A New Sensor Finds Cows Feel the Heat at Surprisingly Low Temperatures
Description
Data captured from on-animal sensors shows cows have a significant decrease in rumination at daily top temperatures of 31oC or more. At this point, rumination time has dropped by around 20 per cent, meaning reduced feed intake and impacts on production.
The preliminary data is from trials conducted by CQUniversity, in partnership with the University of Queensland and funded by Meat & Livestock Australia, over the summers of 2022/23 and 2023/24 at AgForce’s Belmont Research Station outside of Rockhampton.
Partners
Meat & Livestock Australia, University of Queensland, DIT Agtech, AgForce Belmont Station
Impact
Professor Mark Trotter, head of CQU’s precision livestock management team, said the impacts of high temperatures in pastures and rangelands, and how cows change their behaviour to cope, were not well understood.
This is one of the first studies in the world to explore heat stress in extensively grazed beef cattle, with most of the research to date carried out in feedlots and the dairy industry,” Prof Trotter said.
“We are continuing to analyse this data to understand how breeders are responding to increasing temperatures and the subsequent impact on this may have production.
“This may challenge the way the industry thinks about the true costs of heat stress in grazing cattle, and if predictions of increasing temperatures come to fruition, we will have to start thinking about how we manage heat stress in our breeding cattle.
“While the big heat waves are likely to have obvious impacts, it’s the more subtle changes in coping behaviour at more moderate temperatures that could really start to eat into production,” Prof Trotter said.
Researchers
Professor Mark Trotter
In the first stage of the research project, a number of compounds were tested in the laboratory and found to be soluble and stable in water. These were then ranked based on gas production and effects on dry matter digestibility.
“In the second stage, Agolin Ruminant L, a blend of essential oils, was tested in vivo and saw a reduction of 15% in methane emissions in comparison to animals not receiving the additive,” Dr Costa said.
The CQU research team is also exploring how heat stress impacts calves at Belmont Research Station by using GPS tracking and accelerometer sensors to detect impacts on survival and growth through to weaning.
“By understanding individual animal variability in heat stress response, there may be an opportunity in future for genetic selection of more tolerant cattle,” Prof Trotter said.
The sensor technology and the results were presented as part of Beef Australia’s property tour program, to visitors attending the half-day tour of CQUniversity’s Central Queensland Innovation Research Precinct (CQIRP) on Wednesday 8 May 2024.
A range of on-animal sensors were presented to participants on the CQIRP tour, with researchers to provide a candid assessment of performance and value of these smart tags for monitoring stock location, behaviour and wellbeing, as well as water and feedbase usage.
The tour also featured technology from DIT Agtech that is being used in CQU research to mitigate methane emissions from cattle, with an additive delivered in combination with a nutrient supplement via the drinking water shown to reduce methane emissions by 15 per cent.
The research is part of a range of studies underway at CQU, including evaluation of new dual-purpose crops and tropical legumes, and precision feeding technologies delivering supplements based on the requirement of the individual animal to achieve a production target.
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