Ingrid D.E. van Dixhoorn, Lydiane Aubé, Coenraad van Zyl ,Rudi de Mol, Joop van der Werf, Romain Lardy, Marie Madeleine Mialon, Kees C.G. van Reenen, and Isabelle Veissier Please use the format "First name initials family name" as in "Marie S. Curie, Niels H. D. Bohr, Albert Einstein, John R. R. Tolkien, Donna T. Strickland"
<p>The behaviour of an animal is closely linked to its internal state. Various metrics can be calculated from activity data. Complex patterns of activity within or between individuals, such as cyclic patterns and synchrony, can inform on the biological functioning, the health status, or the welfare of an animal. These patterns are now available thanks to sensors that continuously monitor the activity of individual animals over long periods. Data processing and calculations, however, should be clarified and harmonised across studies for the results to be comparable. We present metrics describing activity patterns, we discuss their significance, relevance and limitations for behavioural and welfare studies, and we detail how they can be calculated. Four groups of metrics are distinguished: metrics related to overall activity (e.g., time spent in each activity per unit of time), metrics related to fluctuations around mean activity, metrics related to the cyclicity of activity, and metrics related to the synchrony between animals. Metrics may take statistical approaches (e.g., average and variance) or modelling approaches (e.g., Fourier Transform). Examples are taken essentially from cattle for who individual activity sensors are easily available at present. The calculations, however, can be applied to other species and can be performed on data obtained from sensors as well as visual observations. The present methodological article will help researchers to obtain the most benefit from activity data and will support the decision of which metric can be used to address a given purpose.</p>
sensors, time budget, animal welfare, health, activity metrics, cow
Animal behaviour , Animal health, Animal welfare, Precision livestock farming
Anna Olsson suggested: There's a related methods paper in the latest issue of Animal Behaviour: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003347223002683, Anna Olsson suggested: Different species and behaviours but the authors could be asked to comment on the methods aspect of the paper. , Pol Llonch [pol.llonch@uab.cat] suggested: Dear Birte,, Pol Llonch [pol.llonch@uab.cat] suggested: I'm sorry but I have two reviews awaiting and I cannot take more reviews. I'm sorry., Pol Llonch [pol.llonch@uab.cat] suggested: I hope I can be more supportive next time., Pol Llonch [pol.llonch@uab.cat] suggested: Pol
No need for them to be recommenders of PCI Anim Sci. Please do not suggest reviewers for whom there might be a conflict of interest. Reviewers are not allowed to review preprints written by close colleagues (with whom they have published in the last four years, with whom they have received joint funding in the last four years, or with whom they are currently writing a manuscript, or submitting a grant proposal), or by family members, friends, or anyone for whom bias might affect the nature of the review - see the code of conduct
