Iran-Made Smart Rumination Sensor Used for Early Detection of Livestock Disease
In this scientific work, the researchers tried to design an accurate model that can detect livestock behavioral changes with high accuracy and be used as an auxiliary tool in cattle health management.
Hossein Navid from the Department of Biosystems Engineering at the University of Tabriz, along with three colleagues from the same university, conducted a study in cooperation with the Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization in Kerman.
The method of this study was based on the design and use of a special sensor in the Precision Agriculture Laboratory of the University of Tabriz. The data obtained from this sensor was analyzed and a special algorithm was used to classify rumination behavior. Initially, dozens of different factors were examined and finally four optimal factors were selected that had the greatest impact on correctly detecting livestock behavior.
The designed model was then tested with standard criteria like sensitivity and accuracy, and the results showed that this model has a very significant performance. Following this, a field test was conducted on livestock over a period of three days to examine the practical efficiency of this sensor.
The results obtained showed that the proposed system was able to detect cow rumination behavior with an accuracy of about 48%. This figure represents a significant improvement compared to previous methods, as there was a high agreement between the data recorded by the sensor and direct observations.
The final conclusion of this research shows that the designed sensor can be an effective tool for monitoring livestock health.
In a relevant development in 2022, a faculty member of the Islamic Azad University had come up with an idea to produce animal feed using ruminal content in slaughterhouses.
“It’s a good source of energy, protein, minerals, and vitamins. It can be used as a cheap source of energy and protein with reduced feed cost and environmental pollution,” Ramin Salamatdoust, a faculty member of the Islamic Azad University, Shabestar branch, told ANA.
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