Abstract

Calving in cattle is divided into two main stages: dilation and expulsion, during which timely assistance can reduce reproductive losses. This study presents a smart ear-mounted device as a proof-of-concept heart-rate monitoring platform for calving-stage assessment in dairy cows. The prototype preserves the form factor of a conventional ear tag and integrates a MAX30105 optical sensor, an Arduino Nano microcontroller, local micro-SD storage, and an autonomous power supply. Field tests were conducted in Holstein cows at Rancho El Pinar, Trancoso, Zacatecas, Mexico. Heart rate was recorded every 10 min and grouped according to physiological stages around calving. The results showed distinctive heart rate patterns, with higher values during dilation and lower values after delivery, supporting the use of ear-mounted heart rate monitoring as a non-invasive descriptive marker of stage-related physiological variation around labor. An average temperature profile from 70 h before to 50 h after calving was also incorporated as complementary descriptive evidence of peripartum physiological variation. Because heart rate is a non-specific physiological variable affected by stress, movement, ambient temperature, feeding, health status, and sensor contact, the present study does not propose HR as a stand-alone or definitive predictor of calving or dystocia. Instead, the device is presented as a proof-of-concept platform for future multi-indicator monitoring and validation studies. The proposed system is presented as a proof-of-concept invention that combines a practical wearable format with physiological monitoring and a conceptual decision-support logic that remains to be validated and integrated with additional indicators before any field implementation.

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