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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 50(1)

Continuous monitoring of ruminal pH using wireless telemetry

N. Phillips A E , T. Mottram B , D. Poppi A C , D. Mayer D and M. R. McGowan A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia.

B Well Cow Ltd, Roslin Bioscience Centre, Scotland.

C School of Animal Studies, University of Queensland, Gatton, Qld 4343, Australia.

D Animal Science, Department of Primary Industries, Brisbane, Qld 4001, Australia.

E Corresponding author. Email: n.phillips@uq.edu.au

Animal Production Science 50(1) 72-77 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN09027
Submitted: 18 February 2009  Accepted: 14 October 2009   Published: 17 December 2009

Abstract

This paper describes the performance of a prototype telemetric intraruminal bolus that measures and records pH continuously, can be delivered orally to the reticulum via bolling gun, has no external attachments and allows unrestricted activity of the animal. When interrogated by wireless the bolus transmits the recorded data to an operator standing beside the animal with a handheld receiving station. Boluses were placed in fistulated animals to enable direct comparison with samples obtained directly from the rumen and measured with a laboratory instrument. Overall, the mean (±s.d.) pH recorded on the manually collected samples (pH 6.64 ± 0.67) was generally less than that of the continuously measured telemetric system (pH 7.03 ± 0.54) with a correlation of r = 0.93 (P < 0.01). Data are presented to show typical diurnal and grain-enforced changes in pH recorded in a rumen over a 70-day period. The development of the Well Cow pH bolus device potentially enables researchers, dairy farmers and feedlot managers to monitor rumen function of any ruminant over prolonged periods without the need for invasive sampling. Enemark et al. (2003) considered that a 14–21-day observational period is required to properly monitor for conditions such as subacute ruminal acidosis. Whilst significant correlation (P < 0.01; r = 0.982) existed between the two readings for the first 40 days of continuous recording, the Well Cow pH bolus reading started to deviate significantly from the directly measured value thereafter. Regardless, a continuously measuring functional life of up to 40 days indicates that the current prototype has the capacity to accurately detect subacute ruminal acidosis.

Additional keywords: acidosis, bovine, datalogger, rumen.


Acknowledgements

The research group would like to thank Mr Andrew Gibbon, Les Gardner and Michael Halliday at Mt Cotton Farm for their provision and maintenance of cattle, and their professional assistance with sample collection.


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