IMPROVING ANIMAL WELFARE, ANIMAL PRODUCTION QUALITY AND FOOD SAFETY WITH ADVANCED SENSOR SYSTEMS
Tesi di Dottorato
Data di Pubblicazione:
2013
Citazione:
IMPROVING ANIMAL WELFARE, ANIMAL PRODUCTION QUALITY AND FOOD SAFETY WITH ADVANCED SENSOR SYSTEMS / G. Marchesi ; tutor: M. Lazzari ; coordinatore: G.Savoini ; direttore: V. Bontempo. UNIVERSITA' DEGLI STUDI DI MILANO, 2013 Feb 19. 25. ciclo, Anno Accademico 2012. [10.13130/marchesi-gabriele_phd2013-02-19].
Abstract:
The livestock production main purpose is to satisfy the customer requirements at a price that enables the producer to make a profit. This trend moved the farm concept to the new control and monitoring technology system to support its operations. This new idea of the farm takes the name of “Precision farming technology” (PFT). The objective of the researches described in this thesis is to study and evaluate different type of technologies used in the PFT. To achieve this objective, six different trials were done; in the first trial, it was evaluated the use of an electronic system for automatic calving detection; in the second trial, it was designed, developed and tested a GPS/GSM birth alarm for cattle-grazing; in the third trial, it was evaluated the oestrus detection in a dairy cattle farm with the Herd Navigator™; in the fourth trial, it was analysed the reproduction and economical performances in a dairy cattle farm with the Herd Navigator™; in the fifth trial, it was designed and tested a low cost GPS/GPRS collar to combat cattle rustling; in the sixth trial, it was studied a GPS collar to trace the epidemiological issues in a flock.
In the first study, the technical performance of the C6 birth control system® was analysed. The C6 birth control system® is an electronic device that detects the time of the expulsion phase during the calving. A number of 53 Holstein was fitted on the day 280±5 of gestation with the C6 birth control system®, which was left in place until confirmation of calving. Sensitivity and positive predictive value of the system were calculated as 100% and 95%, respectively. The partum events occurring at the group fitted with the system were compared with the analogous occurred at 59 animals without device. When alarmed by the system the farm staffs were in the calving barn during the expulsion phase in the 100% of the cases. On the contrary the cows without the device were assisted only in 17% of the cases (P<0.001).
The aim of the second trial was the development of a GPS/GSM birth alarm for cattle-grazing (GPS-CAL). At the expulsion phase, during the calving, the system sent a Short message Service (SMS) to the farmer’s phone. In the SMS there were indicated the GPS coordinates where the cow was calving. Three tests were done: a) laboratory test to evaluate the battery life and the GPS’s accuracy; b) field test in a commercial dairy farm with small pasture; c) field test in a commercial cattle farm in the Apennines. The laboratory tests showed a battery life of one month. The GPS accuracy was 1,237 m. In field “b” were tested 18 calving. In field “c” were tested 8 calving. In the total of 26 calving the GPS-CAL sent the SMS with the correct cow calving position.
The third study was related to the Herd Navigator™ monitoring of cows reproduction performances. The Herd Navigator™ is a system that automatically programs the analysis of milk progesterone samples from selected specific cows of the herd. In a commercial dairy farm, the same 156 cows were monitored with both a Herd Navigator™ and a DeLaval® activity system. Sensitivity and positive predictive value of the systems were calculated as 100% and 96% for Herd Navigator™, and as 49% and 70% for activity meter. The test definitely, demonstrates a significant difference (P<0.001) between the two-oestrus detection systems both for sensitivity and positive predictive value, with higher performances for the Herd Navigator™ system.
The aim of the fourth trial was verify the Herd Navigator™ benefits on the reproduction management in a commercial dairy farm - with automatic milking system - located in mountain areas. Reproductive and economical data were recorded before and one year after the Herd Navigator™ instal
Tipologia IRIS:
Tesi di dottorato
Elenco autori:
G. Marchesi
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