triact package for R: analyzing the lying behavior of cows from accelerometer data

Michael Simmler; Stijn P Brouwers

doi:10.7717/peerj.17036

triact package for R: analyzing the lying behavior of cows from accelerometer data

PeerJ. 2024 Feb 28:12:e17036. doi: 10.7717/peerj.17036. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Michael Simmler¹, Stijn P Brouwers²

Affiliations

¹ Digital Production, Agroscope, Ettenhausen, Switzerland.
² Centre for Proper Housing of Ruminants and Pigs, Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO), Agroscope, Ettenhausen, Switzerland.

Abstract

Accelerometers are sensors proven to be useful to analyze the lying behavior of cows. For reasons of algorithm transparency and control, researchers often prefer to use their own data analysis scripts rather than proprietary software. We developed the triact R package that assists animal scientists in analyzing the lying behavior of cows from raw data recorded with a triaxial accelerometer (manufacturer agnostic) attached to a hind leg. In a user-friendly workflow, triact allows the determination of common measures for lying behavior including total lying duration, the number of lying bouts, and the mean duration of lying bouts. Further capabilities are the description of lying laterality and the calculation of proxies for the level of physical activity of the cow. In this publication we describe the functionality of triact and the rationales behind the implemented algorithms. The triact R package is developed as an open-source project and freely available via the CRAN repository.

Keywords: Activity; Animal welfare; Cattle; Sensor.

MeSH terms

Accelerometry
Algorithms*
Animals
Cattle
Data Analysis*
Female
Functional Laterality
Records

Grants and funding

This publication benefitted from financial support provided by the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office on behalf of the Swiss government (grant number: 2.21.01). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.