Connecting the dots: relationship between heart rate and overall dynamic body acceleration in free-ranging cattle.

ABSTRACT: Monitoring physiological indicators including heart rate (HR) is crucial for managing animal welfare across diverse settings, from precision livestock farming to wildlife conservation. HR is a reliable indicator of energy expenditure and stress, yet the invasive nature of HR loggers limits their application in wild and free-ranging species. This study explores whether overall dynamic body acceleration (ODBA), measured with an external accelerometer, can serve as a less invasive proxy for HR. Using free-ranging cattle as a model species in Norway, we examined the relationship between ODBA and HR to assess how external accelerometry might indirectly reflect physiological states in settings that resemble wild conditions. Cattle provide an ideal model because they share some characteristics wi

SUBMITTER: Niccolai LJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11655874 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature