International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056 Volume: 06 Issue: 07 | July 2019 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072 © 2019, IRJET | Impact Factor value: 7.211 | ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal | Page 2415 The Sensor Technologies for More Efficient Cow Reproduction Systems Serap Göncü 1 , Nazan Koluman 1 1 Professor, Dept. of Animal Science, Çukurova University, Adana, Turkey ---------------------------------------------------------------------***---------------------------------------------------------------------- Abstract –In cattle breeding, efficient estrus detection is the main criteria for high pregnancy rate in order to obtain one calf in a year. Good reproduction management is a key factor for successful dairy farming. Inadequate and inaccurate estrus detection is frequently a cause of cows becoming repeat breeders. Sensor technologies are being used to monitor the production and physiological condition of the animals. Increasingly, these innovations are leading to a more efficient performance of dairy cows, in terms of both physiology and profitability. A number of both inexpensive to expensive aids and technologies are available to meet some but not all of these criteria. Although costs associated with computerized estrous detection are higher than other methods, the benefits may pay off with increased estrous detection accuracy. Several options are available to aid heat detection and increase heat detection rates. With the use of intelligent technological aids in oestrus detection, the grower has the opportunity to make more profitable production with less labor use, high fertility success and increased milk yield. Oestrus is the event when cows signal that they are receptive to be mated and unique behaviors associated with heat may last from six to thirty hours. Many type sensors are used to detect changes in cow behavior, changes in body fluids, and physiology during oestrus. Although there are many types of sensors, this study will focus only on sensors used in cow heat detection and their working principles. Therefore, the development of novel sensors with higher sensitivities is the goal of many recent research efforts. This paper will give an overview of the commercial sensor-based devices that are currently available in market. A survey was carried out with cattle farmers by using face-to-face interviewing method. New technology and scientific discoveries regarding cattle farming provide the basis for accelerated progress in performances for farmers which adopt these technologies in practice. The use of computers for farm management in dairy sector has started in as early in 1990’s in Turkey. Hence, personnel computer was developed and the price have dramatically declined, more and more farmers began to use computers by themselves. Usually the use of technology is generally preferred, as it facilitates operational preference in large scale farms. Key Words: Sensors, cow, oestrus, reproduction 1. INTRODUCTION Sensing of cow functional state of fertility is latest critical research area for efficient cow reproduction. Dairy farm cow milk yield is increasing while fertilization rate is getting decrease. Cow estrus detection has many difficulties because of many reasons. Oestrus detection generally depends on behavioral changes of cows such as standing, mounting, walking, restlessness, chin pressing [1]. Traditionally, oestrus detection is performed by visual observation of the dairy herd but this procedure particularly difficult on large dairy farms because of short observation periods during feeding and milking [2]Technological aids to improve heat detection include the use of pressure activated heat mount detectors, radio telemetric devices, pressure sensitive mount count devices, sensors and pedometers [3]. As a result of technical progress in monitoring cows using computers, automatic oestrus detection has become possible [4]. To aid farmers in detecting estrus and determining the optimal insemination time, many estrus detection tools have been developed. Performance of estrus detection tools varies between research results but is overall better than visual observation of estrus. The electronic systems are an electronic device that detects cows that stand to be mounted by a herd mate and provides a continuous monitoring of activity [5], radiotelemetry is a computerized estrus detection devices. Also patches give another possibilities using mounting activity of cows. If a cow mounts another cow then the transmitter is depressed and a signal sent to a receiver. During this time, date, time and duration of the mount stored and send to the main computer. On computer all these data evaluated and prepared for final decision. Results of oestrus detection varied depending on the many factor such as threshold value, cow number, barn style, and the statistical method for data analysis. The detection error rates between 17 and 55% and indicate a large number of false warnings [2]. Estrus detection errors can result huge economic loses for dairy farms. The economic loses vary $2– $6/day for dairy farms. But missing a cycle cost $42 to $126 for a cow. Using detection aids provide advantages because of the prevention of these losses [5]. Cows with high milk production (≥40 kg/day) have shorter oestrus duration (6.2±0.5h versus 10.9±0.7h); less total mounts per cow (6.3±0.4 versus 8.8±0.6) and shorter duration of total time standing to be mounted (21.7±1.9h versus 28.2±1.9h) than lower producing cows measured at the same conditions [6], Average calving interval in cattle farm is the best criteria for comparisons for reproductive performances of the farms which vary between 13 and 18 months [7; 8]. Heat detection efficiency vary between 30 and 50% in most dairy herds [9; 10].Research results showed that the 5–30% of the cows were not in or near oestrus when inseminated [1,5,7], (Galiç et al. [11] reported that the effect of herd size on milk yield, calving age, lactation number, and calving interval is significant (P < 0.01) and small farms are generally more successful in terms of these factors than large farms. Mean duration of oestrus was calculated by Schofield et al. [12] as 13.5 h with a standard deviation of 2.3 h. [13]. Roelofs et al. [14] found out that 90% of cows in estrus showed mounting behavior, whereas only 58% of cows in estrus showed standing-to-be-mounted behavior.