production and performance losses were smaller when 100 DIM and 305 DIM thresholds were applied (i.e., exclusion of cows culled before 100 and 305 DIM, respectively), however, mid- and late-lactation lame cows maintained high levels of significant losses for all 6 variables analyzed. Lameness also led to higher levels of culling, masking losses for transition and early-lactation lame cows in the 305-DIM analysis. Increasing producer understanding of the costs associated with lameness not only serves to provide insight to producers for more informed culling decisions, but may also help producers weigh the costs of adopting new methods and technologies targeted at reducing on-farm lameness.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Puerto
- Department of Animal Science, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - E Shepley
- Department of Animal Science, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada.
| | - R I Cue
- Department of Animal Science, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - D Warner
- Department of Animal Science, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada; Lactanet, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3R4, Canada
| | - J Dubuc
- Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, St-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 7C6, Canada
| | - E Vasseur
- Department of Animal Science, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
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Ji KJ, Booth RE, Blackie N. A Retrospective Case Study into the Effect of Hoof Lesions on the Lying Behaviour of Holstein-Friesian in a Loose-Housed System. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11041120. [PMID: 33919772 PMCID: PMC8070699 DOI: 10.3390/ani11041120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Lameness is a substantial welfare and economic problem in production animals. It can alter indicators of welfare such as lying time. Lying down is very important for cows, and they are highly motivated to perform this behaviour for 12 h or more per day. Conversely, cows that lie down too much or are uncomfortable standing may miss an opportunity to feed or drink if there is competition from sound (non-lame) cows. This study monitored different lesions that cause lameness in cattle through the use of accelerometers. The lesions included sole ulcers, sole haemorrhage, white line disease, interdigital hyperplasia and phelgmon, and digital dermatitis. Leg-based activity monitors that track the cows’ lying behaviour and mobility were used. From these data, it was found that cows with lesions on the foot spent longer lying down than those with no lesions, and cows with lesions in the soft tissue spent less time lying down than those with foot lesions. Trimming the cows’ feet altered the lying times of the cows with foot lesions and returned them closer to those of cows with no lesions. Abstract The association between hoof lesions and lying behaviour was assessed on a Holstein–Friesian dairy farm in England. Twenty-nine cows were included in the study. Cows with claw horn disruption lesions (CHDL, n = 8), soft tissue lesions (STL, n = 6), and no lesions (NL, n = 15) were assessed. Data were collected on parity, days in milk (DIM), and mobility scores. Cows were trimmed and treated, and lesions were recorded by a professional foot trimmer. Lying behaviour was assessed before and after claw trimming. The milking herd (n = 96) prevalence of lameness was 32.3%. Mobility was scored using the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) Mobility Scoring system. Mobility scores were significantly different across lesions groups (p = 0.022). CHDL cows had a mean mobility score of 2.0 ± 0.9 (mean ± SD), STL were scored 1.2 ± 1.3, and NL cows were 0.9 ± 0.7. CHDL were associated with longer lying times (15.00 ± 1.04 h/d; p = 0.0006) and shorter standing times (9.68 ± 2.38 h/d; p = 0.0351) compared with NL lying times (11.77 ± 1.67 h/d) and standing times (12.21 ± 1.67 h/d). STL cows spent significantly less time lying (11.30 ± 2.44; p = 0.0013) than CHDL but not NL cows. No significant differences were found with any of the other lying behaviours. After trimming, CHDL cows spent significantly less time lying down than before trimming (13.66 ± 0.98; p = 0.0125). Cows with NL spent significantly more time lying down (12.57 ± 1.90; p = 0.0398) and had a shorter minimum lying bout duration (0.17 ± 0.09; p = 0.0236) after trimming. In conclusion, lying behaviour in dairy cattle was impacted by type of hoof lesions and hoof trimming.
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Impact of Nutrients on the Hoof Health in Cattle. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10101824. [PMID: 33036413 PMCID: PMC7600182 DOI: 10.3390/ani10101824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Lameness is currently one of the most important and economically demanding diseases in cattle. It is manifested in a change in locomotion that is associated with lesions, especially the pelvic limbs. The disease of the hoof is painful, affecting the welfare of dairy cows. Important factors that influence the health of the limbs include nutrition, animal hygiene, stable technology, and genetic and breeding predispositions. Nutrition is one of the basic preventive factors affecting the quality and growth of the hoof horn, and the associated prevalence of hoof disease. The strength and structure of the hoof horn are affected by the composition of the feed ration (amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and toxic substances contaminating the feed ration, or arising in the feed ration as metabolites of fungi).
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Omontese BO, Bisinotto RS, Cramer G. Evaluating the association between early-lactation lying behavior and hoof lesion development in lactating Jersey cows. J Dairy Sci 2020; 103:10494-10505. [PMID: 32981735 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2020-18254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Objectives were to evaluate the association between behavior and hoof lesions (HL) in lactating dairy cows. Jersey cows without any visible HL on all 4 legs were enrolled at 20 ± 3 d in milk (DIM), examined for body condition score (BCS), and had an automatic activity monitor (AfiTag II, AfiMilk, Afikim, Israel) attached to their right hind leg. At 120 ± 3 DIM, activity monitors were removed and cows were re-examined for HL and BCS. Cows were classified according to HL status as either healthy or with HL at d 120. Because sole hemorrhage (SH) accounted for over 80% of HL on d 120, SH was reclassified according to the number of feet affected. Daily activity data (daily lying duration, lying bouts, lying bout duration, and number of steps) of 344 cows collected between d 20 and d 120 were analyzed using restricted maximum likelihood linear mixed models with an autoregressive covariance structure. Separate models were built to include specific activities, HL status at d 120, DIM, interaction between lesion status at d 120 and DIM, parity, season of calving, and BCS change from d 20 to d 120 as fixed effects. Cow was included in all models as random effect. Incidence of HL at d 120 was 58.4% (n = 201 out of 344). Compared with healthy cows, cows with HL at d 120 had reduced daily lying duration (-0.53 h; 95% CI: -0.78 to -0.28 h) in the early postpartum period. We found no evidence for a difference in number of lying bouts (0.41; 95% CI: -0.76 to 1.59;), lying bout duration (-3.04 min; 95% CI: -6.6 to 0.49), and number of steps (62.14; 95% CI: -89.62 to 213.91) between cows that remained healthy and those that developed HL. Compared with healthy cows, cows that developed SH in 1 or more feet had reduced daily lying duration in the early postpartum period. Irrespective of lesion status at d 120, daily lying duration and lying bout duration increased from d 20 to d 120, whereas lying bout number and number of steps decreased from d 20 to d 120. We concluded that cows that developed HL had a reduced daily lying duration in the early postpartum period. Therefore, reduced daily lying duration should be considered a risk factor for HL development in lactating dairy cows.
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Affiliation(s)
- B O Omontese
- Department of Food and Animal Sciences, Alabama A&M University, Normal 35762; Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul 55108
| | - R S Bisinotto
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville 32610
| | - G Cramer
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul 55108.
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