HerdGPS-Preprocessor—A Tool to Preprocess Herd Animal GPS Data; Applied to Evaluate Contact Structures in Loose-Housing Horses

摘要

Many studies are working with GPS sensors to track farm animals in order to gather information related to the animals’ health, the use of space and resources provided to the animals or their social contacts. When a herd of animals is tracked uninterruptedly, a huge amount of data is generated. Furthermore, problems like the limited battery life of wireless sensors have to be dealt with. This article presents the software “HerdGPS-Preprocessor” for the preparation of GPS data collected from an animal herd. The GPS data is provided cleaned and organized, such that the output files enable direct statistical analysis. Additionally, contact lists are output to enable network analyses. This study also delivers an example analysis with the “HerdGPS-Preprocessor”, in which GPS data of forty horses kept in a loose-housing barn were used to visualise and analyse contact networks. From the calculation of network parameters (density, diameter) and metrics associated to the clique structure of the horses, resting and activity phases could be distinguished. Furthermore, by network analysis it was shown that pasture opening and the visiting times of horse owners affect the contact structure. Thus, “HerdGPS-Preprocessor” is a valuable tool in studies collecting GPS data from herd animals.