Sheep in Northampton use smart device as a sensor

Lameness is a clinical symptom related to movement disorder in the locomotion systems of the animal. It is considered one of the primary welfare concerns in the sheep industry in the UK due to the annual loss, which is estimated to be £10 for each ewe according to a 2016 Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board report. This research aims to develop an automatic model for early detection of lameness in sheep by analysing the data that will be retrieved from a sensor mounted on a collar on the sheep’s neck. This extensive spatiotemporal data will be classified to infer the associated behaviour of the lame sheep. The prior detection of the lame sheep will be expected to decrease the prevalence of lameness and enable the shepherd to react quickly with better treatment.