Validation of the precision and accuracy of a behavioral monitoring collar to measure general activity and idle time of dairy calves

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Abstract
The technologies to measure animal behavior patterns in dairy farms are important due to the possibility of continuous and accurate measuring behavior in all livestock species. There are still few validation studies using behavioral precision technologies such as behavioral monitoring collars (BMC; CowMed-Bezerra, Chip Inside Tecnologia S.A, Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, BR) to monitor dairy calves. The aim of this study was to validate the BMC to assess the activity and idle behavior of dairy calves. Twenty-three Holstein dairy calves raised in a commercial farm, aged between 20 and 90 days, with an average weight of 60 ± 20 kg were randomly selected. The calves had the behaviors of rumination, feeding, idleness and activity recorded in two ways: BMC and visual observation. Visual behavior was observed at 1-minute intervals. The BMC was fitted on the calves at the 10th day after their birth. Each calf was observed for 360 min per day (from 10:00 to 13:00 h and from 19:00 to 22:00 h) over four days, totaling 1440 min. Rumination, feeding and activity times were summed and considered as general activity. General activity and idle times registered by the BMC were compared with visual observation of calves' behaviors using Pearson's correlation, correlation coefficient of agreement, linear regression, and Bland-Altman graphs for validation of precision and accuracy. Bland-Altman plots were deemed acceptable; the plots showed no bias. Bland-Altman mean differences ± standard deviation (BMC - visual observation) were -6.68 ± 2.72 min/h for general activity, and -3.86 ± 2.72 min/h for idleness. The mean differences, however, included zero within the 95% agreement interval, indicating that there was no difference between the BMC and visual observation. The slope of the linear regression did not differ from 1 for all behaviors. Therefore, idleness and general activity behaviors might be recorded precisely and accurately using BMC in dairy calves.

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