title: Using UHF proximity loggers to quantify male-female interactions: a scoping study of estrous activity in cattle.
abstract: Reproductive efficiency is an important determinant of profitable cattle breeding systems and the success of assisted reproductive techniques (ART) in wildlife conservation programs. Methods of estrous detection used in intensive beef and dairy cattle systems lack accuracy and remain the single biggest issue for improvement of reproductive rates and such methods are not practical for either large-scale extensive beef cattle enterprises or free-living mammalian species. Recent developments in UHF (ultra high frequency) proximity logger telemetry devices have been used to provide a continuous pair-wise measure of associations between individual animals for both livestock and wildlife. The objective of this study was to explore the potential of using UHF telemetry to identify the reproductive cycle phenotype in terms of intensity and duration of estrus. The study was conducted using Belmont Red (interbred Africander Brahman Hereford-Shorthorn) cattle grazing irrigated pasture on Belmont Research Station, northeastern Australia. The cow-bull associations from three groups of cows each with one bull were recorded over a 7-week breeding season and the stage of estrus was identified using ultrasonography. Telemetry data from bull and cows, collected over 4 8-day logger deployments, were log transformed and analyzed by ANOVA. Both the number and duration of bull-cow affiliations were significantly (P<0.001) greater in estrous cows compared to anestrus cows. These results support the development of the UHF technology as a hands-off and noninvasive means of gathering socio-sexual information on both wildlife and livestock for reproductive management.
authors.affiliation: CSIRO, Agriculture Flagship, Australian Tropical Science and Innovation Precinct, Building 145, James Cook Drive, Townsville, QLD 4814, Australia; School of Medical and Applied Sciences, CQUniversity, North Rockhampton, QLD 4701, Australia. Electronic address: c.j.oneill@cqu.edu.au.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: O'Neill
authors.affiliation: CSIRO, Agriculture Flagship, Queensland Bioscience Precinct, 306 Carmody Road, St. Lucia, QLD 4067, Australia. Electronic address: Greg.Bishop-Hurley@csiro.au.
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Bishop-Hurley
authors.affiliation: Tropical Beef Technology Services, PO Box 809, Rockhampton, QLD 4700, Australia. Electronic address: paul@tbts.une.edu.au.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Agri-Science Queensland, DAFF, North Rockhampton, QLD 4701, Australia. Electronic address: David.Reid@daff.qld.gov.au.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.affiliation: School of Medical and Applied Sciences, CQUniversity, North Rockhampton, QLD 4701, Australia. Electronic address: d.swain@cqu.edu.au.
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Swain
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000502:physiology*; D004971:Estrus / Q000502:physiology*; D004972:Estrus Detection / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D013686:Telemetry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000662:veterinary*
keywords: Behavior; Biotelemetry; Cattle; Estrous detection; Ultrasonography