BARBOSA FILHO, J. A. D.; RODRIGUES, V. C.; Silva, I. J. O.; SILVA, M. A. N.; SILVA, C. J. M.
Abstract:
Automation of systems for animal behavior evaluation in substitution to manual
systems has being considered a good alternative in relation of the use of image analysis as a less
subjective precision tool to the animal behaviour interpretation. This work aimed to evaluate the use
of image analysis in laying hens behaviour study comparing a conventional battery cage system
with other system using litter on the floor. Two groups of 20 birds (10 Hy-line W36 and 10 Hy-line
Brown) were used in two breeding systems (battery cages and litter) during two weeks. A system
with video cameras was adapted to climate room’s roof to register the laying hen behavior. For
individual evaluation, birds were marked with a dorsal painting. During the analysis process, the
software had some problems due the difficulty to identify the birds in the cage system and probably
imperfections due to positions of the video cameras. Otherwise, the use of an automatic system to
behavior qualification can facilitated the researcher efforts to manipulate forms and data with a
visual counting of animals’ behavior.
