A Comparison of Artificial Intelligence and Human Observation in the Assessment of Cattle Handling and Slaughter
Simple Summary
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. The Animals and the Facility
2.2. AI Training
2.3. Video Sample Selection
2.4. Human Evaluators
2.5. Statistical Analysis
3. Results
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Outcome | Definition and Additional Information |
---|---|
Stunning | An effective stun, as defined by the facility, was when only one stun was administered. The video was recorded as rea deficiency when more than one stun was administered to the animal. This was evaluated in the knock box. |
Electric Prod Usage | A video was recorded as documenting a deficiency when an animal handler touched an animal with an electric prod. This was evaluated in the single-file chute leading up to the knock box. |
Falling | A fall was defined as when an animal loses an upright position suddenly in which a part of the body other than the limbs touches the ground. The video was recorded as a deficiency if this event was present. This was evaluated in the pens, the drive alley, and the unloading area. |
Pen Crowding | To make this assessment, both a map of the pen and information regarding the length of stay (short, <3 h, vs. long, >3 h) were needed, as there were different pen capacities depending on these factors. The video was recorded as a deficiency if the animal limit was exceeded for any of the pens in view during the video. This was evaluated in the holding pens. |
Questionable Handling Event | The video was recorded as a deficiency if there was an event present that included unusual or suspicious activity that could be considered egregious (e.g., a flagrant or intentional violation of animal welfare), such as hitting an animal with a gate, kicking an animal, or prodding it in a sensitive area. This was evaluated in all of the videos. |
No Deficiency | If none of the above-listed outcomes were present in the video, it was considered compliant and recorded as “No Deficiency”. This was evaluated in all of the videos. |
Handling Outcome | # of Videos Included in Analysis | Evaluator 1 1 | Evaluator 2 1 | Evaluator 3 2 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Stunning | 27 | 1.00 | 0.92 | 1.00 |
Electric Prod Usage | 31 | 0.96 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
Falling | 50 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
Pen Crowding | 45 | 0.88 | 0.83 | 0.88 |
Questionable Animal Handling Event | 112 | 0.50 | 0.50 | 0.80 |
No Deficiency | 112 | 0.88 | 0.88 | 0.94 |
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Edwards-Callaway, L.; Loh, H.Y.; Kautsky, C.; Sullivan, P. A Comparison of Artificial Intelligence and Human Observation in the Assessment of Cattle Handling and Slaughter. Animals 2025, 15, 1325. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15091325
Edwards-Callaway L, Loh HY, Kautsky C, Sullivan P. A Comparison of Artificial Intelligence and Human Observation in the Assessment of Cattle Handling and Slaughter. Animals. 2025; 15(9):1325. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15091325
Chicago/Turabian StyleEdwards-Callaway, Lily, Huey Yi Loh, Carina Kautsky, and Paxton Sullivan. 2025. "A Comparison of Artificial Intelligence and Human Observation in the Assessment of Cattle Handling and Slaughter" Animals 15, no. 9: 1325. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15091325
APA StyleEdwards-Callaway, L., Loh, H. Y., Kautsky, C., & Sullivan, P. (2025). A Comparison of Artificial Intelligence and Human Observation in the Assessment of Cattle Handling and Slaughter. Animals, 15(9), 1325. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15091325