A main purpose of behavioral research conducted on farm animals is to improve the living conditions in view of animal welfare. Welfare is also of concern to animal producers from a production and management perspective. Stressful and fearful animals are likely to grow more slowly and less efficiently than non-stressed and non-fearful animals and also may have reduced reproductive output. The combination of our software, video and computer hardware, and services allows you to collect and analyze farm animal behavioral data in great detail. EthoVision XT tracks the cow, pig, goat, horse, or sheep while it walks in its enclosure. With The Observer XT, detailed behaviors can be manually scored and analyzed.

• Automatically calculate and analyze data on the position of the animal relative to its stable, pen, or shed, such as the time spent near its trough.
• Calculate and analyze locomotor activity data automatically, such as the total distance moved.
• Code detailed behavior manually and automatically calculate statistics, such as the number of events in which the animal was manipulating its substrate.
• Investigate relationships between behavioral events logged with The Observer XT and physiological data obtained with a separate data acquisition system.
• Select data based upon independent variable, animal, behavior, observation, track number, or zone of the enclosure and only subject those data to analysis.

 

Typical components

• EthoVision XT Base
• The Observer XT Base
• The Observer XT Video Module
• The Observer XT External Data Module
• Camera
• Computer
• Data AcQuisition (DAQ) system
• Installation & training
• Service contract

Optional components

• Pocket Observer
• Handheld computer
• Other services

For more information you can download the leaflet on this solution.