1. Ear-Attached Accelerometer as an On-Farm Device to Predict the Onset of Calving in Dairy Cows

The objective of this study on an ear-attached accelerometer in dairy cows was (1) to determine activity, rumination and lying time of the dams prior to calving, and include group level of measured variables (2) use the data to develop an algorithm to predict calving and (3) to test the performance of this algorithm. Video observations (24h/d) were used as reference for these events. Four weeks before expected calving, an ear-tag integrated tri-axial accelerometer (SMARTBOW system) was attached... S. Krieger, M. Oczak, L. Lidauer, F. Kickinger, M. Öhlschuster, W. Auer, M. Drillich, M. Iwersen, A. Berger