scholarly journals Classifying season long livestock grazing behavior with the use of a low-cost GPS and accelerometer

2021 ◽  
Vol 181 ◽  
pp. 105957
Author(s):  
Jameson Brennan ◽  
Patricia Johnson ◽  
Kenneth Olson
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Grazing Behavior

scholarly journals A Low-Cost IoT-Based System to Monitor the Location of a Whole Herd

Sensors ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (10) ◽  
pp. 2298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco Maroto-Molina ◽  
Jorge Navarro-García ◽  
Karen Príncipe-Aguirre ◽  
Ignacio Gómez-Maqueda ◽  
José E. Guerrero-Ginel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Beef Cows ◽  
Wireless Data ◽  
Large Variability ◽  
Grazing Behavior ◽  
Positioning Systems ◽  
Gps Collars ◽  
Wireless Data Transmission ◽  
Commercial Farms ◽  
The Cost

Animal location technologies have evolved considerably in the last 60 years. Nowadays, animal tracking solutions based on global positioning systems (GPS) are commercially available. However, existing devices have several constraints, mostly related to wireless data transmission and financial cost, which make impractical the monitorization of all the animals in a herd. The main objective of this work is to develop a low-cost solution to enable the monitorization of a whole herd. An IoT-based system, which requires some animals of the herd being fitted with GPS collars connected to a Sigfox network and the rest with low-cost Bluetooth tags, has been developed. Its performance has been tested in two commercial farms, raising sheep and beef cattle, through the monitorization of 50 females in each case. Several collar/tag ratios, which define the cost per animal of the solution, have been simulated. Results demonstrate that a low collar/tag ratio enable the monitorization of a whole sheep herd. A larger ratio is needed for beef cows because of their grazing behavior. Nevertheless, the optimal ratio depends on the purpose of location data. Large variability has been observed for the number of hourly and daily messages from collars and tags. The system effectiveness for the monitorization of all the animals in a herd has been certainly proved.

Cattle herbage utilization patterns under high-density rotational grazing in the Aspen Parkland

2003 ◽  
Vol 83 (3) ◽  
pp. 541-550 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. A. Asamoah ◽  
E. W. Bork ◽  
B. D. Irving ◽  
M. A. Price ◽  
R. J. Hudson
Keyword(s):  
Low Frequency ◽  
High Density ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Rotational Grazing ◽  
Grazing Behavior ◽  
Aspen Parkland ◽  
Utilization Patterns ◽  
Grazing Period ◽  
Aspen Forest ◽  
Riparian Meadows

Native Aspen Parkland landscapes consist of a complex mosaic of plant communities, including riparian meadows, upland grasslands, and forests. Sustainable livestock production in this environment depends on an understanding of livestock grazing behavior among communities, particularly under contemporary, intensive management rotational grazing systems. This study examined seasonal patterns of absolute (kg ha-1) and relative (%) herbage utilization, as well as plant community visitation, across a Parkland landscape by 150 heifers in two rotations of a high-intensity, low-frequency grazing system. Graminoids constituted more than 92% of the total herbage utilized. Absolute graminoid utilization within each grazing period was greater (P < 0.05) throughout the growing season from riparian meadows (2003 to 2114 kg ha-1) than from upland grasslands (762 to 1041 kg ha-1) or forests (782 to 800 kg ha-1). In contrast, relative graminoid utilization remained similar (P > 0.05) among communities in either rotation, suggesting heifers grazed in proportion to graminoid availability (57–61% in first rotation, 44–54% in second rotation). Although riparian meadows represented a small fraction of the landscape (~ 4%), and provided up to 9.5% of the total forage used, the majority of herbage removal at the paddock level continued to originate from upland grasslands and forests. Patterns of visitation indicated heifers initially visited riparian meadows more often within each 3–4 day grazing period, regardless of entry date. While upland grasslands were least visited in June, forests were least visited in August. Based on these utilization and visitation patterns, we discuss the implications of using high-density, rotational livestock grazing for the sustainable management of Aspen Parkland rangelands. Key words: Aspen forest, cattle grazing, forage quality, herbage utilization, riparian meadow, rotational grazing, upland grassland

scholarly journals Grazing Behavior, Forage Quality, and Intake Rates of Livestock Grazing Pastures Occupied by Prairie Dogs

2021 ◽  
Vol 76 ◽  
pp. 12-21
Author(s):  
Jameson Brennan ◽  
Kenneth Olson ◽  
Patricia Johnson ◽  
Janna Block ◽  
Christopher Schauer
Keyword(s):  
Forage Quality ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Prairie Dogs ◽  
Grazing Behavior

scholarly journals Livestock grazing behavior and inter- versus intraspecific disease risk via the fecal–oral route

2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 426-432 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lesley A. Smith ◽  
Piran C.L. White ◽  
Glenn Marion ◽  
Michael R. Hutchings
Keyword(s):  
Disease Risk ◽  
Oral Route ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Grazing Behavior

scholarly journals Influence of Beef Cattle Stocking Density on Utilization of Vegetative Communities in a Late-Spring, Early-Summer Native Bunchgrass Prairie

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 400
Author(s):  
Samuel A Wyffels ◽  
Timothy DelCurto
Keyword(s):  
Stocking Density ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Treatment Area ◽  
Grazing Behavior ◽  
Relative Preference ◽  
Grazing Period ◽  
Total Productivity ◽  
Sustainable Grazing ◽  
Vegetative Communities

This study evaluated the influence of cattle stocking density on the use of botanical communities on a native bunchgrass prairie. In each of two years, 192 cow-calf pairs and 48 yearling heifers were randomly selected for the following grazing treatments: 1) control, no livestock grazing; 2) low stocking, 0.36 animal units (AU) ∙ ha-1; 3) moderate stocking, 0.72 AU ∙ ha-1; and 4) high stocking, 1.08 AU ∙ ha-1 for a 42-day grazing period. Thirty-six monitoring sites were established uniformly along a grid in each paddock. Standing crop and relative preference data for cattle collected from the treatment area were used to develop the following vegetation community classifications: 1) > 20% introduced; 2) > 40% native bunchgrass with > 50% Idaho fescue (Festuca idahoensis); 3) > 40% native bunch grass with < 50% Idaho fescue; 4) > 50% Forb; and 5) other. Utilization for each community type was collected at the end of the grazing period. High stocking density paddocks had higher utilization across all vegetation classifications compared to other stocking densities (P ≤ 0.04). Moderate stocking density paddocks were utilized 11.5% more than low paddocks, however, utilization of introduced vegetative communities, Idaho fescue dominated bunchgrass communities, and forb dominated communities did not differ in use (P ≥ 0.13). Use of monitoring to actively adjust stocking densities based on differential community utilization may improve the sustainable grazing of sensitive communities because conventional stocking rate calculations based on total productivity do not account for the selective grazing behavior of cattle.

scholarly journals An agent-based model of cattle grazing toxic Geyer’s larkspur

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin E. Jablonski ◽  
Randall B. Boone ◽  
Paul J. Meiman
Keyword(s):  
Management Strategies ◽  
Stocking Density ◽  
Cattle Grazing ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Grazing Management ◽  
Grazing Behavior ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
The Many ◽  
Livestock Behavior

AbstractBy killing cattle and otherwise complicating management, the many species of larkspur (Delphinium spp.) present a serious, intractable, and complex challenge to livestock grazing management in the western United States. Among the many obstacles to improving our understanding of cattle-larkspur dynamics has been the difficulty of testing different grazing management strategies in the field, as the risk of dead animals is too great. Agent-based models (ABMs) provide an effective method of testing alternate management strategies without risk to livestock. ABMs are especially useful for modeling complex systems such as livestock grazing management, and allow for realistic bottom-up encoding of cattle behavior. Here, we introduce a spatially-explicit, behavior-based ABM of cattle grazing in a pasture with a dangerous amount of Geyer’s larkspur (D. geyeri). This model tests the role of herd cohesion and stocking density in larkspur intake, finds that both are key drivers of larkspur-induced toxicosis, and indicates that alteration of these factors within realistic bounds can mitigate risk. Crucially, the model points to herd cohesion, which has received little attention in the discipline, as playing an important role in lethal acute toxicosis. As the first ABM to model grazing behavior at realistic scales, this study also demonstrates the tremendous potential of ABMs to illuminate grazing management dynamics, including fundamental aspects of livestock behavior amidst ecological heterogeneity.

Decomposition of the metastable beta titanium alloy Ti-15-3

1983 ◽  
Vol 41 ◽  
pp. 264-265
Author(s):  
Y. L. Chen ◽  
S. Fujlshiro
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
High Strength ◽  
Alpha Phase ◽  
Thick Sheet ◽  
Omega Phase ◽  
Beta Titanium Alloy ◽  
Beta Titanium ◽  
Beta Matrix ◽  
Metastable Beta ◽  
Very High

Metastable beta titanium alloys have been known to have numerous advantages such as cold formability, high strength, good fracture resistance, deep hardenability, and cost effectiveness. Very high strength is obtainable by precipitation of the hexagonal alpha phase in a bcc beta matrix in these alloys. Precipitation hardening in the metastable beta alloys may also result from the formation of transition phases such as omega phase. Ti-15-3 (Ti-15V- 3Cr-3Al-3Sn) has been developed recently by TIMET and USAF for low cost sheet metal applications. The purpose of the present study was to examine the aging characteristics in this alloy.The composition of the as-received material is: 14.7 V, 3.14 Cr, 3.05 Al, 2.26 Sn, and 0.145 Fe. The beta transus temperature as determined by optical metallographic method was about 770°C. Specimen coupons were prepared from a mill-annealed 1.2 mm thick sheet, and solution treated at 827°C for 2 hr in argon, then water quenched. Aging was also done in argon at temperatures ranging from 316 to 616°C for various times.

Chromic Acid Etching of Polyethylene

1973 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
pp. 72-73
Author(s):  
J. D. Muzzy ◽  
R. D. Hester ◽  
J. L. Hubbard
Keyword(s):  
Chromic Acid ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Acid Etching ◽  
Crystalline Morphology ◽  
Bulk Specimen ◽  
Morphological Studies ◽  
Perfect Form ◽  
Molecular Length ◽  
Lamellar Texture ◽  
Cost Studies

Polyethylene is one of the most important plastics produced today because of its good physical properties, ease of fabrication and low cost. Studies to improve the properties of polyethylene are leading to an understanding of its crystalline morphology. Polyethylene crystallized by evaporation from dilute solutions consists of thin crystals called lamellae. The polyethylene molecules are parallel to the thickness of the lamellae and are folded since the thickness of the lamellae is much less than the molecular length. This lamellar texture persists in less perfect form in polyethylene crystallized from the melt.Morphological studies of melt crystallized polyethylene have been limited due to the difficulty of isolating the microstructure from the bulk specimen without destroying or deforming it.

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