Probabilities of cattle participating, in eating and drinking behavior when located at feeding and watering locations by a real time location system

摘要

Introduction: Animal location can be monitored and described through remote, real-time location systems (RTLS) that locate animals within a defined housing area on a continuous basis using an X, Y coordinate system. These systems only collect locational data and do not measure participation in behaviors of interest. Video recording is a method for documenting animal behavior but analysis of the data is time consuming and prone to error. The objective of this research was to determine the probability of calves participating in eating or drinking behavior as classified by video when located by RTLS within 0.3 m of the hay, grain, or water.