College - Author 1
College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
Department - Author 1
Dairy Science Department
Degree Name - Author 1
BS in Dairy Science
Date
3-2012
Primary Advisor
Stan Henderson
Abstract/Summary
The objective of this study is to determine if there is a direct relationship between rumination and energy corrected milk produced, using a technologic rumination tracking system. This technology is better known as AI24™ and is produced by Micro Dairy Logic: Advanced Dairy Solutions and SCR™, but marketed through Semex. The collar system is able to track rumination, aid in diagnosing illness/injury, predict parturition, and detect estrus in cows. The sophisticated electronic tag monitors a cow’s rumination time, chewing rhythm and time between feed boluses to determine how many minutes per day the cow is ruminating. Each collar is equipped with a microphone, which is used to monitor the rumination patterns. A protocol was implemented so that all fresh cows received a collar before entering the milking string to establish a baseline. This allows the baseline to be established by 21 days in milk. The collars are read through a system of infrared sensors located in the exit alley of the milking parlor. The data is transferred to the computer, equipped with the Data Flow software program, to collect rumination totals, in minutes, for the 48 hour period prior to test day. Rumination time was then compared to the amount of energy corrected milk, in pounds, to derive a level of significance between them. The data was sorted by test month. A total of three test days were examined, December 2011, January 2012, and February 2012, with a total of 180 cows used. In summary the data showed that there was no level of significance between energy corrected milk in pounds and rumination time in minutes.
URL: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/dscisp/54