A NEW AMBULATORY DATA LOGGER FOR A LONG-TERM DETERMINATION OF GRAZING AND RUMINATION BEHAVIOR ON FREE-RANGING CATTLE, SHEEP AND GOATS

A new ambulatory data logger (named 'jaw recorder'), which simultaneously records the number of jaw movements and number of pauses between jaw movements longer than 3 s min-1, was developed and tested using cattle, sheep and goats. Since this apparatus was more simple, light-weight and compact than our previously developed ones, it could be carried on the-neck band of the sheep and goat as well as on the top of the halter on the cattle. The apparatus had a large data storage capacity (32 768 data points), enabling it to record data every minute for a maximum of 22 days in one recording session. Grazing and rumination periods in the sheep and goats as well as cattle could be distinguished by a combination of jaw movements and pauses between jaw movements longer than 3 s min-1. The jaw recorder used in this experiment should provide a further useful means for analyzing grazing and rumination behaviour of large and medium body size free-ranging domestic animals.