Revealing the Hidden Social Structure of Pigs with AI-Assisted Automated Monitoring Data and Social Network Analysis.

ABSTRACT: Background: The social interactions of farm animals affect their performance, health and welfare. This proof-of-concept study addresses, for the first time, the hypothesis that applying social network analysis (SNA) on AI-automated monitoring data could potentially facilitate the analysis of social structures of farm animals. Methods: Data were collected using automated recording systems that captured 2D-camera images and videos of pigs in six pens (16-19 animals each) on a PIC breeding company farm (USA). The system provided real-time data, including ear-tag readings, elapsed time, posture (standing, lying, sitting), and XY coordinates of the shoulder and rump for each pig. Weighted SNA was performed, based on the proximity of "standing" animals, for two 3-day period-the ear

SUBMITTER: Agha S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11988153 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature