A SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATED DETECTION OF OVULATION IN DAIRY COWS

WE PROPOSE TO ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY OF AN AUTOMATED MEANS OF DETERMINING WHEN TO INSEMINATE DAIRY CATTLE IN ORDER TO IMPROVE REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE. POOR REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE IS THE MOST COSTLY MANAGEMENT PROBLEM DAIRY PRODUCERS FACE, AND FAILURE TO DETERMINE THE PROPER TIME TO ARTIFICIALLY INSEMINATE DAIRY CATTLE IS THE MAJOR CAUSE OF POOR REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE. IN THE PROPOSED EFFORT WEWILL CONDUCT A STUDY IN WHICH A NUMBER OF PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS ARE MONITORED FROM DAIRY COWS. PARAMETERS EASILYMEASURED VIA RADIO TELEMETRY WILL BE CORRELATED WITH BLOOD HORMONE LEVELS TO DETERMINE ACTUAL TIMES OF OVULATION. TELEMETRY DATA WILL BE EXAMINED USING VARIOUS ALGORITHMS TO DETERMINE WHICH PARAMETERS PROVIDE THE MOST USEFUL INFORMATION TO ASSESS THE BEST TIME TO INSEMINATE, AND AUTOMATED DETECTION ALGORITHMS WILL BE STUDIED. ENGINEERINGSPECIFICATIONS AND AN ARCHITECTURE FOR A COMMERCIALIZABLE SYSTEM WILL BE DEVELOPED. SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE PROPOSED PHASE I WORK WILL PROVIDE A PROVIDE THE BASIS FOR A PHASE II EFFORT WHICH WILL RESULT INTHE DEVELOPMENT OF AN AUTOMATED SYSTEM FOR DETECTION OF OVULATION IN DAIRY COWS. SUCH A DEVICE HAS THE POTENTIAL TOSIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE THE PRODUCTIVITY OF DAIRY HERDS BOTH IN THE U.S. AND ABROAD.