GPS Tracking to Monitor the Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Cattle Behavior and Their Relationship with Feces Distribution.

The sustainability of agrosilvopastoral systems, e.g., , is threatened.

Welfare Quality for dairy cows: towards a sensor-based assessment.

This Research Reflection addresses the possibilities for Welfare Quality® to evolve from an assessment method based on data gathered on punctual visits to the farm to an assessment method based on sensor data. This approach could provide continuous and objective data, while being less costly and time consuming. Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) technologies enabling the monitorisation of Welfare Quality® measures are reviewed and discussed.

A Low-Cost IoT-Based System to Monitor the Location of a Whole Herd.

Animal location technologies have evolved considerably in the last 60 years. Nowadays, animal tracking solutions based on global positioning systems (GPS) are commercially available. However, existing devices have several constraints, mostly related to wireless data transmission and financial cost, which make impractical the monitorization of all the animals in a herd.

Assessment of on-farm welfare for dairy cattle in southern Spain and its effects on reproductive parameters.

In this Research Communication we analyse the animal welfare status of dairy farms located in southern Spain and test the hypothesis that monitoring of wellbeing could increase the profitability of dairy herds by improving indices of reproduction. Twenty dairy farms were visited and a total of 1650 cows were assessed using the Welfare Quality® (WQ) protocol to determine their welfare status. These farms were selected as representatives of the main types of dairy farms found in the south of Spain.

Long-Length Fiber Optic Near-Infrared (NIR) Spectroscopy Probes for On-Line Quality Control of Processed Land Animal Proteins.

This research was conducted using a spectral database comprising 346 samples of processed animal proteins (PAPs) with a range of compositions, analyzed using a Fourier transform near-infrared spectroscopy multichannel instrument (Matrix-F, Bruker Optics) coupled to a 100 m fiber optic cable. Using both its static and dynamic operating modes (on a conveyor belt), simulating the movement of the product in the plant, the predictive capabilities of both modes of analysis were assessed and compared, for the purposes of predicting moisture, protein, and ashes. The results show that both exhibit highly similar degrees of precision and accuracy for predicting these parameters.

Near-Infrared Spectroscopy and Geostatistical Analysis for Modeling Spatial Distribution of Analytical Constituents in Bulk Animal By-Product Protein Meals.

Control and inspection operations within the context of safety and quality assessment of bulk foods and feeds are not only of particular importance, they are also demanding challenges, given the complexity of food/feed production systems and the variability of product properties. Existing methodologies have a variety of limitations, such as high costs of implementation per sample or shortcomings in early detection of potential threats for human/animal health or quality deviations. Therefore, new proposals are required for the analysis of raw materials in situ in a more efficient and cost-effective manner.