@conference {JRN55435, title = {Calculation of daily distance walked by grazing cattle using real-time activity and position data collected by LORA-WAN sensors}, booktitle = {2nd U.S. Precision Livestock Farming Conference}, year = {2023}, month = {12/12/2022}, abstract = {LoRa-WAN sensors were used to compare methods for determining walking distances by grazing cattle in near real-time. The accuracy of relying on a global positioning system (GPS) alone or in combination with motion data derived from triaxial accelerometers was compared using stationary control trackers (Control) placed in fixed field locations (n=6) vs. trackers (Test) mounted on cows (n=6) grazing on pasture at the New Mexico State University{\textquoteright}s Clayton Livestock Research Center. Trackers communicated motion data at 1-minute intervals and GPS positions at 15-minute intervals for seven days. Daily distance walked was determined using: 1) raw GPS data (RawDist), 2) data with erroneous GPS locations removed (CorrDist), or 3) data with erroneous GPS locations removed and with GPS data associated with the static state excluded (CorrActDist). Distances were analyzed via one-way ANOVA to compare Control vs. Test deployment effects. No difference (P=0.43) in walking distance was detected between Control vs. Test for RawDist. However, distances calculated for CorrDist differed (P<0.01) between the two tracker deployments. Due to the random error of GPS measurements, CorrDist for stationary devices differed (P=0.01) from zero. The walking distance calculated by CorrActDist differed (P<0.01) between Control vs. Test trackers, with distances for Control trackers not differing (P=0.44) from zero. The fusion of GPS and accelerometer data was a more suitable method for calculating walking distance by grazing cattle. This result may highlight the value of combining more than one source of independent sensor data in Precision Livestock Farming applications.}, keywords = {compare methods, grazing cattle, LoRa-WAN sensors, Real-time, walking distances}, author = {Nyamuryekung{\textquoteright}e, Shelemia and Duff, Glenn and Utsumi, Santiago. A. and Estell, Rick E. and McIntosh, Matthew. M. and M. Funk and Andrew Cox and Huiping Cao and H. Chen and Sheri Spiegal and Perea, A. and Rahman, A.F. and Cibils, Andres F.} } @proceedings {JRN55396, title = {Field testing of LoRa-WAN sensors for real-time tracking and biosensing of Brangus and Raramuri Criollo cattle foraging on a small pasture}, year = {2022}, month = {3/21/2022}, abstract = {The study{\textquoteright}s objective was to investigate the use of Internet of Things (IoT) biosensors using Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRa-WAN) communication to compare the foraging behavior of two desert adapted cattle breeds. Two groups of mature Brangus (BA) and Raramuri Criollo (RC) cows were introduced into a small pasture (38ha) of native grassland and irrigated winter wheat at the New Mexico State University Clayton Livestock Research Center during Dec-Jan, 2021 (41-days). The real-time position and activity count data (15- and 1-minute interval, respectively) were retrieved continuously from 4 BA and 5 RC cows collared with commercially available trackers. Response variables derived from GPS records included daily distance traveled (Dist) and daily area explored (Area). Response variables derived from accelerometers included daily percentage motion (\%Act) and cumulative activity data (CumAct). All variables were grouped into six consecutive weekly periods and analyzed by a repeated measures mixed model that included the fixed effects of BREED, WEEK, and the BREED*WEEK interaction in a completely randomized design. A significant BREED*WEEK interaction was detected on all GPS-derived variables, with RC exhibiting a trend to explore larger areas than BA (P=0.06). For the accelerometer-derived variables, the BREED*WEEK interaction was only significant for CumAct. Overall, BA spent a larger percentage of the day active (\%Act), while investing a significantly~ greater overall activity (CumAct) compared to RC cows. The lack of sensitivity of GPS-derived variables is hypothesized to be the result of aggregating errors associated with less frequent GPS location measurements coupled with position errors (~5m) and a low success rate of data packet transmission (~40\%). In contrast, the more frequent inherent data packaging of successive accelerometer data represented as cumulative guaranteed low data loss rates. The spatial scale of the study is hypothesized to have influenced the differences in foraging behavior observed between breeds and the better performance of the accelerometer vs. GPS-derived variables. }, author = {S. Nyamuryekung{\textquoteright}e and G. Duff and Andr{\'e}s F. Cibils and Richard E. Estell and S. A. Utsumi and M. Funk and Andrew Cox and Qixu Gong and S. Spiegal and V. Gouvea and Carolina Brandani} } @proceedings {JRN55395, title = {Heritage Raramuri Criollo cattle production as a potential strategy for conservation of black grama in the Chihuahuan Desert}, year = {2022}, month = {3/21/2022}, abstract = {The Chihuahuan desert ecosystem has experienced a decrease in black grama, a perennial grass species with high ecological value for protecting desert topsoil, along with a subsequent increase in mesquite. This trend is thought to be due to several management- and environment-related factors. We compared diet selection of a heritage Raramuri Criollo (RC) vs. Angus-X-Hereford (AH) cattle, typical of the region, using fecal DNA metabarcoding by a commercial laboratory to determine the proportion of black grama and mesquite in samples. RC and AH cows grazed two adjacent pastures (~1100 ha) separately, switched at the mid-point of each period. Rectal fecal samples collected from 10 cows per breed each period. The study was replicated across seasons (growing and dormant) for three consecutive years (240 total fecal samples) in a completely randomized design. Relative abundance of plant species was ranked over the entire study and by season. The MIXED procedure of SAS 9.4 was used to analyze the relative proportions of black grama and mesquite in fecal samples by breed, season, year, and all interactions. Black grama was a more important forage resource than mesquite (ranked 8 vs. 11), particularly during dormancy (ranked 3 vs. 7). When examined by breed, AH had twice the percentage of black grama vs. RC (P<0.05) and even more so during the dormant season (P<0.05). In contrast, RC fecal samples tended to contain a higher percentage of mesquite (P=0.05). Adjustments for dry matter intake (relative to BW) by breed (545 vs. 350 kg mean BW for AH vs. RC respectively) suggests that AH consumed 3.09 fold more black grama while RC consumed 1.59 times more of mesquite. Differences in diet composition documented in this study support the hypothesis that RC cattle could impose a lighter grazing pressure on the black grama community and potentially be utilized as a conservation tool on Chihuahuan Desert rangeland.}, author = {S. Nyamuryekung{\textquoteright}e and Richard E. Estell and D. K. James and Andr{\'e}s F. Cibils and Matthew M. McIntosh and S. Spiegal and S. A. Utsumi} } @article {JRN55345, title = {Movement, activity, and landscape use patterns of heritage and commercial beef cows grazing Chihuahuan Desert rangeland}, journal = {Journal of Arid Environments}, volume = {199}, year = {2022}, month = {01/03/2022}, pages = {104704}, abstract = {Highlights {\textbullet}Raramuri Criollo cows (heritage breed) exhibited more desirable spatial distribution patterns (traveled farther, spent more time grazing and traveling, and explored larger areas of the pasture) than commercial beef breed counterparts. {\textbullet}Breed differences in resource selection and utilization were largest during the dormant season. {\textbullet}Raramuri Criollo (heritage breed) could have a lighter footprint on desert rangeland compared to Angus Hereford crossbred (commercial breed) cattle. The objective of this study was to compare foraging behavior of mature Raramuri Criollo (RC, heritage breed) and Angus Hereford crossbred (AH, commercial breed) cows grazing Chihuahuan Desert rangeland during summer and winter in three consecutive years. Movement, activity, and spatial distribution variables were calculated from 10-min interval GPS positions of 5{\textendash}11 randomly selected cows of each breed. Thirteen pasture pixel attributes were used to analyze grazing utilization and selection patterns of both breeds. Statistical mixed models were used to determine the effects of breed and season on all foraging response variables. Spatial regression analysis was used to examine resource utilization. Compared to AH, RC cows traveled farther at higher velocity rates, spent less time resting, more time grazing and traveling, explored larger areas as individuals, and exhibited lower herd cohesion. The RC herd explored more grazing patches (30-m pixel) overall and exhibited lower patch residence times in winter, a foraging strategy linked with lighter environmental footprint. During summer, similar pixel variables explained re-visitation rates of cows of both breeds. Both breeds avoided areas far from water, but RC cows showed higher avoidance of pixels farther out from a drinker during the dormant season. RC cows appeared to exhibit a keener ability to select patches with differing surface temperature, and greenness compared to AH counterparts. RC cows showed higher preference for pixels with high shrub density than AH counterparts in summer. During the dormant season, AH cows exhibited a strong preference for black grama patches, a species with high ecological value, and higher avoidance of patches with high density of other grasses. Differences in foraging behavior documented in this study support the hypothesis that RC cattle could impose a lighter footprint on desert rangeland relative to commonly raised commercial beef cattle.}, keywords = {beef cattle, foraging behavior, GPS tracking, habitat selection, Raramuri Criollo}, doi = {10.1016/j.jaridenv.2021.104704}, url = {files/bibliography/22-003.pdf}, author = {S. Nyamuryekung{\textquoteright}e and Andr{\'e}s F. Cibils and Richard E. Estell and D. VanLeeuwen and S. Spiegal and Caitriana Steele and Amy L. Gonzalez and Matthew M. McIntosh and Qixu Gong and Huiping Cao} } @proceedings {JRN55363, title = {Real-time LoRaWAN precision ranching technologies: What we{\textquoteright}ve learned}, year = {2022}, month = {2/8/2022}, abstract = {We tested a precision livestock farming (PLF) system deployed across 4000-ha of Chihuahuan Desert Rangeland (trial 1; T1) and 130-ha of wheat pasture (trial 2; T2) over three (March-May 2020) and one month (October 2020), respectively. The PLF system included a LoRa WAN Kerlink{\textregistered} iStation gateway, deployed either using solar power and WiFi Backhaul communication or off-grid power and Ethernet connection. Tested sensors were Abeeway{\textregistered} Industrial trackers (IT) and Decentlab{\textregistered} sensors to monitor precipitation and water level in a cattle drinking trough. In T1, the battery power of IT deployed on beef cattle (n = 43) dropped from 100 to ~35\% over the three-month trial and GPS data packets programmed to be recorded at 15-min intervals were recovered at ~0.08 {\textendash} 1.3-hour intervals yielding between 46 to 80\% of expected GPS fixes. Variation in GPS data acquisition was associated with distance to the gateway base station and oscillations in solar power and backhaul WiFi signal. In T2, stationary IT deployed either indoors (n = 5) or outdoors (n = 6) were programmed to collect GPS locations and acceleration data at 1-min and 15-min intervals, respectively. More frequent and reliable GPS data packet acquisition was recorded with IT deployed outdoors (in T2; bias = 5.20 m) compared to IT deployed indoors (in T2; bias = 17.76 m) and those deployed in T1. Except for a few cases of background noise, accelerometer data were almost non-existent due to the static deployment of IT in T2 (powersaving function). Results from our case studies suggest the feasibility of mounting a fully operational LoRaWAN system for PLF on extensive rangelands. Our studies also identified areas for improvement of LoRa WAN infrastructure and data communication, analysis and visualization to further enhance uses of real-time biosensing of animals and monitoring of ranching infrastructure in commercial PLF applications. }, keywords = {LoRaWAN, precision ranching, Real-time, technologies}, author = {S. Nyamuryekung{\textquoteright}e and Andr{\'e}s F. Cibils and S. A. Utsumi and Richard E. Estell and Andrew Cox and Danielle Duni and V. Gouvea and Carolina Brandani and G. Duff and Qixu Gong and Tony Waterhouse and J P Holland and Huiping Cao and LE Boucheron and H. Chen and S. Spiegal} } @conference {JRN55407, title = {Training beef cattle to use virtual fence systems}, booktitle = {2nd US Precision Livestock Farming Conference May 2023}, year = {2022}, month = {08/03/2022}, abstract = {Virtual fencing (VF) is an alternative method to control livestock dispersal. This method consists of the use of animal wearable collars that employ auditory-electric pulse cues to deter animals from trespassing a virtually determined fence boundary. Despite VF suggesting promising applications for Precision Livestock Farming, there is limited information on best practices to train groups of cattle to VF configurations effectively. Eleven Brangus cows of the New Mexico State University{\textquoteright}s Chihuahuan Desert Rangeland Research Center were allocated three days to feeding areas (0.19 ha) treated with or without VF exclusions. The process was repeated for two periods (1 vs. 2), lasting six days each. The VF collars communicated real-time animal positions and activity at 15-minute and 30-minute intervals. Treatment effects of study (with vs. without VF-exclusion), period, and its interaction were analyzed via an ANOVA to compare auditory-electric pulses emitted during the deployment. The number of auditory-electric pulses per cow differed (P < 0.001) due to a study by period interaction. Exposure to VF in period 1 triggered a greater (P <0.003) frequency of auditory (3.3 vs. 0.7 {\textpm}0.3) and pulses (1.3 vs. 0.1 {\textpm}0.1) per cow than in period 2. Activation of VF reduced differently (P =0.05) the time spent on excluded areas in period 1 (7.8 vs. 1.7 {\textpm}0.4 h) and period 2 (4.8 vs. 0.0 {\textpm}0.4 h) due to treatment by period interaction. Results indicate that cows adjusted rapidly to VF configurations by minimizing the frequency of pulses and relying increasingly on auditory to alter behavior.}, keywords = {animal wearable collars, beef cattle, fence boundary, training, virtual fence systems}, author = {S. Nyamuryekung{\textquoteright}e and Andrew Cox and Perea, A. and Richard E. Estell and Andr{\'e}s F. Cibils and J P Holland and Tony Waterhouse and G. Duff and M. Funk and Skye Aney and Matthew M. McIntosh and S. Spiegal and Brandon T Bestelmeyer and S. A. Utsumi} } @proceedings {JRN55397, title = {The use of heritage cattle breeds as a mitigation strategy for solving new challenges imposed by climate change in Chihuahuan Desert rangelands of the southwestern United States}, year = {2022}, month = {8/10/2022}, abstract = {The study{\textquoteright}s objective involves a compilation of four publications comparing conventional (Angus X Hereford; AH) vs. heritage (Raramuri Criollo; RC) breeds foraging habits, heat tolerance, and cow-calf interactions using telemetry devices under the context of a future mitigation strategy of climate change. AH and RC cows grazed separately in two adjacent pastures in a crossover design during summer and winter for three consecutive years. Rectal fecal samples were collected twice in each cow{\textquoteright}s deployment to analyze diet composition. A subgroup of individuals in each herd was fitted with sensors to track their location (GPS collars), body temperature (iButton loggers), and cow-calf contact events (Proximity loggers). RC cows traveled farther, spent less time resting, more time grazing, and explored larger areas than their AH counterparts. RC cows showed a higher preference for patches with high shrub density and avoided areas with a high density of black grama during winter, consistent with the fDNA analysis on diet composition. During summer, RC cows maintained a lower body temperature than their AH counterparts, providing additional evidence for the differences observed in foraging patterns. RC calves appeared to impose fewer constraints on their dams{\textquoteright} movement and activity patterns. Nursing RC dams covered a daily grazing area almost three times larger than their AH counterparts. Differences in foraging strategies documented in this study provide support for the hypothesis that Raramuri Criollo (heritage breed) cattle are better equipped to cope with hotter and drier climates and better able to use forage resources that are becoming increasingly variable in space and time.}, author = {S. Nyamuryekung{\textquoteright}e and Andr{\'e}s F. Cibils and Richard E. Estell and S. A. Utsumi and Matthew M. McIntosh and S. Spiegal} } @conference {JRN55423, title = {Virtual fencing of nursing cattle grazing large pastures of Chihuahuan Desert rangelands}, booktitle = {Society for Range Management}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Virtual fencing (VF) is an emerging technology to control livestock dispersal. This technology includes collars that employ auditory-electric pulse cues to deter animals from trespassing into excluded zones. Our objective was to investigate VF application on extensive rangelands. VF-trained nursing Brangus cows were grazed in a 480 ha pasture at the New Mexico State University{\textquoteright}s Chihuahuan Desert Rangeland Research Center with the VF deactivated (control) or activated using three different polygon configurations. The VF-activated polygons excluded cattle from grazing either the East (209ha), West (200ha), or preferred Vegetation PV (80ha) within the pasture. Each pasture deployment lasted a week and the process was repeated on two groups of 11 and 18 cows, respectively. We analyzed 1) foraging behavior differences (control vs. VF-activated); 2) percentage of daily GPS locations within the excluded zones (control vs. VF-activated); and 3) number of auditory-electric pulses emitted during each VF-activated configuration (Excluded blocks East, West, or PV). The data were analyzed via an ANOVA to compare daily-derived variables. Cattle covered larger areas during control vs. VF-activated deployments (134.2 vs. 86.9ha P=0.04) with no differences in distance traveled nor cumulative activity index derived from the in-built motion sensors. When compared to the control, all VF-activated configurations significantly reduced the percentage of GPS positions within the excluded zone (East 52.27 vs. 0.67\%GPS P0<.01; West 18.49 vs. 0.49\%GPS P<0.01; PV 19.90 vs. 3.04\%GPS P<0.01; control vs. VF-activated respectively). Significantly (P<0.01) higher audio and electric pulses (2.09, 0.51 respectively) were emitted during the PV trials compared to East (1.12, 0.17) or West (1.12, 0.14) blocks. In conclusion, VF holds promise in controlling spatial exploration patterns of cattle in extensive rangelands. Polygon configuration requires further research to understand trade-offs between animal welfare and effective management.}, keywords = {cattle grazing, Chihuahuan Desert, large pastures, nursing, rangelands, virtual fencing}, author = {Nyamuryekung{\textquoteright}e, Shelemia and Andrew Cox and Perea, A. and Matthew M. McIntosh and Richard E. Estell and Andr{\'e}s F. Cibils and Holland, J. and Tony Waterhouse and G. Duff and M. Funk and Skye Aney and S. Spiegal and Brandon T Bestelmeyer and S. A. Utsumi} } @article {JRN55328, title = {Foraging behavior and body temperature of heritage vs. commercial beef cows in relation to desert ambient heat}, journal = {Journal of Arid Environments}, volume = {193}, year = {2021}, month = {6/20/2021}, pages = {104565}, abstract = {We studied foraging patterns of Raramuri Criollo (heritage breed, {\textquotedblleft}RC{\textquotedblright}) and Angus x Hereford (commercial beef breed, {\textquotedblleft}AH{\textquotedblright}) cows in relation to ambient heat and body temperature during summer (2016 and 2017) and winter (2017 and 2018) in the Chihuahuan Desert. Cows of each breed grazed separately in two adjacent pastures (~1100 ha) in a crossover design for four weeks in each season/year. Animals were fitted with temperature loggers attached to blank CIDRs (Controlled Internal Drug Release device) devoid of hormones that recorded body temperature (BodyT), and GPS collars that recorded position and ambient temperature (CollarT). All sensor data were logged at 10 min intervals. A landscape thermal map (LandT) was developed from Landsat satellite imagery for habitat analysis using GPS locations chosen by individual collared cows, and air temperature (AirT) was recorded by a nearby weather station. Data were analyzed within four daytime segments: dawn (sunrise {\textendash} 9AM); pre-noon (9AM {\textendash} noon); post-noon (noon {\textendash} 3PM); and dusk (3PM {\textendash} sunset). ANOVA was used to determine whether BodyT, CollarT, LandT selection, or animal movement variables within each of the four daily segments differed (P < 0.05) for RC vs. AH cows. BodyT and CollarT increased as day progressed in both seasons. During summer, RC had lower BodyT and higher CollarT than AH (P < 0.05) during the hottest hours of the day. Increasing AirT throughout the day was associated with selection of cooler LandT in RC but not AH during summer. In winter, both breeds selected warmer landscape locations as the day progressed. Compared to AH, RC cows traveled farther, at higher velocities, and spent more time grazing and traveling and less time resting, with largest breed differences observed during the hottest hours of summer days. These results suggest that Raramuri Criollo cows exhibited higher thermotolerance than did AH. Elevated ambient summer temperatures in the Chihuahuan Desert appear to impose fewer constraints on heritage RC movement patterns compared to mainstream commercial AH cows.}, keywords = {Chihuahuan Desert, climate change, Raramuri Criollo, thermotolerance}, doi = {10.1016/j.jaridenv.2021.104565}, url = {files/bibliography/21-038.pdf}, author = {S. Nyamuryekung{\textquoteright}e and Andr{\'e}s F. Cibils and Richard E. Estell and Matthew M. McIntosh and D. VanLeeuwen and Caitriana Steele and Amy L. Gonzalez and S. Spiegal and Leonel Avenda{\~n}o Reyes and Felipe A. Rodr{\'\i}g Almeida and Martha Anderson} } @article {JRN55271, title = {Foraging Behavior of Heritage versus Desert-Adapted Commercial Rangeland Beef Cows in Relation to Dam-Offspring Contact Patterns}, journal = {Rangeland Ecology \& Management}, volume = {74}, year = {2021}, month = {11-02-2021}, pages = {43-49}, abstract = {We compared cow-calf contacts, as well as movement, activity, and pasture use patterns of heritage Raramuri Criollo (RC) and desert-adapted commercial Angus Hereford crossbred (AH) beef cattle grazing Chihuahuan Desert pastures during 4 wk in the summers of 2016 and 2017. Within each herd of 11 cow-calf pairs, a group of 7 -9 randomly elected cows were fitted with Global Positioning System collars that recorded animal position at 10-min intervals. Proximity loggers configured to record contact events ( < 1-m radius) were fitted on a subset of five cow-calf pairs of each breed. The effect of breed on cow-calf contacts, as well as the dams{\textquoteright} movement, activity, and pasture use patterns were analyzed via mixed analysis of variance models. A higher number of RC cow-calf contacts occurred while the dam was grazing and traveling compared with AH counterparts ( P <=0.05). No breed-related differences were observed in the overall number and duration of cow-calf contact events. Compared with AH dams, RC cows traveled farther each day (RC: 7.51 vs. AH: 4.85 km, P < 0.01) at higher movement velocities (5.46 vs. 3.53 m. min -1 , P < 0.01) and spent more time traveling (1.05 vs. 0.48 h, P < 0.01), more time grazing (9.37 vs. 7.45 h, P < 0.01), and less time resting (13.07 vs. 15.68 h, P < 0.01). RC cows explored almost three times more daily area than AH (152.30 vs. 57.69 ha, P = 0.01) but spent similar amounts of time within 200 m and 100 m of a drinker. RC calves explored larger daily areas than their AH counterparts (83.0 vs. 20.8 ha, P = 0.05), but no breed differences were detected in the number of contact events near drinkers. RC calves possibly impose fewer constraints on their dams{\textquoteright} movement and activity patterns compared with commonly used British crossbreds when grazing the Chihuahuan Desert during summer.}, keywords = {Angus, grazing behavior, Heritage genetics, range cattle, Raramuri Criollo}, doi = {10.1016/j.rama.2020.11.001}, url = {files/bibliography/21-002.pdf}, author = {S. Nyamuryekung{\textquoteright}e and Andr{\'e}s F. Cibils and Richard E. Estell and Matthew M. McIntosh and D. VanLeeuwen and Caitriana Steele and Amy L. Gonzalez and S. Spiegal and F. G. Continanza} } @conference {JRN55295, title = {Landscape use of Angus Crossbred vs. Raramuri Criollo cattle on desert rangeland}, booktitle = {Society for Range Management Meeting Abstracts}, year = {2021}, month = {2/15/2021}, abstract = {We conducted a replicated study (in both space and time) to validate previous findings reporting differences in grazing patterns of Raramuri Criollo (RC, heritage breed) vs. Angus Hereford crossbred (AH, commercial breed) cows grazing Chihuahuan Desert rangeland. We monitored cows of both breeds that grazed desert pastures separately during summer and winter in three consecutive years. GPS positions were acquired from 5 to 11 randomly selected cows of each breed and were classified based on movement velocity. Presumed grazing locations were used to calculate Ivlev{\textquoteright}s electivity index to determine preference (E>0) or avoidance (E<0) of pixels relative to thirteen pasture attributes including topography, vegetation, facilities, temperature, and moisture variables. Statistical mixed models were used to determine the effects of breed and season on selection of pixels. Separate analyses were conducted for each pasture attribute. Both breeds avoided areas far from water, but RC cows showed higher preference for pixels close to the drinker during the dormant season. RC cows appeared to exhibit a keener ability to select pixels with differing surface temperature, and greenness compared to AH counterparts. RC cows showed greater preference for pixels with high shrub density than AH counterparts in summer. During the dormant season, both breeds preferred sites with high shrub density. AH cows exhibited a strong preference for black grama pixels and higher avoidance of pixels with high density of other grasses. RC cows, did not select pixels with high black grama cover. Average electivity values for each pixel (grazing likelihood) revealed remarkable season differences between breeds. In summer, both breeds appeared to prefer similar portions of the pasture, whereas in winter, pixel preference (and hence spatial distribution) of breeds diverged significantly. Our study confirmed previously reported differences in landscape use patterns of RC vs. AH beef cattle.}, author = {S. Nyamuryekung{\textquoteright}e and Andr{\'e}s F. Cibils and Richard E. Estell and Amy L. Gonzalez and Matthew M. McIntosh and S. Spiegal} } @proceedings {JRN55351, title = {Performance of Lora-WAN sensors for precision livestock tracking and biosensing applications}, year = {2021}, month = {11/2021}, edition = {Nairobi, Kenya}, abstract = {This study investigated the integration of Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRa WAN) communication technology and sensors for use as Internet of Things (IoT) platform for Precision Livestock-Farming (PLF) applications. The research was conducted at New Mexico State University{\textquoteright}s Clayton Livestock Research Centre. The functionality of LoRA WAN communication technology and performance of LoRa WAN motion and GPS sensors were tested using static sensors that were placed either, a) outdoors and at incremental distances from the LoRa WAN gateway antenna (Field, n=6), or b) housed indoors and close to the same LoRa WAN gateway antenna (Indoor, n=5). Accelerometer data, reported as motion intensity index, and GPS location were acquired, transmitted and logged at 1 and 15 minute intervals, respectively. We evaluated the tracker{\textquoteright}s GPS accuracy (GPSBias as the euclidean distance between the actual and projected tracker location) and variables associated with the tracker{\textquoteright}s data transmission capabilities. The results indicate that field trackers had a greater accuracy for remote sensing of GPS locations compared to indoor trackers facing increasing communication interference to acquire satellite signals (GPSBias; 5.20 vs. 17.76 m; P<0.01). Overall, the trackers and deployments appeared to have a comparable GPS accuracy to other tracking devices and systems available in the market. The total data packets that were successfully transmitted were similar between the indoor and field trackers, but the number of data packets that were processed varied between the two deployments (P=0.02). Due to the static deployment of indoor and field trackers, activity data was almost non-existent for most devices. However, same trackers embedded on collars that were mounted on mature cattle showed clear diurnal patterns consistent with time budgets exerted by grazing cattle. The pilot testing of GPS and accelerometer sensors using LoRa WAN technology revealed reasonable sensor sensitivity and reliability for integration in PLF platforms.}, author = {S. Nyamuryekung{\textquoteright}e and Andr{\'e}s F. Cibils and Richard E. Estell and M. Funk and Matthew M. McIntosh and Andrew Cox and S. A. Utsumi and Huiping Cao and LE Boucheron and Qixu Gong and H. Chen and S. Spiegal and G. Duff and V. Gouvea and Carolina Brandani} } @article {JRN55191, title = {Do Young Calves Influence Movement Patterns of Nursing Raramuri Criollo Cows on Rangeland?}, journal = {Rangeland Ecology and Management}, volume = {73}, year = {2020}, month = {01/01/2020}, pages = {84-92}, abstract = {

We compared movement patterns of nursing versus non-nursing cows and characterized cow-calf proximity patterns over 2 years in two herds of Raramuri Criollo (RC) cattle that grazed either desert rangeland of southern New Mexico, United States, or woodlands of west-central Chihuahua, Mexico. At each site, 9{\textendash}14 randomly selected mature cows were fitted with Global Positioning System (GPS) collars configured to record animal position at 5-min intervals. Four to five GPS-collared nursing cows and their calves were also fitted with proximity loggers that recorded initiation time and duration of dam-calf contact events (\< 1 m logger-to-logger distance). All calves were \< 2 wk old at the onset of the study. Collared animals grazed with a herd of 30 and 35 cows at the NM site and with 68 and 87 cows at the Chihuahua site in 2015 and 2016, respectively. Non-nursing RC cows exhibited straighter travel paths and explored larger daily areas than their nursing counterparts. However, nursing and non-nursing RC cows in this study traveled similar distances each day, moved at comparable velocities, spent similar amounts of time close to drinkers, and did not differ in daily time spent grazing, resting, or traveling. A higher number of cow-calf contact events occurred during day versus nighttime hours, but total day versus night contact time was similar. As calves became older, the number of both day and nighttime contact events, as well as dam-offspring contact time, decreased significantly. Relative to their calves, dams explored larger areas of the pasture each day; however, cow-calf contact events occurred throughout the entire area grazed by the dams including areas surrounding the drinkers. Cow-calf interactions of RC cows resembled those of a strong follower regardless of the grazing environment and differed from previously reported mother-offspring relations in mainstream British beef cattle breeds.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.rama.2019.08.015}, url = {files/bibliography/20-008.pdf}, author = {S. Nyamuryekung{\textquoteright}e and Andr{\'e}s F. Cibils and Richard E. Estell and D. VanLeeuwen and Caitriana Steele and Roacho Estrada, O. and Felipe A. Rodr{\'\i}g Almeida and Amy L. Gonzalez and S. Spiegal} } @conference {JRN55144, title = {Body temperature and movement patterns of Raramuri Criollo vs. Angus-crossbred cows grazing Chihuahuan Desert rangeland in summer}, booktitle = {2019 ASAS-CSAS Annual Meeting and Trade Show }, year = {2019}, month = {07/10/2019}, publisher = {American Society of Animal Science}, organization = {American Society of Animal Science}, address = {Austin, Texas}, abstract = {

Body temperature and movement patterns of Angus Hereford crossbred (AH) vs. Raramuri Criollo (RC) nursing cows were monitored in summer 2016 and 2017. AH and RC cows grazed separately in two adjacent Chihuahuan Desert pastures (1190ha, 1165ha) in a crossover design for 4 weeks each year. Body temperature (BodyT) was monitored at 10 min intervals by placing blank CIDRs containing a temperature logger in 10 cows per breed. Seven to 9 AH and RC cows were also fitted with GPS collars that recorded position and ambient temperature (CollarT) at 10 min intervals. A landscape thermal map (LandT) was developed for habitat analysis. Data were analyzed within four daytime segments: dawn (sunrise {\textendash} 9AM); pre-noon (9AM {\textendash} noon); post-noon (noon {\textendash} 3PM); and dusk (3PM {\textendash} sunset). ANOVA was used to determine whether BodyT, animal movement, CollarT, and mean LandT position within each day segment were different for AH vs. RC cows. Breed nested within Year*Pasture was treated as the experimental unit. BodyT increased as a day progressed and was higher (P \< 0.05) in AH vs. RC during post-noon (38.83 vs. 38.42oC) and dusk (39.22 vs. 38.70oC). Compared to AH counterparts, RC cows traveled farther (4.7 vs. 2.7 km*daytime h-1, P\<0.05), at higher velocities (5.9 vs. 3.5 m*min-1, P\<0.05) and spent more time grazing (5.6 vs. 4.3 daytime h; P\<0.05) and traveling (0.7 vs. 0.3 daytime h; P\<0.05) during all four daytime segments. Largest breed differences were observed during the hottest segments of the day (post-noon and dusk). Increasing CollarT throughout a day was associated with selection of cooler landscape locations (LandT) in both breeds. Apparent lower body heat load in RC cows may reduce constraints on their movement patterns compared to AH cows grazing Chihuahuan Desert rangeland in summer.

}, author = {S. Nyamuryekung{\textquoteright}e and Andr{\'e}s F. Cibils and Richard E. Estell and Amy L. Gonzalez and Matthew M. McIntosh and S. Spiegal and Martha Anderson and Caitriana Steele and F. G. Continanza} } @conference {JRN54993, title = {Movement and Cow-calf proximity patterns of Raramuri Criollo vs. Angus-crossbred nursing cows grazing Chihuahuan Desert rangeland in summer}, booktitle = {72nd Society for Range Management International Meeting}, year = {2019}, month = {02/2019}, publisher = {Society for Range Management Meeting Abstracts}, organization = {Society for Range Management Meeting Abstracts}, address = {Minneapolis, Minnesota}, abstract = {

The objective of this study was to compare cow-calf proximity patterns of nursing Angus X Hereford (AH) and Raramuri Criollo (RC) cows in large Chihuahuan Desert pastures during the summers of 2016 and 2017. Eleven cow-calf pairs of each breed grazed two adjacent pastures (1190ha, 1165ha) separately in a crossover design, for 4 weeks per deployment. Within each breed, a group of randomly selected cows were fitted with GPS collars which recorded animal position at 10-min intervals. Proximity loggers configured to record number and duration of contact events (\< 1m distance) were also fitted on a subset of cow-calf pairs. All calves were \<2 weeks old at the onset of the study. Data from the dam{\textquoteright}s proximity loggers were used for analysis. The effect of breed (AH vs. RC) on duration and number of contact events, as well as distance traveled, path sinuosity, velocity, area explored, and time spent resting, grazing and traveling by the dams was determined via ANOVA. All variables were calculated for four daily periods: Midnight to Sunrise (AmNight); Sunrise to Noon (AmDay); Noon to Sunset (PmDay); and Sunset to Midnight (PmNight). Breed (Pasture*year) was treated as the experimental unit and differences were declared significant at P = 0.05.\  Number and duration of cow-calf contacts was highest during PmDay and lowest during AmNight and no breed-related differences were observed. RC cows traveled farther at higher velocities during AmNight, AmDay and PmDay and explored an area almost three times larger than the area explored by AH counterparts (152 vs. 57 ha). RC cows spent more time traveling during AmNight, AmDay and PmDay, more time grazing during AmNight and PmDay and less time resting during AmNight and PmDay than their AH counterparts. Our data suggest that RC calves impose fewer constraints on their dams{\textquoteright} grazing patterns compared to commonly-used British crossbreds when grazing the Chihuahuan Desert during summer.

}, author = {S. Nyamuryekung{\textquoteright}e and Andr{\'e}s F. Cibils and Richard E. Estell and Amy L. Gonzalez and Matthew M. McIntosh and S. Spiegal and F. G. Continanza} } @proceedings {JRN54868, title = {Mother-Offspring Interactions in Raramuri Criollo Cattle on New Mexico and Chihuahua (Mexico) Rangelands}, volume = {January 28-February 2, 2018}, year = {2018}, month = {01/28/2018}, publisher = {Society for Range Management Meeting Proceedings}, address = {Sparks, Nevada}, abstract = {

Rangeland beef cows spend approximately six months of a typical year raising their calf. This endeavor is known to significantly alter a dam{\textquoteright}s grazing behavior and spatial distribution patterns. The objective of this study was to characterize cow-calf contact events in two herds of Raramuri Criollo (RC) cattle that grazed rangeland pastures in southern New Mexico (NM, 4355 ha) and west-central Chihuahua, Mexico (623 ha). At each site, five to nine randomly selected mature nursing cows were fitted with Lotek 3300LR GPS collars and Sirtrak proximity loggers. GPS collars recorded animal position at 5-min intervals, whereas proximity loggers recorded initiation time and duration of mother-offspring contact events (\<3m distance). All calves were \<2 weeks old at the onset of the study. Collared animals grazed with a herd of 30 and 35 cows at the NM site and with 68 and 87 cows at the Chihuahua site in 2015 and 2016, respectively. We computed number of contact events and duration of each event for 24h time periods, and for daytime and nighttime hours. ANOVA was used to determine if contact events and duration of each event changed as a function of calf age or time of day (day vs. nighttime). We also determined whether daily area explored by a cow and its calf differed. Day vs. nighttime mother-offspring contact events and contact time were not different (P=0.05). Dams explored larger areas of the pasture than did their calves on any given day (40.3 vs. 29.2 ha; P= 0.0249). Cow-calf interactions tended to decrease and mother-offspring difference in daily area explored tended to increase as calves became older. Our results suggest that RC calves follow their dams during daily grazing bouts and are likely to constrain their dams{\textquoteright} feeding site selection the most during the first weeks after calving.

}, author = {S. Nyamuryekung{\textquoteright}e and Andr{\'e}s F. Cibils and Richard E. Estell and Amy L. Gonzalez and Roacho-Estrada, J.O. and Rodriguez-Almedia, F. A. and S. Spiegal} } @proceedings {JRN54664, title = {Behavior of Raramuri Criollo vs. Angus-crossbred cows in relation to desert summer ambient heat conditions}, year = {2017}, month = {01/29/2017}, publisher = {Society for Range Management}, address = {St. George, Utah}, abstract = {

Cattle in the Chihuahuan Desert are exposed to extreme temperatures during certain times of year. We examined relationships between temperature and behavior for Angus Hereford (AH) and Raramuri Criollo (RC) cattle. We monitored 10 mature nursing cows of each breed that grazed separately in each of two adjacent pastures (1190ha, 1165ha) during July 2015 for 26 days. Five individuals per group were fitted with Lotek 3300 GPS collars set to record location and temperature at 10 min intervals. Collar temperature sensors were located on the GPS motherboards within plastic encasements that hung below the animals{\textquoteright} necks. Sensors were presumed to record ambient temperature in the proximity of the collared animal. We calculated distance traveled, movement velocity, time spent within 100m of water, vegetation selection, and collar temperature during the hottest (1:00-3:00PM; H) and coolest (6:00 {\textendash} 8:00AM; C) hours of each day. We also calculated the difference between temperature readings recorded by the collars and by a weather station located 3 km away. \ We used a repeated measures mixed ANOVA to quantify differences between the breeds{\textquoteright} distribution, behavior, and temperature. Each collared cow was treated as an experimental unit. During H hours, RC cows traveled 40 m farther (P\<0.01), moved 4.7 m/min faster (P\<0.01), spent less time close to water (-18 min; P\<0.01), exhibited higher preference for vegetation types with least shade (bare ground, P\<0.01), and had collar temperatures that were 1.3 oC hotter (P\<0.01) than AH counterparts. Temperature differences between collar and weather station records for H hours was also greater for RC (+ 2.7 oC) than for AH (+1.5 oC) cows (P\<0.01). During C hours, differences between breeds were either considerably smaller or non-existent. With our preliminary data analysis, RC cows may be better able to withstand the hot summers of the Chihuahuan Desert compared to commonly-used British crossbreds.

}, author = {S. Nyamuryekung{\textquoteright}e and Andr{\'e}s F. Cibils and Richard E. Estell and Amy L. Gonzalez and Cano, D. E. and S. Spiegal} } @conference {JRN54632, title = {Movement and spatial proximity patterns of rangeland-raised Raramuri Criollo cow-calf pairs}, booktitle = {Journal of Animal Science Supplement}, year = {2016}, month = {07/2016}, publisher = {Journal of the Animal Science }, organization = {Journal of the Animal Science }, abstract = {
The objective of this study was to compare movement patterns of nursing vs. nonnursing mature cows and to characterize cow-calf proximity patterns in two herds of Raramuri Criollo cattle. Herds grazed rangeland pastures in southern New Mexico (4355 ha) and west-central Chihuahua, Mexico (633 ha){\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} At each site, five nursing and four nonnursing adult cows weighing approximately 325 kg were fitted with Lotek 3300 LR GPS collars which recorded animal position at 10-min intervals for 25 d during March to April 2015. Nursing cows and their calves were also fitted with Sirtrack proximity loggers that recorded number and length of dam-calf contact events (\<m distance). All calves were \<2 wk old at the onset of the study. Collared animals grazed with a herd of 30 and 68 adult cows at the NM and Chihuahua sites, respectively. Distance traveled and path sinuosity of cows and time spent by calves within 3 m of their dam and number of dam-calf contact events during day and nighttime hours were calculated. \ Movement data were subjected to ANOVA to determine effect of cow state (nursing vs. nonnursing) on distance traveled and path sinuosity. ANOVA was also used to determine if calves spent similar amounts of time within 3 m of their dam during day vs. nighttime hours. PROC MIXED (SAS 9.3) with a randomized complete block design was used for statistical analyses. No differences were detected in distance traveled by nursing and nonnursing cows over a 24-h period (8.43 vs. 8.56 {\textpm} 0.29 km; P = 0.67), daytime (5.47 km vs. 5.75 {\textpm} 0.24 km; P = 0.24), or nighttime hours (2.96 vs. 2.80 {\textpm} 0.15 km; P = 0.32). However, nighttime/daytime ratio of distance traveled was greater for nursing cows (0.62 vs. 0.55 {\textpm} 0.08; P = 0.05). \ Nursing cows exhibited more sinuous 24 h travel trajectories compared with nonnursing counterparts (0.13 vs. 0.18 {\textpm} 0.05 km; P \< 0.01). Calves spent on average 66.9 {\textpm} 3.41 min/d within 3 m of their dam, distributed over 86.4 {\textpm} 3.7 proximity events/d. Minutes spent by calves within 3 m of their dam were not different for day vs. nighttime periods (P = 0.07); however, more contact events occurred during daytime hours (predawn = 13.8; AM = 26.1; PM = 22.0; postsunset = 24.5 {\textpm} 2.02 contact events). Physiological state of Criollo cows affected their movement patterns in large rangeland pastures.
}, author = {S. Nyamuryekung{\textquoteright}e and Andr{\'e}s F. Cibils and Richard E. Estell and Amy L. Gonzalez and Roacho-Estrada, J.O. and Rodriguez-Almedia, F. A.} } @proceedings {JRN54633, title = {Use of a UAV-mounted video camera to assess feeding behavior of Raramuri Criollo cows}, year = {2016}, month = {07/2016}, pages = {1070-1072}, publisher = {International Rangeland Congress}, address = {Saskatchewan, Canada}, abstract = {

Interest in use of unmanned aerial vehicles in science has increased in recent years. It is predicted that they will be a preferred remote sensing platform for applications that inform sustainable rangeland management in the future. The objective of this study was to determine whether UAV video monitoring could be used to predict intake of food by beef cows. A series of tests were conducted in an arena with three food types and video footage was obtained with a quadcopter fitted with a digital camera. Tests were first conducted to determine if sound from the UAV altered feeding behavior. A second experiment was conducted to determine if UAV video monitoring could be used to predict intake of known amounts of food. Number and length of visits to feeders were monitored for each cow in both experiments and correlated with amount of food eaten. No effect of sound on intake was detected. Strong positive correlations were observed between feeding frequency observations from UAV video footage analysis and actual amount of food consumed from each feeder. However, battery length limited observations to approximately five minutes per flight. Further development of UAV power sources is needed to provide greater flight autonomy for use of this tool in rangeland environments.

}, url = {files/bibliography/16-015.pdf}, author = {S. Nyamuryekung{\textquoteright}e and Andr{\'e}s F. Cibils and Richard E. Estell and Amy L. Gonzalez} } @article {JRN54649, title = {Use of an unmanned aerial vehicle-mounted video camera to assess feeding behavior of Raramuri Criollo cows}, journal = {Rangeland Ecology and Management}, volume = {69}, year = {2016}, month = {09/2016}, pages = {386-389}, abstract = {

We determined the feasibility of using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) video monitoring to predict intake of discrete food items of rangeland-raised Raramuri Criollo non-nursing beef cows. Thirty-five cows were released into a 405-m2 rectangular dry lot, either in pairs (pilot tests) or individually (experiment tests), that contained 12 food bowls arranged in an open semicircle and placed approximately 1 m apart. Four bowls containing either long alfalfa hay (AH, 200 g), long Sudangrass hay (SH, 200 g), or cottonseed cake (CC, 50 g) were alternated (CC, AH, SH) using the same sequence in all tests. Video footage of all arena tests was acquired with a three-dimensional Robotics Y6 Multi-copter fitted with a two-axis brushless gimbal and a GoPro Hero 3 Silver Digital Camera. Video files were processed to extract a total of 4893 two-second-interval still images that were viewed to determine cow feeding activity. Cows that were na{\"\i}ve to the sound of the UAV fed as frequently (P \> 0.05) as their adapted counterparts during 12-min pilot tests. Significant positive correlations (r = 0.68-0.91; P \< 0.05) between video-derived feeding frequency estimates and amount of AH, SH, and CC consumed per bowl were observed during the individual 4-min experiment tests. Our results suggest that UAV video monitoring could be a useful tool to monitor feeding behavior of rangeland cows.

}, doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2016.04.005}, url = {files/bibliography/16-022.pdf}, author = {S. Nyamuryekung{\textquoteright}e and Andr{\'e}s F. Cibils and Richard E. Estell and Amy L. Gonzalez} } @conference {JRN54618, title = {Vegetation selection by Angus crossbred vs. Raramuri Criollo nursing cows grazing Chihuauan Desert rangeland in summer}, booktitle = {69th Annual Meeting of the Society for Range Managment}, year = {2016}, month = {12/2016}, publisher = {Society for Range Management}, organization = {Society for Range Management}, address = {Corpus Christi, TX}, abstract = {
We examined vegetation selection patterns of nursing Angus X Hereford crossbred (AH) and Raramuri Criollo (RC) cows grazing Chihuahuan Desert vegetation during the growing season. Eleven cows of each group grazed separately in two large pastures (1190ha, 1165ha) from mid-July until mid-August 2015 (28 days). GPS coordinates were recorded at 10 min intervals on five cows of each group. Vegetation in the pastures included honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) intermixed with perennial grasses on sandy soils or tobosa (Pleuraphis mutica) and burrograss (Schleropogon brevifolius) in lower areas with clayey soils. GPS data were overlaid on a vegetation map of the pastures in ArcGIS. Mapped vegetation types were: bare ground, burrograss, mesquite, mesquite dunes, other shrubs, Sporobolus spp., and tobosa. Ivlev{\textquoteright}s electivity index (E) for each vegetation type was calculated for all collared cows (n=10). A t-test revealed statistical differences in E between groups for all seven vegetation types. Compared to AH cows, RC showed higher preference for bare ground areas presumably dominated by annuals (ERC = 0.34; EAH = -1.00; P\<0.01) and burrograss areas (ERC = 0.19; EAH = -0.25; P\<0.01), lower preference for mesquite (ERC = 0.03; EAH = 0.13; P = 0.02), mesquite dunes (ERC = -0.08; EAH = 0.02; P\<0.01), and tobosa grasslands (ERC = -0.11; EAH = 0.12; P\<0.01), and lower avoidance of other shrubs (ERC = -0.26; EAH = -0.70; P= 0.04) and Sporobolus areas (ERC = -0.42; EAH = -0.88; P\<0.01). Our preliminary results suggest that RC cows employ foraging strategies during the growing season that differ significantly from AH cows which are commonly used in our region. \ 
}, author = {S. Nyamuryekung{\textquoteright}e and Andr{\'e}s F. Cibils and Richard E. Estell and Amy L. Gonzalez} }