[en] The recent advancements in sensor technologies to monitor and record behavioral activities of livestock provide an accurate scope to extend the database and understand the animal behavior under actual grazing conditions. The aim of this work was to determine the seasonal variation in grazing activities of goats using the Global Positioning System (GPS) and leg sensor technologies. The study was conducted in the Southern Mediterranean forest pasture of Northern Morocco. Eight dairy alpine goats have been fitted with GPS tracking collars and tri-axial accelerometers over a 3-day period of each grazing season (spring, summer, and fall). Most of the behavioral activity of goats was dedicated to grazing (36 to 59%), followed by resting (22 to 30%) and walking without grazing (10 to 24%). During summer and fall, goats traveled longer distances compared to the spring. The combination of the two studied sensors provided useful data information to understand the behavioral activity of goat grazing in forest pasture.
Disciplines :
Animal production & animal husbandry
Author, co-author :
Chebli, Youssef ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals and Health (FARAH) ; Regional Center of Agricultural Research of Tangier, National Institute of Agricultural Research, Rabat, Morocco
Otmani, Sami; Regional Center of Agricultural Research of Tangier, National Institute of Agricultural Research, Rabat, Morocco
Cabaraux, Jean-François ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de gestion vétérinaire des Ressources Animales (DRA) > Ecologie de la santé et des productions animales
Keli, Abdelhafid; Department of Animal Production and Pastoralism, Ecole Nationale d'Agriculture de Meknès, Meknes, Morocco
Chentouf, Mouad; Regional Center of Agricultural Research of Tangier, National Institute of Agricultural Research, Rabat, Morocco
Language :
English
Title :
Using GPS Tracking Collars and Sensors to Monitor the Grazing Activity of Browsing Goats in Forest Rangeland
Publication date :
2022
Event name :
9th International Electronic Conference on Sensors and Applications
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