Browsing by Author "Corner-Thomas R"
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- ItemAccess to reticulated water in late-pregnancy: impacts on ewe productivity, drinking behaviour and some physiological indicators of dehydration(Taylor and Francis Group on behalf of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 2025-03-02) Corner-Thomas R; Stafford K; Winchester N; Kenyon P; Sneddon NThere has been industry debate regarding sheep access to waterways, although there is little information available on the impact of access to water on sheep productivity. It is theoretically possible for actively growing pasture to provide sufficient moisture to meet the daily water intake requirements of sheep. A study was conducted in the Manawatu region during winter across two years with single- (n = 40) and twin-bearing ewes (n = 40) in late-pregnancy. Ewes were restricted from accessing a reticulated water source (no water) or given access (water). Herbage moisture was 81.5 ± 0.7% and 84.8 ± 0.4% in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Of the 40 water treatment ewes, 45% and 55% in 2017 and 2018, respectively, were never observed to drink water. Packed cell volume and total protein concentrations remained within the normal range throughout each study. Ewe liveweight and BCS increased (P < 0.05) throughout the study period but did not differ between treatments except among single-bearing ewes in 2018. The litter weight of single- and twin-bearing ewes in the water and no water treatments did not differ (P > 0.05). These results suggest that under the conditions of the current study, ewes in late pregnancy did not require access to reticulated water.
- ItemBody condition scoring of sheep: intra- and inter-observer variability(New Zealand Society of Animal Production (INC), 2020) Corner-Thomas R; Sewell AM; Kemp P; Wood BA; Gray DI; Morris ST; Blair HT; Kenyon PRBody condition scoring (BCS) is a hands-on tool that farmers can use to make decisions about their animal feeding and management. BCS, however, is a subjective measure of the muscle and fat cover of the lumbar spine. Observers, therefore, may show variability in scores both across time and from other observers. This study aimed to determine the intra- and inter-observer variation of both farmers and research technicians as part of a learning exercise of a farmer-learning group based at Massey University between 2011 and 2015. Nineteen farmers and three research technicians condition scored 45 mixed-age ewes on two consecutive days. Data from both farmers and technicians were analysed to determine the intra- and inter-observer variability using a weighted kappa. The results indicate that the majority of farmers and technicians had ‘excellent’ agreement (21 of the 22 observers had kappa values greater than 0.75) between days. Similarly, among pairs of observers the agreement was also ‘excellent’ (212 of 231 comparisons had kappa values greater than 0.75). The distribution of scores that contributed to each median condition score, however, indicated that lower scores (1, 1.5 and 2) has less variability than did higher scores (2.5 or greater). These results suggest that BCS is a robust farm-management tool that can be used with a high degree of repeatability. Keywords: body condition scoring; intra-observer variability, inter-observer variability.
- ItemEffect of breed and stage of lactation on the solid fat content of milk from cows milked once a day or twice a day(Taylor and Francis Group, 2023-11-12) Sanjayaranj I; López-Villalobos N; Blair HT; Janssen PWM; Holroyd SE; MacGibbon AKH; Corner-Thomas R; Handcock R; Sneddon NSolid fat content at 10°C (SFC10) is an important parameter of milk fat that influences the spreadability of butter. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of breed and stage of lactation on SFC10 of milk fat from cows milked once a day (OAD) or twice a day (TAD). Milk was collected from 39 Holstein-Friesian (F), 27 Jersey (J), and 34 Holstein-Friesian × Jersey (F × J) cows from a OAD herd and 104 F and 83 F × J cows from a TAD herd in early, mid and late lactation. The SFC10 was predicted using a regression model using milk fatty acid composition. The lower the SFC10, the higher the spreadability of butter. The SFC10 was lower (P < 0.05) for F cows compared with J cows milked OAD. The SFC10 was lower (P < 0.05) for F cows compared with F × J cows milked TAD. The SFC10 was lower in early lactation compared with mid- and late lactation in both milking frequencies. This study revealed that F cow milk and early lactation milk would be suitable for making more easily spreadable butter in OAD and TAD milking. These results could be applicable in the New Zealand dairy industry if consumer preference for more easily spreadable butter increases.
- ItemEvaluating the Effects of Novel Enrichment Strategies on Dog Behaviour Using Collar-Based Accelerometers(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2025-06-03) Redmond C; Draganova I; Corner-Thomas R; Thomas D; Andrews C; Gaunet FEnvironmental enrichment is crucial to improve welfare, reduce stress, and encourage natural behaviours in dogs housed in confined environments. This study aimed to use accelerometery and machine learning to evaluate the effect of different enrichment types on dog behaviour. Three enrichments (food, olfactory, and tactile) were provided to dogs for five consecutive days, with four days between each treatment. Acceleration data were collected using a collar mounted ActiGraph®. Nine behaviours were classified using a validated machine learning model. Behaviour and activity differed significantly among the dogs. Dogs interacted most with the food enrichment, followed by the olfactory and then tactile enrichments. The dogs were least active during the olfactory enrichment, whereas activity was relatively consistent during the food and tactile enrichments. For all enrichments, dogs exhibited the most exploratory/locomotive behaviour during the first hour of each enrichment period, but this declined over the treatment period indicating habituation. For exploratory and locomotive behaviour, food enrichment was the most stimulating for the dogs with longer daily engagement than for both olfactory and tactile enrichments. These results illustrate that accelerometery and machine learning can be used to evaluate enrichment strategies in dogs, but it is important to consider variation among dogs and habituation.
- ItemHow Lazy Are Pet Cats Really? Using Machine Learning and Accelerometry to Get a Glimpse into the Behaviour of Privately Owned Cats in Different Households(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2024-04-19) Smit M; Corner-Thomas R; Draganova I; Andrews C; Thomas D; Friedrich CMSurprisingly little is known about how the home environment influences the behaviour of pet cats. This study aimed to determine how factors in the home environment (e.g., with or without outdoor access, urban vs. rural, presence of a child) and the season influences the daily behaviour of cats. Using accelerometer data and a validated machine learning model, behaviours including being active, eating, grooming, littering, lying, scratching, sitting, and standing were quantified for 28 pet cats. Generalized estimating equation models were used to determine the effects of different environmental conditions. Increasing cat age was negatively correlated with time spent active (p < 0.05). Cats with outdoor access (n = 18) were less active in winter than in summer (p < 0.05), but no differences were observed between seasons for indoor-only (n = 10) cats. Cats living in rural areas (n = 7) spent more time eating than cats in urban areas (n = 21; p < 0.05). Cats living in single-cat households (n = 12) spent more time lying but less time sitting than cats living in multi-cat households (n = 16; p < 0.05). Cats in households with at least one child (n = 20) spent more time standing in winter (p < 0.05), and more time lying but less time sitting in summer compared to cats in households with no children (n = 8; p < 0.05). This study clearly shows that the home environment has a major impact on cat behaviour.
- ItemLongitudinal Study on the Effect of Season and Weather on the Behaviour of Domestic Cats (Felis catus)(MDPI AG, 2025-02-24) Smit M; Andrews C; Draganova I; Corner-Thomas R; Thomas D
- ItemMethane emissions intensity in grazing dairy cows fed graded levels of concentrate pellets(Taylor and Francis Group, 2024-05-03) Bosher T; Della Rosa MM; Khan MA; Sneddon N; Donaghy D; Jonker A; Corner-Thomas R; Handcock R; Sneddon NThe current New Zealand greenhouse gas inventory predictions assume that dairy cows consume pasture only, but the use of supplemental feeds, including concentrates, on New Zealand dairy farms has increased greatly in recent decades. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of feeding graded levels of concentrates on methane (CH4) emissions in lactating dairy cows within a pastoral system. Early lactation dairy cows (n = 72) were allocated (n = 18 per treatment) to receive 0, 2, 4 and 6 kg dry matter (DM) of treatment concentrates per day during milking. The cows grazed pasture ad libitum and CH4 emissions were measured in the paddocks using automated emissions monitoring systems called ‘GreenFeed’. Gross CH4 emissions (g/d) were similar for cows across the four dietary treatments, while CH4 emissions intensity (g/kg fat and protein corrected milk production (FPCM) and milk solids production) linearly decreased with increasing concentrate inclusion in the diet (P < 0.02). The CH4 intensity decreased linearly (r2 = 0.42) and quadratically (r2 = 0.53) with increasing FPCM production.
- ItemThe Behaviour of Sheep around a Natural Waterway and Impact on Water Quality during Winter in New Zealand(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2023-04-25) Bunyaga A; Corner-Thomas R; Draganova I; Kenyon P; Burkitt L; Giuseppe PAccess of livestock, such as cattle, to waterways has been shown to be a cause of poor water quality due to pugging damage and excretion entering the water. In New Zealand, regulations require that cattle, deer, and pigs are excluded from accessing waterways, but there are no such requirements for sheep. The current study utilised 24 h video cameras, global positioning system units, and triaxial accelerometers to observe the interaction of Romney ewes (n = 40) with a natural waterway. Ewes were either restricted (week 1) or given access to a reticulated water trough (week 2). Proximity data showed that ewes spent more time within 3 m of the waterway when the trough was unrestricted than when restricted (14.1 ± 5.7 and 10.8 ± 5.1 min/ewe/day, respectively; p < 0.05). Ewes travelled shorter distances on the steeper areas of paddock than flatter areas. Similarly, ewes showed a spatial preference for the flat and low sloped areas of the paddock. Concentrations of suspended sediment and total phosphorus were higher during access to a reticulated water trough which coincided with the week with more rainy days. Phosphorus and E. coli concentrations in the stream water samples were the above recommended Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council water quality guidelines, especially after rainy days, but did not appear to be directly related to sheep activity. Overall, the results suggest that during winter, ewes interacted very little with the waterway and were thus unlikely to influence the levels of nutrient and pathogens in the waterway.
- ItemThe Effect of Age of Dam and Birth Rank on the Reproductive Performance of Ewes as One- and Two-Year-Olds.(10/03/2021) Pettigrew E; Hickson R; Morris S; Kenyon P; Corner-Thomas R; Haslin E; Blair HCurrently, 30-43% of New Zealand sheep farmers breed their ewe lambs, but few retain the offspring as replacements for their flock. No difference in lamb production as a yearling among singletons and twins born to ewe lambs and twins born to mature ewes has been reported, provided the ewe lambs had reached the 60-65% of their likely mature weight prior to breeding at seven to eight months of age. The aim of this experiment was to determine the lamb production from singletons and twins born to ewe lambs and twins born to mature ewes during their first two years of lambing. The experiment included 8-month-old ewes born as twins to mature ewes (M2, n = 135), singletons born to ewe lambs (L1, n = 135), and twins born to ewe lambs (L2, n = 88), bred during the same period to the same rams, over two years. The efficiency of lamb production (total litter weight at weaning divided by the pre-breeding weight of the ewe, for all ewes presented for breeding) after two years of production was not significantly different (p > 0.05) among the groups (0.40 ± 0.02, 0.39 ± 0.02, and 0.39 ± 0.03, for M2, L1, and L2, respectively).
- ItemThe effect of prepartum synthetic zeolite supplementation on the eating, lying and activity behaviours of grazing dairy cows(Taylor and Francis Group on behalf of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 2024) Dalton JI; Hendriks SJ; Roche JR; Donaghy DJ; Dela Rue B; Kuhn-Sherlock B; Phyn CVC; Corner-Thomas RThis study determined the effect of feeding synthetic zeolite A prepartum to reduce periparturient hypocalcaemia risk on the eating, lying, and activity behaviours of multiparous grazing dairy cows. Animals were randomly allocated to either a Zeolite treatment group (n = 21; individually fed 500 g/d zeolite for two weeks prepartum) or a Control group (n = 22). Behaviour data obtained from accelerometers were analysed to determine the effects of treatment, parity (Parity 2−3 vs. 4+), and their interactions during 3 periods: PRE (−21 to −3 d), PERI (−2–2 d) and POST (3–28 d) relative to the day of calving (day 0). Parity 2–3 Zeolite cows ate for 18 min/day less than Parity 2–3 Control cows PRE. Zeolite-fed cows also ate for 24 min/day less than Control cows during the PERI period. There were no treatment differences in lying time or activity PRE or PERI, but Zeolite-fed cows spent more time lying POST. Regardless of treatment, Parity 2–3 cows were generally more active and ate for longer than Parity 4 + cows. Our results suggest zeolite may subtly decrease appetite or alter eating behaviour during the supplementation period, particularly in younger cows, and may improve cow comfort postcalving.
- ItemThe Use of Triaxial Accelerometers and Machine Learning Algorithms for Behavioural Identification in Domestic Dogs (Canis familiaris): A Validation Study(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2024-09-13) Redmond C; Smit M; Draganova I; Corner-Thomas R; Thomas D; Andrews C; Fullwood DT; Bowden AEAssessing the behaviour and physical attributes of domesticated dogs is critical for predicting the suitability of animals for companionship or specific roles such as hunting, military or service. Common methods of behavioural assessment can be time consuming, labour-intensive, and subject to bias, making large-scale and rapid implementation challenging. Objective, practical and time effective behaviour measures may be facilitated by remote and automated devices such as accelerometers. This study, therefore, aimed to validate the ActiGraph® accelerometer as a tool for behavioural classification. This study used a machine learning method that identified nine dog behaviours with an overall accuracy of 74% (range for each behaviour was 54 to 93%). In addition, overall body dynamic acceleration was found to be correlated with the amount of time spent exhibiting active behaviours (barking, locomotion, scratching, sniffing, and standing; R2 = 0.91, p < 0.001). Machine learning was an effective method to build a model to classify behaviours such as barking, defecating, drinking, eating, locomotion, resting-asleep, resting-alert, sniffing, and standing with high overall accuracy whilst maintaining a large behavioural repertoire.
