Predicting Dairy Calf Body Weight from Depth Images Using Deep Learning (YOLOv8) and Threshold Segmentation with Cross-Validation and Longitudinal Analysis

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Liao, Mingsi, Morota, Gota, Bi, Ye, Cockrum, Rebecca R.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Liao, Mingsi
Morota, Gota
Bi, Ye
Cockrum, Rebecca R.
author_facet Liao, Mingsi
Morota, Gota
Bi, Ye
Cockrum, Rebecca R.
contents Monitoring calf body weight (BW) before weaning is essential for assessing growth, feed efficiency, health, and weaning readiness. However, labor, time, and facility constraints limit BW collection. Additionally, Holstein calf coat patterns complicate image-based BW estimation, and few studies have explored non-contact measurements taken at early time points for predicting later BW. The objectives of this study were to (1) develop deep learning-based segmentation models for extracting calf body metrics, (2) compare deep learning segmentation with threshold-based methods, and (3) evaluate BW prediction using single-time-point cross-validation with linear regression (LR) and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) and multiple-time-point cross-validation with LR, XGBoost, and a linear mixed model (LMM). Depth images from Holstein (n = 63) and Jersey (n = 5) pre-weaning calves were collected, with 20 Holstein calves being weighed manually. Results showed that You Only Look Once version 8 (YOLOv8) deep learning segmentation (intersection over union = 0.98) outperformed threshold-based methods (0.89). In single-time-point cross-validation, XGBoost achieved the best BW prediction (R^2 = 0.91, mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) = 4.37%), while LMM provided the most accurate longitudinal BW prediction (R^2 = 0.99, MAPE = 2.39%). These findings highlight the potential of deep learning for automated BW prediction, enhancing farm management.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2504_17943
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Predicting Dairy Calf Body Weight from Depth Images Using Deep Learning (YOLOv8) and Threshold Segmentation with Cross-Validation and Longitudinal Analysis
Liao, Mingsi
Morota, Gota
Bi, Ye
Cockrum, Rebecca R.
Image and Video Processing
Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition
Monitoring calf body weight (BW) before weaning is essential for assessing growth, feed efficiency, health, and weaning readiness. However, labor, time, and facility constraints limit BW collection. Additionally, Holstein calf coat patterns complicate image-based BW estimation, and few studies have explored non-contact measurements taken at early time points for predicting later BW. The objectives of this study were to (1) develop deep learning-based segmentation models for extracting calf body metrics, (2) compare deep learning segmentation with threshold-based methods, and (3) evaluate BW prediction using single-time-point cross-validation with linear regression (LR) and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) and multiple-time-point cross-validation with LR, XGBoost, and a linear mixed model (LMM). Depth images from Holstein (n = 63) and Jersey (n = 5) pre-weaning calves were collected, with 20 Holstein calves being weighed manually. Results showed that You Only Look Once version 8 (YOLOv8) deep learning segmentation (intersection over union = 0.98) outperformed threshold-based methods (0.89). In single-time-point cross-validation, XGBoost achieved the best BW prediction (R^2 = 0.91, mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) = 4.37%), while LMM provided the most accurate longitudinal BW prediction (R^2 = 0.99, MAPE = 2.39%). These findings highlight the potential of deep learning for automated BW prediction, enhancing farm management.
title Predicting Dairy Calf Body Weight from Depth Images Using Deep Learning (YOLOv8) and Threshold Segmentation with Cross-Validation and Longitudinal Analysis
topic Image and Video Processing
Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.17943