Insights into thermal stress effects on performance and behavior of grazing cattle via multimodal sensor monitoring
Abstract Cattle have been observed to change their behavior and location in response to thermal stress. This study employs a multimodal sensor-based approach to assess if the behavior of grazing cattle changed in response to thermal conditions that occurred during two trials conducted in Queensland,...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-13264-0 |
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| author | Regina Eckhardt Reza Arablouei Kieren McCosker Greg Bishop-Hurley Neil Bagnall Ben Hayes Antonio Reverter Aaron Ingham Heinz Bernhardt |
| author_facet | Regina Eckhardt Reza Arablouei Kieren McCosker Greg Bishop-Hurley Neil Bagnall Ben Hayes Antonio Reverter Aaron Ingham Heinz Bernhardt |
| author_sort | Regina Eckhardt |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Cattle have been observed to change their behavior and location in response to thermal stress. This study employs a multimodal sensor-based approach to assess if the behavior of grazing cattle changed in response to thermal conditions that occurred during two trials conducted in Queensland, Australia, over late spring and early summer. Each trial involved sixty cattle (Brahman and Droughtmaster) fitted with eGrazor collars containing triaxial accelerometer and GNSS sensors. Cattle were genotyped and weighed weekly, and relevant meteorological data was collected. Accelerometer data was used to classify cattle behavior at five-second intervals into six distinct categories: grazing, walking, ruminating, resting, drinking, and other. GNSS data and satellite imagery were utilized to estimate time spent in open areas, while the Comprehensive Climate Index (CCI) was calculated from meteorological data and used to identify the two warmest and coolest weeks of both trials. Correlation analysis revealed that, during days of higher CCI, cattle increased time in the shade (correlation coefficient $$r=0.66$$ ), reduced daytime grazing ( $$r=-0.49$$ ), shifted grazing to nighttime ( $$r=0.64$$ ), and prolonged daytime resting ( $$r=-0.34$$ ). Weather variations had a subtle influence on weight gain, while cattle with increased Bos indicus genetic proportion were more active during periods of higher CCI. These findings emphasize the potential of sensor-based monitoring to quantify cattle behavioral responses to variable weather conditions in relevant production environments. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b25836e4f8814cfeac3bd29d6e56b0ea |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
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| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-b25836e4f8814cfeac3bd29d6e56b0ea2025-08-20T04:03:00ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-07-0115111310.1038/s41598-025-13264-0Insights into thermal stress effects on performance and behavior of grazing cattle via multimodal sensor monitoringRegina Eckhardt0Reza Arablouei1Kieren McCosker2Greg Bishop-Hurley3Neil Bagnall4Ben Hayes5Antonio Reverter6Aaron Ingham7Heinz Bernhardt8Chair of Agricultural Systems Engineering, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of MunichData61, CSIROCentre for Animal Science, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of QueenslandAgriculture and Food, CSIROAgriculture and Food, CSIROCentre for Animal Science, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of QueenslandAgriculture and Food, CSIROAgriculture and Food, CSIROChair of Agricultural Systems Engineering, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of MunichAbstract Cattle have been observed to change their behavior and location in response to thermal stress. This study employs a multimodal sensor-based approach to assess if the behavior of grazing cattle changed in response to thermal conditions that occurred during two trials conducted in Queensland, Australia, over late spring and early summer. Each trial involved sixty cattle (Brahman and Droughtmaster) fitted with eGrazor collars containing triaxial accelerometer and GNSS sensors. Cattle were genotyped and weighed weekly, and relevant meteorological data was collected. Accelerometer data was used to classify cattle behavior at five-second intervals into six distinct categories: grazing, walking, ruminating, resting, drinking, and other. GNSS data and satellite imagery were utilized to estimate time spent in open areas, while the Comprehensive Climate Index (CCI) was calculated from meteorological data and used to identify the two warmest and coolest weeks of both trials. Correlation analysis revealed that, during days of higher CCI, cattle increased time in the shade (correlation coefficient $$r=0.66$$ ), reduced daytime grazing ( $$r=-0.49$$ ), shifted grazing to nighttime ( $$r=0.64$$ ), and prolonged daytime resting ( $$r=-0.34$$ ). Weather variations had a subtle influence on weight gain, while cattle with increased Bos indicus genetic proportion were more active during periods of higher CCI. These findings emphasize the potential of sensor-based monitoring to quantify cattle behavioral responses to variable weather conditions in relevant production environments.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-13264-0 |
| spellingShingle | Regina Eckhardt Reza Arablouei Kieren McCosker Greg Bishop-Hurley Neil Bagnall Ben Hayes Antonio Reverter Aaron Ingham Heinz Bernhardt Insights into thermal stress effects on performance and behavior of grazing cattle via multimodal sensor monitoring Scientific Reports |
| title | Insights into thermal stress effects on performance and behavior of grazing cattle via multimodal sensor monitoring |
| title_full | Insights into thermal stress effects on performance and behavior of grazing cattle via multimodal sensor monitoring |
| title_fullStr | Insights into thermal stress effects on performance and behavior of grazing cattle via multimodal sensor monitoring |
| title_full_unstemmed | Insights into thermal stress effects on performance and behavior of grazing cattle via multimodal sensor monitoring |
| title_short | Insights into thermal stress effects on performance and behavior of grazing cattle via multimodal sensor monitoring |
| title_sort | insights into thermal stress effects on performance and behavior of grazing cattle via multimodal sensor monitoring |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-13264-0 |
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