REVOLUTIONARY new 3D video monitoring technology is delivering economic and environmental benefits and supporting animal welfare at a leading land-based college.
Coleg Cambria Llysfasi has installed HerdVision at its working farm and is already reaping the benefits.
As well having a positive financial and sustainability impact the Smart Agriculture system – which uses 2D and 3D infared camera technology, combined with smart algorithms and edge processing, to capture data which is sent to a server to be viewed on an app within seconds – has a major effect on the animal’s health, fertility and milk production.
Cambria has 280 dairy cows on site and each one is monitored daily, providing an “early warning” which “may not always be picked up by the naked eye” to ensure the cattle remain productive and efficient.
Llysfasi Farm Manager Dewi Jones said: “We installed HerdVision at the start of the academic year in September and are already seeing the benefits.
“The system monitors locomotion and body condition, which is invaluable when considering milk production, fertility, foot trimming and other factors.
“It doesn’t take away from the skill and instinct of knowing the animals, their behaviours and picking up on issues naturally – lameness or loss of appetite, for example – but gives you more information to help shape decision making and can anticipate when problems arise and how best to deal with them.”
He added: “The cows go through the cameras twice a day and the data is sent straight to us, which is incredible.
“It has been particularly useful for students as we move more towards precision agriculture, the detail for individual cows but also the group dynamic, any changes and what solutions we need – it’s a phenomenal tool and has been a great addition to the technology we already have here.”
Automated detection of lame cows allows early intervention and a significant reduction in the cost of the debilitating disease.
Live mobility monitoring via HerdVision allows for early treatment – the key to rapid and complete recovery, with minimal disturbance to the cow and her productivity.
The digital camera ‘in-box’ analysis software and cloud computing, brought together in a web interface, enables farmers, their vets and nutritionists, to make use of precise, consistent and regular outcome measurements 365 days a year.
HerdVision Co-founder and CEO Matthew Dobbs said this new technology is going global and already being used in countries including the US, New Zealand, Uruguay and across Europe.
“We are thrilled to be working with Coleg Cambria and pleased they have felt significant benefits and a positive impact in past months,” he said.
“Ultimately, HerdVision can measure and monitor animals to much greater detail allowing early warning and insight, which is especially important with larger dairy herds.
Hannah Grummett, Relationship Manager for HerdVision and the college, added: “We can monitor body score literally to the millimetre, so there is a very precise picture of their health and welfare.
“This is just part of the solution, we work with the farm – in this case the college – and other partners, vets and advisors as a whole team to ensure efficiency and sustainability.”
HerdVision’s Chief Veterinary Officer Georgia Thresh echoed those words and said the system itself will make a difference for the next generation of dairy farmers and veterinary surgeons.
“With vision technology if you can see it, you can measure it, so we look forward to continuing our partnership with Coleg Cambria and seeing where that technology takes us in the years ahead,” she added.
For more information, visit the website: HerdVision | Automated cow health and productivity monitoring.