以頸活動量感測器評估牛隻健康狀態之可行性

The Feasibility of Evaluating Cows’ Health Condition by Neck Activity Sensor

鍾仁文(Jen-Wen Chung)

指導教授 ： 徐濟泰

國立臺灣大學/生物資源暨農學院/動物科學技術學研究所/碩士(2016年)

https://doi.org/10.6342/NTU201610044

摘要

活動量感應器是飼養牛隻時常用的工具，但大多都應用在發情偵測上，作為監控牛隻健康狀態之用非常稀少。活動量的數值與其依時間變動而繪出圖形(活動量分布圖)有甚麼意涵，不同健康狀況之間的活動量又有怎麼樣的差異，至今仍然是個謎團。本試驗使用DeLaval的單軸計步器(uniaxial pedometer)，對三個不同的健康狀況 ─ 熱緊迫、乳房炎與跛足，進行活動量的觀察與分析。主要分析三大項目：特定時段的活動量累計值(總體分析)、活動量分布圖的圖形(圖形分析)與以活動量作為篩選病牛的可行性。在熱緊迫的分析中，可以發現熱季的牛隻活動量於擠乳時段顯著高於涼季牛隻(p<0.05)，活動量分布圖上也可看出熱季牛隻有活動量偏高的趨勢。在乳房炎的分析中，不論是總體分析或圖形分析皆無顯著的結果(p>0.05)，各季活動量表現也沒有一致性的趨勢。在跛足的分析中，熱季時可看到病牛的活動量顯著比健康牛低(p<0.05)，圖形分析也可發現跛足牛的活動量分布縱深相對窄且扁平。篩選病牛的可行性分析中，跛足牛雖然能夠以活動量篩選出來，但是篩選的效率不夠優秀，指出活動量難以做為篩選病牛時的唯一參考標準。這些結果顯示活動量是能反應牛隻行為的觀察工具，亦能作為監控牛隻健康狀況之用，考慮到活動量感測器的普遍性，活動量值得深入研究與應用。

關鍵字

泌乳牛 ； 熱緊迫 ； 乳房炎 ； 跛足 ； 行為觀察 ； 活動量

並列摘要

Activity sensors are common tools in dairy farms. However, they are mostly used on detecting estrus, but little used on monitoring cows’ health conditions. The meaning of activity value and activity distribution chart are still not explored fully nowadays. The difference of activity between different health conditions is not fully understood, either. This research observed three different health conditions of cows – heat stress, mastitis and lameness, by uniaxial pedometer (ALPRO, DeLaval), and analyzed the activity based on pedometer recording. The analysis included three parts: overall analysis, pattern of activity distribution chart analysis (pattern analysis), and the feasibility of screening ill cows by activity. In analysis of heat stress, there was a significant difference of activity in milking time that cows showed more activity in hot season than in cool season (p<0.05). There was also a trend of higher activity shown on activity chart under hot season than cool season. In analysis of mastitis, there was no significant difference no matter on general analysis or pattern analysis (p>0.05), and there was no consistent trend under different seasons. In analysis of lameness, the activity of lame cows was lower than healthy cows significantly (p<0.05), and lame cows’ pattern of activity distribution was narrower in vertical and flatter than healthy cows. In analysis of feasibility of screening ill cows, although lame cows could be screened out by activity, the power of screening ability was not strong enough. This result indicated that activity was not good enough as the sole parameter for screening. Our research results shows activity sensor is a good tool to monitor cows’ behaviors. It can be used to supervise cows’ health condition. Considering the popularity of activity sensors in dairy farms, activity is worth studying further and applying in practice.

並列關鍵字

dairy cattle ； heat stress ； mastitis ； lameness ； behavior observation ； activity

參考文獻

連振昌與萬一怒。1999。牛乳導電度檢測門檻值決定之研究。農業機械學刊9(1)。

陳煥南。1988。機械擠乳與乳房炎防治。行政院農業委員會畜產試驗所。

Allen, J. D., L. W. Hall, R. J. Collier, and J. F. Smith. 2015. Effect of core body temperature, time of day, and climate conditions on behavioral patterns of lactating dairy cows experiencing mild to moderate heat stress. Journal of Dairy Science 98(1):118-127.

Armstrong, D. V. 1994. Heat stress interaction with shade and cooling. Journal of Dairy Science 77:2044-2050.

Bikker, J. P., H. van Laar, P. Rump, J. Doorenbos, K. van Meurs, G. M. Griffioen, and J. Dijkstra. 2014. Technical note: Evaluation of an ear-attached movement sensor to record cow feeding behavior and activity. Journal of Dairy Science 97(5):2974-2979.