Lameness Identification System in Cattle Breeding Units

Abstract

Lameness is one of the most significant problems in cattle breeding. It is a major factor that causes discomfort and significantly reduces the welfare of affected animals. Lameness can result in a decrease in milk production or, if not detected early enough, may require the animal to be culled, leading to severe direct and indirect economic consequences for the business. The delayed recognition of lameness is often due to the methods used for detection, which mainly rely on the observation of animal mobility by the breeder. These methods almost exclude the early detection of the problem. This work aims to establish a new detection system that will be able to identify on time, reliably, and at an early stage the lameness symptoms based on the movement parameters of the animals.

Keywords

• lameness
• animal health
• accelerator sensors
• machine learning
• cattle