TY - JOUR

T1 - A Non-Invasive Sound Technology to Monitor Rumen Contractions

AU - Vargas-Bello-Pérez, Einar

AU - Neves, André Luis Alves

AU - Harrison, Adrian

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2022 by the authors.

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - This technical report used a wireless device (CURO MkII) that recorded high-quality rumen sound waves from cows of different production statuses (dry cow vs. lactating cow) and physiological stages (pregnant vs. non-pregnant). Recordings from a dry Jersey heifer fed a diet based on haylage and straw showed a few high-amplitude spikes (3 at 6 dB) but mostly infrequent signals (9 at 12 dB and 22 at 18 dB), with pauses of approx. 2 min with no rumen sounds in between. Analysis of a few individual spikes in the 12 dB range showed that wave frequencies ranged from 230 to 250 Hz and lasted 4 s. Recordings of the high-yielding Red Danish cow fed a total mixed ration (TMR) showed an almost constant frequency of the rumen sounds with considerable amplitude of the waves. Rumen sounds from the Red Danish dry and pregnant cow fed on TMR were less frequent, with a lower amplitude than those from the high-yielding cow. These preliminary results demonstrate that wireless sound recording units are capable of measuring rumen sounds in a production setting and can discern between animals of different production and physiological stages, but more studies are needed to confirm our findings.

AB - This technical report used a wireless device (CURO MkII) that recorded high-quality rumen sound waves from cows of different production statuses (dry cow vs. lactating cow) and physiological stages (pregnant vs. non-pregnant). Recordings from a dry Jersey heifer fed a diet based on haylage and straw showed a few high-amplitude spikes (3 at 6 dB) but mostly infrequent signals (9 at 12 dB and 22 at 18 dB), with pauses of approx. 2 min with no rumen sounds in between. Analysis of a few individual spikes in the 12 dB range showed that wave frequencies ranged from 230 to 250 Hz and lasted 4 s. Recordings of the high-yielding Red Danish cow fed a total mixed ration (TMR) showed an almost constant frequency of the rumen sounds with considerable amplitude of the waves. Rumen sounds from the Red Danish dry and pregnant cow fed on TMR were less frequent, with a lower amplitude than those from the high-yielding cow. These preliminary results demonstrate that wireless sound recording units are capable of measuring rumen sounds in a production setting and can discern between animals of different production and physiological stages, but more studies are needed to confirm our findings.

KW - acoustic

KW - contractions

KW - cows

KW - enteric gas

KW - rumen movements

KW - rumen sounds

U2 - 10.3390/ani12172164

DO - 10.3390/ani12172164

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 36077886

AN - SCOPUS:85138226451

VL - 12

JO - Animals

JF - Animals

SN - 2076-2615

IS - 17

M1 - 2164

ER -