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Gabriele Mattachini
Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy

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Journal article
Published: 19 April 2020 in Animals
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Due to its increasing pressure on dairy cows, studies that investigate how to cope with heat stress are needed. The heat stress affects multiple aspects of cows’ lives, among which their behavior and welfare. In this study, a survey was carried out in eight farms located in Northern Italy to monitor and evaluate the environmental aspects of the barns and the behavioral responses of dairy cows. For one year, three periods were monitored: thermoneutral (T_S), hot (H_S) and cold (C_S) seasons. Temperature and relative humidity were measured by environmental sensors, and lying vs. standing time, number of lying bouts and their average duration were collected by accelerometers. The temperature-humidity index (THI) was quantified inside and outside of the barn. Results show that at the increase of the THI, behavioral adaptations occurred in all the farms, especially with a reduction of lying time and an increase of respiration rate. Four of the eight farms need interventions for improving the cows’ welfare. Here, environmental problems should be solved by introducing or improving the efficacy of the forced ventilation or by modifying the barn structure. Monitoring dairy barns with sensors and Precision Livestock Farming techniques can be helpful for future livestock farming to alert farmers on the need for their interventions to respond immediately to unwanted barn living conditions.

ACS Style

Daniela Lovarelli; Alberto Finzi; Gabriele Mattachini; Elisabetta Riva. A Survey of Dairy Cattle Behavior in Different Barns in Northern Italy. Animals 2020, 10, 713 .

AMA Style

Daniela Lovarelli, Alberto Finzi, Gabriele Mattachini, Elisabetta Riva. A Survey of Dairy Cattle Behavior in Different Barns in Northern Italy. Animals. 2020; 10 (4):713.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Daniela Lovarelli; Alberto Finzi; Gabriele Mattachini; Elisabetta Riva. 2020. "A Survey of Dairy Cattle Behavior in Different Barns in Northern Italy." Animals 10, no. 4: 713.

Journal article
Published: 01 April 2020 in Sustainability
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The aim of this 5-year study was to evaluate the technical, economic, and environmental performances of a collective-based integrated treatment system for bioenergy production and nutrients removal to improve the utilization efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of land applied livestock manure. The study involved 12 livestock production units located in an intensive livestock area designated as nitrate vulnerable zone with large N surplus. The treatment system consisted of an anaerobic digestion unit, a solid–liquid separation system, and a biological N removal process. Atmospheric emissions and nutrient losses in water and soil were examined for the environmental assessment, while estimated crop removal and nutrient utilization efficiencies were used for the agronomic assessment. The integrated treatment system achieved 49% removal efficiency for total solids (TS), 40% for total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), and 41% for total phosphorous (TP). A surplus of 58kWh/t of treated manure was achieved considering the electricity produced by the biogas plant and consumed by the treatment plant and during transportation of raw and treated manure. A profit of 1.61 €/t manure treated and an average reduction of global warming potential by 70% was also achieved. The acidification potential was reduced by almost 50%. The agronomic use of treated manure eliminated the TKN surplus and reduced the TP surplus by 94%. This collective integrated treatment system can be an environmentally and economically sustainable solution for farms to reduce N surplus in intensive livestock production areas.

ACS Style

Alberto Finzi; Gabriele Mattachini; Daniela Lovarelli; Elisabetta Riva; Giorgio Provolo. Technical, Economic, and Environmental Assessment of a Collective Integrated Treatment System for Energy Recovery and Nutrient Removal from Livestock Manure. Sustainability 2020, 12, 2756 .

AMA Style

Alberto Finzi, Gabriele Mattachini, Daniela Lovarelli, Elisabetta Riva, Giorgio Provolo. Technical, Economic, and Environmental Assessment of a Collective Integrated Treatment System for Energy Recovery and Nutrient Removal from Livestock Manure. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (7):2756.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alberto Finzi; Gabriele Mattachini; Daniela Lovarelli; Elisabetta Riva; Giorgio Provolo. 2020. "Technical, Economic, and Environmental Assessment of a Collective Integrated Treatment System for Energy Recovery and Nutrient Removal from Livestock Manure." Sustainability 12, no. 7: 2756.

Conference paper
Published: 20 March 2020 in Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering
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The objective of this study was to determine the effect of feed delivery frequency on the behavior patterns and on milk production of lactating dairy cows. The study was conducted on a commercial dairy farm. Feeding treatments of mixed ration consisted of two different frequencies replicated in two periods. Cows were fed 9 times per day (9×) and 6 times per day (6×). Lying behavior of 24 dairy cows was electronically monitored. Feeding frequency had no effect on the daily lying time and lying bouts. High feeding frequency may disturb the duration of lying bouts and alter the pattern of lying behavior throughout the day, affecting mainly the lying time before and after the provision of fresh feed. The results obtained may indicate that a very high feeding frequency disturbs the cows during their resting periods and thus influences the animal comfort.

ACS Style

G. Mattachini; A. Finzi; E. Riva; G. Provolo. Effects of Feeding Frequency on the Behavior Patterns of Dairy Cows in an Automatic Feeding System. Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering 2020, 305 -311.

AMA Style

G. Mattachini, A. Finzi, E. Riva, G. Provolo. Effects of Feeding Frequency on the Behavior Patterns of Dairy Cows in an Automatic Feeding System. Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering. 2020; ():305-311.

Chicago/Turabian Style

G. Mattachini; A. Finzi; E. Riva; G. Provolo. 2020. "Effects of Feeding Frequency on the Behavior Patterns of Dairy Cows in an Automatic Feeding System." Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering , no. : 305-311.

Journal article
Published: 26 October 2019 in Animals
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Currently, lying behavior can be assessed using continuous observations from sensors (e.g.: accelerometers). The analysis of digital data deriving from accelerometers is an effective tool for studying livestock behaviors. Despite the large interest in the lying behavior of dairy cows, no reference was found in literature regarding the prediction of lying behavior as a function of the interaction of environmental parameters. The present study aimed to evaluate the influence of climatic conditions (temperature-humidity index, solar radiation, air velocity and rainfalls) on the lying behavior of a group of primiparous dairy cows, using data from accelerometers, and develop a prediction model to identify and predict the lying behavior of dairy cows as a function of the effects of environmental conditions. Results from the. GLM Procedure (SAS) showed that the model was highly significant (p < 0.001) and the r2 was 0.84. All of the effects in the model resulted in being highly significant (p < 0.001). This model, if validated properly, could be a valid early warning system to identify any deviation from the expected behavior, and to assess the effectiveness of thermal stress mitigation strategies.

ACS Style

Emanuela Tullo; Gabriele Mattachini; Elisabetta Riva; Alberto Finzi; Giorgio Provolo; Marcella Guarino. Effects of Climatic Conditions on the Lying Behavior of a Group of Primiparous Dairy Cows. Animals 2019, 9, 869 .

AMA Style

Emanuela Tullo, Gabriele Mattachini, Elisabetta Riva, Alberto Finzi, Giorgio Provolo, Marcella Guarino. Effects of Climatic Conditions on the Lying Behavior of a Group of Primiparous Dairy Cows. Animals. 2019; 9 (11):869.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Emanuela Tullo; Gabriele Mattachini; Elisabetta Riva; Alberto Finzi; Giorgio Provolo; Marcella Guarino. 2019. "Effects of Climatic Conditions on the Lying Behavior of a Group of Primiparous Dairy Cows." Animals 9, no. 11: 869.

Journal article
Published: 28 March 2019 in Animals
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Management systems in modern dairy farms is an important issue in relation to animal comfort and welfare. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of feed delivery frequency on the behavior patterns, visits to an automatic milking system (AMS) and on milk production of lactating dairy cows. The study was conducted on a commercial dairy farm with automatic feeding and milking systems. Feeding treatments consisted of two different frequencies, high feed delivery frequency (11 deliveries per day) and low feed delivery frequency (six deliveries per day). Lying behavior of 20 dairy cows was electronically monitored. The results obtained showed that 11 deliveries per day feed delivery frequency decreases the number of long-duration lying bouts, which may indicate that a very high feeding frequency disturbs the cows during their resting periods and thus influences both animal comfort and milk production. High feeding frequency may disturb the duration of lying bouts and alter the pattern of lying behavior throughout the day, affecting mainly the lying time during the 60 min before and following the provision of fresh feed. Delivering feed at a low frequency allow cows to distribute more evenly their lying time over the course of the day and improve their utilization of an AMS.

ACS Style

Gabriele Mattachini; Johanna Pompe; Alberto Finzi; Emanuela Tullo; Elisabetta Riva; Giorgio Provolo. Effects of Feeding Frequency on the Lying Behavior of Dairy Cows in a Loose Housing with Automatic Feeding and Milking System. Animals 2019, 9, 121 .

AMA Style

Gabriele Mattachini, Johanna Pompe, Alberto Finzi, Emanuela Tullo, Elisabetta Riva, Giorgio Provolo. Effects of Feeding Frequency on the Lying Behavior of Dairy Cows in a Loose Housing with Automatic Feeding and Milking System. Animals. 2019; 9 (4):121.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Gabriele Mattachini; Johanna Pompe; Alberto Finzi; Emanuela Tullo; Elisabetta Riva; Giorgio Provolo. 2019. "Effects of Feeding Frequency on the Lying Behavior of Dairy Cows in a Loose Housing with Automatic Feeding and Milking System." Animals 9, no. 4: 121.

Journal article
Published: 12 October 2018 in Sustainability
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Collective manure processing facilities to reduce nutrient loads and produce renewable energy are often proposed as feasible solutions in intensive livestock production areas. However, the transferring of effluents from farms to the treatment plant and back to farms, as well as the treatment operations themselves, must be carefully evaluated to assure the environmental sustainability of the solution. This study evaluated the global warming potential (GWP) and acidification potential (AP) of a collective treatment plant for bioenergy production and nitrogen removal as an alternative strategy to conventional on-farm manure management systems. Two manure management scenarios were compared: manure management on individual farms and management by a collective treatment plant. Data were collected at a collective processing plant and at the individual farms of the consortium to estimate emissions of CO2, CH4, N2O, NOx, NH3 and SO2. The plant receives manure from 21 livestock production units, treating 660 tonnes day−1 of manure. The GWP and AP indicators were calculated to evaluate the potential impact of the two management solutions. The collective solution reduced both GWP (−52%) and AP (−43%) compared to manure management separately by each farm. Further improvement might be obtained in both indicators by introducing mitigation techniques in farm manure storage and manure application to soil.

ACS Style

Giorgio Provolo; Gabriele Mattachini; Alberto Finzi; Martina Cattaneo; Viviana Guido; Elisabetta Riva. Global Warming and Acidification Potential Assessment of a Collective Manure Management System for Bioenergy Production and Nitrogen Removal in Northern Italy. Sustainability 2018, 10, 3653 .

AMA Style

Giorgio Provolo, Gabriele Mattachini, Alberto Finzi, Martina Cattaneo, Viviana Guido, Elisabetta Riva. Global Warming and Acidification Potential Assessment of a Collective Manure Management System for Bioenergy Production and Nitrogen Removal in Northern Italy. Sustainability. 2018; 10 (10):3653.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Giorgio Provolo; Gabriele Mattachini; Alberto Finzi; Martina Cattaneo; Viviana Guido; Elisabetta Riva. 2018. "Global Warming and Acidification Potential Assessment of a Collective Manure Management System for Bioenergy Production and Nitrogen Removal in Northern Italy." Sustainability 10, no. 10: 3653.

Journal article
Published: 01 November 2017 in Waste Management
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This study assessed a novel technique for removing nitrogen from digested organic waste based on a slow release of ammonia that was promoted by continuous mixing of the digestate and delivering a continuous air stream across the surface of the liquid. Three 10-day experiments were conducted using two 50-L reactors. In the first two, nitrogen removal efficiencies were evaluated from identical digestates maintained at different temperatures (30°C and 40°C). At the start of the first experiment, the digestates were adjusted to pH 9 using sodium hydroxide, while in the second experiment pH was not adjusted. The highest ammonia removal efficiency (87%) was obtained at 40°C with pH adjustment. However at 40°C without pH adjustment, removal efficiencies of 69% for ammonia and 47% for total nitrogen were obtained. In the third experiment two different digestates were tested at 50°C without pH adjustment. Although the initial chemical characteristics of the digestates were different in this experiment, the ammonia removal efficiencies were very similar (approximately 85%). Despite ammonia removal, the pH increased in all experiments, most likely due to carbon dioxide stripping that was promoted by temperature and mixing. The technique proved to be suitable for removing nitrogen following anaerobic digestion of livestock manure because effective removal was obtained at natural pH (≈8) and 40°C, common operating conditions at typical biogas plants that process manure. Furthermore, the electrical energy requirement to operate the process is limited (estimated to be 3.8kWhm(-3)digestate). Further improvements may increase the efficiency and reduce the processing time of this treatment technique. Even without these advances slow-rate air stripping of ammonia is a viable option for reducing the environmental impact associated with animal manure management.

ACS Style

Giorgio Provolo; Francesca Perazzolo; Gabriele Mattachini; Alberto Finzi; Ezio Naldi; Elisabetta Riva. Nitrogen removal from digested slurries using a simplified ammonia stripping technique. Waste Management 2017, 69, 154 -161.

AMA Style

Giorgio Provolo, Francesca Perazzolo, Gabriele Mattachini, Alberto Finzi, Ezio Naldi, Elisabetta Riva. Nitrogen removal from digested slurries using a simplified ammonia stripping technique. Waste Management. 2017; 69 ():154-161.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Giorgio Provolo; Francesca Perazzolo; Gabriele Mattachini; Alberto Finzi; Ezio Naldi; Elisabetta Riva. 2017. "Nitrogen removal from digested slurries using a simplified ammonia stripping technique." Waste Management 69, no. : 154-161.

Journal article
Published: 23 August 2017 in Journal of Dairy Research
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This study aimed to examine the influence of feed delivery frequency and environmental conditions on daily time budget of lactating dairy cows. The study was carried out in two commercial dairy farms with Holstein herds. Fifty lactating dairy cows milked in automatic milking units (AMS farm) and 96 primiparous lactating dairy cows milked in a conventional milking parlour (conventional farm) were exposed to different frequencies of feed delivery replicated in different periods of the year (warm and mild) that were characterized by different temperature-humidity indices (THI). On each farm, feeding treatments consisted of two different feed delivery frequencies (1× and 2× on the AMS farm; 2× and 3× on the conventional farm). All behaviours of the cows were monitored for the last 8 d of each treatment period using continuous video recording. The two data sets from different farm systems were considered separately for analysis. On both farms, environmental conditions expressed as THI affected time budgets and the pattern of the behavioural indices throughout the day. The variation in the frequency of feed delivery seems to affect the cow's time budget only in a limited way. Standing time of cows on the conventional farm and the time spent by cows in the milking waiting area on the AMS farm both increased in response to increased feeding frequency. Although feed delivery frequency showed limited influence on cow's time budget, the effect on standing time could be carefully considered, especially on farms equipped with AMS where the type of cow traffic system (e.g., milking first) might amplify the negative consequences of more frequent feed delivery. Further investigations are required to evaluate the effect of THI and feed delivery frequency on other aspects of behavioural activity.

ACS Style

Gabriele Mattachini; Luciana Bava; Anna Sandrucci; Alberto Tamburini; Elisabetta Riva; Giorgio Provolo. Effects of feed delivery frequency in different environmental conditions on time budget of lactating dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Research 2017, 84, 272 -279.

AMA Style

Gabriele Mattachini, Luciana Bava, Anna Sandrucci, Alberto Tamburini, Elisabetta Riva, Giorgio Provolo. Effects of feed delivery frequency in different environmental conditions on time budget of lactating dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Research. 2017; 84 (3):272-279.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Gabriele Mattachini; Luciana Bava; Anna Sandrucci; Alberto Tamburini; Elisabetta Riva; Giorgio Provolo. 2017. "Effects of feed delivery frequency in different environmental conditions on time budget of lactating dairy cows." Journal of Dairy Research 84, no. 3: 272-279.

Journal article
Published: 01 July 2016 in Journal of Environmental Quality
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Additives applied to animal manure slurries can affect the chemical composition and the biological processes of slurries during storage, with possible improvement of their management and reduction of environmental problems. Some new formulations are marketed claiming a nitrogen (N) removal effect due to denitrification, with the consequence of a reduced N content in the manure after storage. This study evaluated the effects of one of these commercial additives (BACTYcomplex) on slurry characteristics and N losses at a commercial piggery. The additive was applied to four different sectors of the piggery, each with an independent under-floor slurry pit; four other sectors served as controls without treatment. Pits were emptied every 4 wk, and the manure was analyzed for total and ammonia-N and total and volatile solids. Slurry samples from the last month of the on-farm assessment were removed and stored thermostatically in vessels external to the piggery. A subsample of slurry that was treated with the additive at the piggery was treated with an additional dose of additive at the beginning of long-term storage. The additive did not change the composition of the slurry during in-house storage (4 wk duration). During the 155 d of external thermostatic storage, the total solids content of treated slurry was reduced by 18% compared with control slurry, but the N content and composition of treated slurry was unaffected. The additive had a positive effect in accelerating the stabilization of the slurry but did not modify N losses. Copyright © 2016. . Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

ACS Style

Giorgio Provolo; Alberto Finzi; Francesca Perazzolo; Gabriele Mattachini; Elisabetta Riva. Effect of a Biological Additive on Nitrogen Losses from Pig Slurry during Storage. Journal of Environmental Quality 2016, 45, 1460 -1465.

AMA Style

Giorgio Provolo, Alberto Finzi, Francesca Perazzolo, Gabriele Mattachini, Elisabetta Riva. Effect of a Biological Additive on Nitrogen Losses from Pig Slurry during Storage. Journal of Environmental Quality. 2016; 45 (4):1460-1465.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Giorgio Provolo; Alberto Finzi; Francesca Perazzolo; Gabriele Mattachini; Elisabetta Riva. 2016. "Effect of a Biological Additive on Nitrogen Losses from Pig Slurry during Storage." Journal of Environmental Quality 45, no. 4: 1460-1465.

Journal article
Published: 10 June 2016 in Journal of Agricultural Engineering
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Among environmental issues related to intensive livestock activity, emissions to air from manure management are of increasing concern. Thus the knowledge of the effect of treatment application on subsequent emissions from manure is required to assess the environment impact of management solutions. This work addresses the effect of anaerobic digestion and phase separation on emissions during storage by studying nitrogen losses from lab-scale stores and field pilot-scale stores of a co-digestate cattle slurry and its respective separated fractions. Lab-scale experiment was carried in temperature-controlled room where each fraction (untreated, separated liquid and separated solid) was stored in duplicate for a period of 32 days in 30 L vessel. Pilot-scale experiment was carried out both during the cold season and during warm season for 90 days of storage. In both experimentations samples of the manure were analysed periodically for total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), total ammonia nitrogen, dry matter and volatile solids and pH. These analyses allow estimating nitrogen losses in different storage conditions. Effects of mechanical separation and season were assessed by ANOVA (Wilcoxon test, P<0.05). In temperature controlled conditions nitrogen losses measured account for 13% and 26% of TKN for unseparated and separated slurries respectively. In field conditions during cold season nutrient losses were limited. On average unseparated and separated slurries lost respectively 6.8% and 12.6% of their initial TKN content. Much higher were the TKN losses from the slurries examined in warm season where losses raised up to 40% of the initial TKN content. Generally mechanical separation increases nutrient losses, but the differences were not significant in field conditions. The results highlighted that nutrient losses, in particular the nitrogen ones, can be considerable especially during summer storage. The latter, in case of separated slurries, are mainly related to the liquid fraction, which is responsible for up 92% of the losses. When phase separation after anaerobic digestion is used, mitigation options, as covers or slurry acidification, are advisable in order to limit the negative environmental impact.

ACS Style

Francesca Perazzolo; Gabriele Mattachini; Fulvia Tambone; Aldo Calcante; Giorgio Provolo. Nutrient losses from cattle co-digestate slurry during storage. Journal of Agricultural Engineering 2016, 47, 94 .

AMA Style

Francesca Perazzolo, Gabriele Mattachini, Fulvia Tambone, Aldo Calcante, Giorgio Provolo. Nutrient losses from cattle co-digestate slurry during storage. Journal of Agricultural Engineering. 2016; 47 (2):94.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Francesca Perazzolo; Gabriele Mattachini; Fulvia Tambone; Aldo Calcante; Giorgio Provolo. 2016. "Nutrient losses from cattle co-digestate slurry during storage." Journal of Agricultural Engineering 47, no. 2: 94.

Journal article
Published: 08 March 2016 in Journal of Agricultural Engineering
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Monitoring cow behaviour has become increasingly important in understanding the nutrition, production, management of the well being, and overall health of dairy cows. Methods of assessing behavioural activity have changed in recent years, favouring automatic recording techniques. Traditional methods to measure behaviour, such as direct observation or time-lapse video, are labour-intensive and time-consuming. Automated recording devices have become increasingly common to measure behaviour accurately. Thus, the development of automated monitoring systems that can continuously and accurately quantify feeding behaviour are required for efficient monitoring and control of modern and automated dairy farms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible use of a 3D accelerometer to record feeding behaviour of dairy cows. Feeding behaviour (feeding time and number of visits to the manger) of 12 lactating dairy cows was recorded for approximately 3 h with 3D-accelerometer data loggers (HOBO Pendant G logger). The sensors were positioned in the high part of the neck to monitor head movements. Behaviour was simultaneously recorded using visual observation as a reference. Linear regression analysis between the measurement methods showed that the recorded feeding time (R2=0.90, n=12, P<0.001) was closely related to visual observations. In contrast, the number of visits was inadequately recorded by the 3D-accelerometer, showing a poor relationship with visual observations (R2=0.31, n=12, P<0.06). Results suggest that the use of accelerometer sensors can be a reliable and suitable technology for monitoring feeding behaviour of individual dairy cows in free stall housing. However, further research is necessary to develop an appropriate device able to detect and recognise the movements connected with the head movement during feeding. Such a device could be part of an automatic livestock management tool for the efficient monitoring and control of comfort and welfare of dairy cows under the intensive conditions of modern automated dairy farms.

ACS Style

Gabriele Mattachini; Elisabetta Riva; Francesca Perazzolo; Ezio Naldi; Giorgio Provolo. Monitoring feeding behaviour of dairy cows using accelerometers. Journal of Agricultural Engineering 2016, 47, 54 -58.

AMA Style

Gabriele Mattachini, Elisabetta Riva, Francesca Perazzolo, Ezio Naldi, Giorgio Provolo. Monitoring feeding behaviour of dairy cows using accelerometers. Journal of Agricultural Engineering. 2016; 47 (1):54-58.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Gabriele Mattachini; Elisabetta Riva; Francesca Perazzolo; Ezio Naldi; Giorgio Provolo. 2016. "Monitoring feeding behaviour of dairy cows using accelerometers." Journal of Agricultural Engineering 47, no. 1: 54-58.

Journal article
Published: 01 September 2015 in Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment
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ACS Style

Francesca Perazzolo; Gabriele Mattachini; Fulvia Tambone; Tom Misselbrook; Giorgio Provolo. Effect of mechanical separation on emissions during storage of two anaerobically codigested animal slurries. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 2015, 207, 1 -9.

AMA Style

Francesca Perazzolo, Gabriele Mattachini, Fulvia Tambone, Tom Misselbrook, Giorgio Provolo. Effect of mechanical separation on emissions during storage of two anaerobically codigested animal slurries. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. 2015; 207 ():1-9.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Francesca Perazzolo; Gabriele Mattachini; Fulvia Tambone; Tom Misselbrook; Giorgio Provolo. 2015. "Effect of mechanical separation on emissions during storage of two anaerobically codigested animal slurries." Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 207, no. : 1-9.

Journal article
Published: 01 October 2013 in Journal of Animal Science
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The objectives of this study were to 1) evaluate the validity of automated monitoring systems as assessment method for the behavioral activity of dairy cows compared with video recording, and 2) determine the sampling intervals required to obtain reliable estimates of the daily behavior. To determine lying, standing, and walking, 12 cows were equipped with automatic recording devices (IceTag = 12 cows, HOBO Pendant G = 5 cows), and their behavior was simultaneously recorded using a video recording system. The correspondence between the IceTag, HOBO logger, and video recording data was analyzed using 2 × 2 contingency tables, and we determined the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value (positive and negative). Both types of loggers demonstrated high sensitivity (Sen ≥ 0.961) and specificity (Sp ≥ 0.951) for lying and standing behaviors with predictive values near 1.00. The HOBO logger can accurately describe the laterality of lying behavior, whereas the IceTag device inadequately recorded walking, with probability predictive values ≤ 0.303. Daily behaviors of the dairy cows were compared for 10 different sampling intervals (1 s, and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, 30, and 60 min) collected by the IceTag, using linear regression. A strong relationship (R(2) ≥ 0.978) was found between the total lying times from data on a per-second basis and estimates obtained by 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, and 15 min sampling intervals. The sampling intervals of 1 and 2 min were comparable for all aspects of lying behavior (R(2) ≥ 0.813; P > 0.05 for slope = 1, intercept = 0). Long sampling intervals (30 and 60 min) showed positive relationship for estimating time spent lying and standing (R(2) ≥ 0.774), but were inappropriate for predicting these behaviors, because they lacked accuracy and precision. Both the IceTag and HOBO logger accurately measured all aspects of lying and standing behavior. Reliable estimates of lying and standing time can be generated using relatively short interval lengths (e.g., 3, 4, 5, 10, or 15 min). Shorter sampling intervals (≤ 2 min) are required to accurately measure aspects of lying behavior such as number of lying bouts per day. The automated monitoring systems are time- and labor-saving tools that can be used by research or on farm to assess cow comfort related to lying behavior.

ACS Style

G. Mattachini; Elisabetta Riva; Carlo Bisaglia; J. C. A. M. Pompe; G. Provolo. Methodology for quantifying the behavioral activity of dairy cows in freestall barns1. Journal of Animal Science 2013, 91, 4899 -4907.

AMA Style

G. Mattachini, Elisabetta Riva, Carlo Bisaglia, J. C. A. M. Pompe, G. Provolo. Methodology for quantifying the behavioral activity of dairy cows in freestall barns1. Journal of Animal Science. 2013; 91 (10):4899-4907.

Chicago/Turabian Style

G. Mattachini; Elisabetta Riva; Carlo Bisaglia; J. C. A. M. Pompe; G. Provolo. 2013. "Methodology for quantifying the behavioral activity of dairy cows in freestall barns1." Journal of Animal Science 91, no. 10: 4899-4907.

Journal article
Published: 08 September 2013 in Journal of Agricultural Engineering
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Research on feeding management in more competitive free-stall settings indicates that frequency of delivery of fresh feed stimulates feed bunk attendance and can affect other aspects of cows’ time budgets apart from feeding such as time spent standing vs. lying down. The objective of this study was to examine how the frequency of feed delivery affects the behavior in two farms, one with a conventional and one with automatic milking system (AMS). The feeding frequency was varied from two to three times per day in the conventional dairy farm; one to two times per day in the AMS farm. The experiment was carried out in two different seasons. All behaviours of the cows were monitored in continuous by video recording. As expected, behavioral indices have been significantly affected by environmental conditions both in conventional farm and AMS farm. The variation in the frequency of feed delivery seems to affect the cow behavioural activity only in a limited way and modify only slightly the daily averages of the time spent in different activities mainly increasing the time cows spend standing (+4- 5%).

ACS Style

Elisabetta Riva; Gabriele Mattachini; Luciana Bava; Anna Sandrucci; Alberto Tamburini; Giorgio Provolo. Influence of feed delivery frequency on behavioural activity of dairy cows in freestall barns. Journal of Agricultural Engineering 2013, 44, 1 .

AMA Style

Elisabetta Riva, Gabriele Mattachini, Luciana Bava, Anna Sandrucci, Alberto Tamburini, Giorgio Provolo. Influence of feed delivery frequency on behavioural activity of dairy cows in freestall barns. Journal of Agricultural Engineering. 2013; 44 (2):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Elisabetta Riva; Gabriele Mattachini; Luciana Bava; Anna Sandrucci; Alberto Tamburini; Giorgio Provolo. 2013. "Influence of feed delivery frequency on behavioural activity of dairy cows in freestall barns." Journal of Agricultural Engineering 44, no. 2: 1.

Journal article
Published: 06 September 2013 in Journal of Agricultural Engineering
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Research on feeding management in more competitive free-stall settings indicates that frequency of delivery of fresh feed stimulates feed bunk attendance and can affect other aspects of cows’ time budgets apart from feeding such as time spent standing vs. lying down. The objective of this study was to examine how the frequency of feed delivery affects the behavior in two farms, one with a conventional and one with automatic milking system (AMS). The feeding frequency was varied from two to three times per day in the conventional dairy farm; one to two times per day in the AMS farm. The experiment was carried out in two different seasons. All behaviours of the cows were monitored in continuous by video recording. As expected, behavioral indices have been significantly affected by environmental conditions both in conventional farm and AMS farm. The variation in the frequency of feed delivery seems to affect the cow behavioural activity only in a limited way and modify only slightly the daily averages of the time spent in different activities mainly increasing the time cows spend standing (+4- 5%).

ACS Style

Elisabetta Riva; Gabriele Mattachini; Luciana Bava; Anna Sandrucci; Alberto Tamburini; Giorgio Provolo. Influence of feed delivery frequency on behavioural activity of dairy cows in freestall barns. Journal of Agricultural Engineering 2013, 44, 1 .

AMA Style

Elisabetta Riva, Gabriele Mattachini, Luciana Bava, Anna Sandrucci, Alberto Tamburini, Giorgio Provolo. Influence of feed delivery frequency on behavioural activity of dairy cows in freestall barns. Journal of Agricultural Engineering. 2013; 44 (2):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Elisabetta Riva; Gabriele Mattachini; Luciana Bava; Anna Sandrucci; Alberto Tamburini; Giorgio Provolo. 2013. "Influence of feed delivery frequency on behavioural activity of dairy cows in freestall barns." Journal of Agricultural Engineering 44, no. 2: 1.

Journal article
Published: 15 January 2011 in Applied Animal Behaviour Science
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Behavioural activity is used as an indication of animal comfort, and lying and standing behaviours are often used as a sign of well-being in cattle and to evaluate the quality of stalls. The aim of this study was to compare the values of different behavioural indices at different scan-sampling frequencies and to evaluate the different methods of data aggregation that are used to obtain daily behavioural indices. The lying, standing, feeding and drinking behaviours of 69 cows in a free-stall barn were recorded over 7 days using continuous video recording. The temperature humidity index (THI) was recorded at 15-min intervals during the entire experimental period. Behavioural indices were calculated based on scan sampling intervals of 10, 20, 30, 60 and 120-min, as well as for different time periods during the day. The results highlighted how lying, standing and feeding behaviours can be properly interpreted by analysing images taken on an hourly basis (highly correlated with 10, 20 and 30-min scan samples; r > 0.85, P < 0.01) and restricting the period of analysis between the two daily milkings (07:00–14:00) and the evening hours (19:00–22:00) after the second milking (highly correlated with daily behaviour; r > 0.898, P < 0.01). Night hours might not be considered in the calculation of daily behaviour because they did not improve the quality of the indices obtained. The analysis of the indices has also revealed how the activity of cows 1–2 h after milking is highly affected by farm management. The results obtained indicate that video or automatic recording systems provide adequate data that can be used to effectively analyse cow activity. Keywords Dairy cow Lying Standing Scan-sampling interval Daily behaviour 1 Introduction Behaviour is one of the most commonly used and sensitive indicators of animal welfare ( Haley et al., 2001 ). Behavioural activity is used as an indication of animal comfort ( Cook et al., 2005 ). In particular, the time spent lying down, the frequency of lying bouts (i.e., a transition from standing to lying) and the duration of individual bouts have been identified as sensitive measures of stall comfort ( Haley et al., 2000 ) and are a useful indicator of animal welfare ( Fregonesi and Leaver, 2001 ). Recent studies of lying time in cows housed in freestalls have reported average lying times ranging from 11.37 to 13.70 h/24 h ( Cook et al., 2005; Drissler et al., 2005 ). Lying is considered to be higher priority than eating and social contact when opportunities to perform these behaviours are restricted ( Munksgaard et al., 2005 ). Lying behaviour in free-stall barns is affected by design and management factors, including the stall surface and bedding quality ( Drissler et al., 2005; Fregonesi et al., 2007b; Tucker et al., 2003 ), stall size and configuration ( Tucker et al., 2004, 2006 ), stocking density ( Fregonesi et al., 2007a ), stall location and pen layout ( Wagner-Storch et al., 2003 ), pen flooring ( Fregonesi et al., 2004 ), and milking and feeding management ( DeVries and von Keyserlingk, 2005; Overton et al., 2002 ). The time that a dairy cow spends lying down changes with simple changes in stall management; for example, the time spent lying increased from 8.8 to 13.8 h/d when wet bedding was switched to dry bedding ( Fregonesi et al., 2007b ), but it decreased by 1.7 h when the stocking rate (the number of cows per stall) was increased by 50% ( Fregonesi et al., 2007a ). Heat stress, particularly THI (temperature humidity index), and lameness were also found to influence lying and standing time ( Cook et al., 2007 ). In addition to these environmental and management factors, a dairy cow's lying time is influenced by her social ranking ( Galindo and Broom, 2000 ), her milk production and her overall health status ( Fregonesi and Leaver, 2001; Walker et al., 2008 ). Methods used for assessing behavioural activity, with the meaning of the time spent in various activities such as lying, eating, or standing ( Overton et al., 2002 ) have changed in recent years, favouring techniques that automate the sampling effort. Human-based behavioural activity recording methods such as direct observation and the analysis of video recordings have drawbacks: both human- and video-based recording methods are often time consuming and labour-intensive ( Müller and Schrader, 2003 ). The automatic recording of behavioural activity (lying, standing and walking) can be achieved using a variety of sensor systems, for example, mercury tilt switches ( O’Driscoll et al., 2008 ), three-dimensional accelerometers ( Ito et al., 2009; Müller and Schrader, 2003; Martiskainen et al., 2009; Robert et al., 2009 ), embedded sensor technology ( Darr and Epperson, 2009 ) and automatic local position systems ( Gygax et al., 2007 ). Each behavioural sampling technique must be carefully selected based on the objectives of the particular study. As an alternative, some studies have used 10-min, 15-min, or even 1-h instantaneous scan sampling, recording a proportion of the group of animals that were lying down at the time of each scan (e.g. Brown-Brandl et al., 2006; DeVries and von Keyserlingk, 2005; Overton et al., 2002 ). In feedlot cattle, Mitlohner et al. (2001) showed that a scan sampling technique with long intervals (e.g., 30 or 60-min) was generally neither accurate nor precise for measuring behavioural activities with short durations (i.e., drinking and walking); the method was, however, suitable for measuring lying behaviour. Focal animal sampling (i.e., the selection of 1 animal out of 10) was found to be an acceptable technique only for behavioural activities that are long in duration. The scan-sampling interval is often chosen by the investigators for practical reasons, and thus depends on the structure of the animal's environment, the number of animals to be sampled or the need to conduct additional observations in parallel. However, the...

ACS Style

Gabriele Mattachini; Elisabetta Riva; Giorgio Provolo. The lying and standing activity indices of dairy cows in free-stall housing. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 2011, 129, 18 -27.

AMA Style

Gabriele Mattachini, Elisabetta Riva, Giorgio Provolo. The lying and standing activity indices of dairy cows in free-stall housing. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 2011; 129 (1):18-27.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Gabriele Mattachini; Elisabetta Riva; Giorgio Provolo. 2011. "The lying and standing activity indices of dairy cows in free-stall housing." Applied Animal Behaviour Science 129, no. 1: 18-27.