AI technology sends live data to farmers

Fitness trackers have become a popular accessory. They are widespread in the cowshed at least – but there they are increasingly becoming a kind of giant pill to be swallowed. Such systems are becoming more and more widespread on German dairy farms, says Uta König von Borstel of the University of Giessen. This is linked to the hope of working more efficiently and saving time.

The so-called bolus resembles a large pill capsule and contains a series of sensors and transmitters. Each cow receives it through a pipe in the net. It remains there throughout their lives and is only removed again at the slaughterhouse.

A special device currently has many buyers: the system from the Austrian company Smaxtec. It promises a lot of information about, among other things, possible diseases, impending calving or the onset of heat – the stage in which the cow is able to fertilize.

Wake up less at night

For farmers, information about when a calf will be born is particularly useful, explains König von Borstel, professor at the Institute of Animal Breeding and Companion Genetics. “Using reliable systems, this saves one or two nightly inspections or at least a check of the cameras in the maternity shed.”

Accurate temperature prediction is important for farm efficiency: only successfully inseminated cows and calves after nine months produce milk. The estrus index is derived from increased animal activity.

The fitness tracker is inserted into the cows' network and sends data from there

Source: Smackstick

During calving, this is the development of body temperature: it decreases in the period preceding calving, explains Emmy Dietrich, Head of the Livestock Breeding Department at the Schleswig-Holstein Chamber of Agriculture. However, a low temperature can also be an indicator of a metabolic disorder such as milk fever caused by a calcium deficiency – on the other hand, increased values ​​can mean that the cow is suffering from an infection or inflammation.

Dietrich explains that the farmer then receives a short message on his cell phone, for example, informing him that cow 312 has an elevated temperature and can search for that animal specifically. Such news is currently increasing on many farms, due to bluetongue disease, which is widely spread in livestock herds.

The number of companies halved

In general, large companies can obtain a lot of information every day. “On average, dairy farms in Schleswig-Holstein, for example, have around 200 cows, some much more,” explains Dietrich. This is a result of the structural change towards smaller but larger farms: according to the German Farmers Association, there were still 101,000 dairy cows in Germany in 2008 – last year there were only 51,700.

Dietrich says that measured values ​​such as those offered by Smaxtec can help intervene if, for example, an animal is only slightly – and therefore not necessarily obviously – ill. “If the udder infection is treated early, fewer antibiotics may be needed. If the metabolic disorder is treated as soon as possible, the dairy cow can return to its original performance more quickly.”

The decision remains with the farmer himself

The basic requirement is that farm managers and herd managers can see and handle the large amount of data sensibly. “A system like this rises and falls with the people who use it,” says König von Borstel. It is conceivable that average milk production will rise again and cows will be sorted later than before if the systems are used fully and optimally. “In practice, farmers are often overwhelmed by a deluge of data – on top of all the other tasks assigned to them.”

Dietrich says today's farmer must be a true data scientist. König von Borstel adds that the extent of the use of measurements and artificial intelligence continues to increase. The list of currently prominent animals should be checked at least once a day, preferably twice a day – hence it is important to look at these cows in the stable.

“The distinction between the exact problem present is not always clear based on the data provided by the bolus,” the expert explains. It does not work without looking at the animal and knowing the circumstances surrounding it. Dietrich also emphasizes that data supports decisions, but does not take them away from the farmer. “It is still necessary for him to go and take care of the animals himself.”

Animal health expert Albert Sundrum also emphasizes this aspect. He believes that a farm manager's regular monitoring of his animals is far more important than new and expensive technologies such as bolus systems. These devices are not primarily about animal care, but rather about potential labor time savings and increased efficiency. The fundamental problem of high average morbidity and mortality rates, which has been around for decades, will not be solved with sensors.

5 instead of 20 years of life

Cows can actually live for more than 20 years, but on dairy farms they are weaned off after five years on average, according to the Farmers' Association. He suffers from many diseases.

On average, more than 80 percent of diseases in dairy cows were due to nutritional disorders, explains Sandrum, former head of the Department of Animal Nutrition and Animal Health at the University of Kassel. “There is huge variation in nutrient requirements within a herd, so animal-specific nutrition is really going to be essential.” This can help in dividing cows into groups according to their performance level and providing them with targeted care. Sundrum recommends allowing animals to walk over an automatic livestock scale every day. Individual animal deviations can be identified early using weight data series and nutrient supplies can be adjusted.

30 million tons of milk annually

Germany has very heterogeneous dairy farm structures – “from small farms with a few cows in tethered housing to farms with 1,000 cows and more,” explains König von Borstel. According to the German Farmers Association, there are a total of about 3.7 million dairy cows (as of May 2024). With more than 30 million tons per year, Germany is the largest producer of cow's milk within the European Union.

Collecting a lot of data is by no means new. “For a long time, the most important data source was milk performance testing,” explains König von Borstel. The fat and protein content is checked, and from it it can be concluded whether the cow is suffering from a deficiency or an oversupply, the expert explains. Urea is an indicator of the cow's protein supply.

Little has been done regarding animal welfare

Sundrum, the animal health expert, says data collection has not achieved any conclusive improvements in animal welfare — where freedom from disease is a necessary first condition. “The majority of cows still have a fairly painful disease, mainly due to udder problems and metabolic disorders, or are lame.”

The main problem is the precarious situation of German livestock farmers, who are forced to keep up with world trade prices despite this country's very high production costs. “The economic framework does not leave much room for measures that do not aim to increase productivity,” Sundrum explained recently in the specialized magazine. “Frontiers in Zoology”.

Consequently, annual milk production per cow has more than quadrupled over the past 75 years. Depending on the breed, their average weight currently ranges between about 6,000 kilograms (Jersey) and 10,000 kilograms (Holstein), according to the Farmers' Association.

One problem, Sundrum says, is a persistent training deficit. “There is still a lot of room to improve the biological knowledge of many farmers. This is at least partly due to the fact that in Germany there are almost no penalties for high disease rates – which can happen on small organic farms as well.” As is the case on large, conventionally operated farms. Even if many people assume this, pasture farming does not automatically mean that cows are better off than those kept in stables.

The reputation of German products is at risk

“Theoretically, a food production license can be revoked if there is no animal welfare,” Sandrum explains. “But this happens very rarely, and only happens after a long period of time.” Instead, the issue of massive health problems in dairy cows is considered taboo and is politically and agriculturally suppressed. “We've come further in other places,” confirms Sundrum.

Denmark, for example, is increasingly focusing on products derived from healthy animals. Companies that do well will be rewarded, while others are initially supported in an advisory capacity – including clear boundaries beyond which sanctions may be imposed.

Sundrum is convinced that with such models in mind, the competitiveness of German products is increasingly declining. The country continues to thrive thanks to its international reputation for high-quality products of animal origin. “Other countries have long shown us how to do it right.”

R.N.D./D.A