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How Smart Technologies Contribute to Happy Cows and Sustainable Dairy Farming

Michele Catinari — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 17:00:12 +0000

Faced with tighter margins and the growing demand for milk products globally, today’s dairy industry is trending towards farms with larger, high-performance herds. This means not only more complex operations but also increased scrutiny on a wide range of environmental and socio-cultural issues: challenges with manure waste and its impact on soil, water, and air quality, concerns about greenhouse gas emissions, or concerns about the use of antibiotics, to name a few.

For farm managers, it’s not just low milk prices and high feed costs causing headaches. Today’s landscape is challenging on a whole new level, demanding new skills along with new levels of efficiency. To meet the challenge – to manage the complexity, keep their operations profitable, and fulfill the growing list of requirements and demands – farmers are turning to smart technologies for help. And it’s making a difference.

Smart farming – the new normal

Dr. Beate Maassen-Francke is Product Manager Farm Management Software at GEA, being a global leader in the dairy industry technology and an early mover in smart dairy farming solutions. With over 22 years of experience in the industry, she’s been there to see smart dairy farming take root.

“I remember the feeding computer Codatron 80, one of the first ‘smart’ farming solutions back in the 90s,”

she recalls.

According to a recent German Bitkom study, almost one in two farms in Germany, for example, are using intelligent feeding systems and almost as many are using agricultural apps for smartphones or tablets. Twenty-one percent of German dairy farms already use milking robots, with demand growing around the world.

And according to the latest study from Dutch ABN AMRO bank, the worldwide market for agricultural robots can double in size in five years’ time.

“Optimal herd management on the farm has now become one of the most important success factors for modern and sustainable livestock farming,”

says Maassen-Francke. And more and more often today, optimal herd management means relying on smart technologies: sensors, robots, digital tools, and software.

Better work for farmers

Effective time management is a critical success factor for today’s dairy farmers.

“To get through their to-do list for the day, herd managers absolutely need to be more time-independent. They need to be informed in real-time on where and when to intervene,”

says Maassen-Francke.

Combining sensors and software with mobile devices allows farmers the flexibility of not having to be in the barn or in front of the PC around the clock. Moreover, mobile devices allow all employees across the farm to stay up to date and to coordinate more effectively.

The increasingly IT-based nature of work on the farm may be benefitting the industry in other ways, too. Dr. Ute Müller from the University of Bonn’s Institute of Animal Sciences sees smart technologies making agriculture attractive again to younger people.

“It has been difficult to recruit talent in rural regions because of associations with herd management as a strenuous and generally outdated method of work. But this is fortunately changing. In my daily work with my students, I see them getting excited about combining their practical and scientific knowledge with the power of IT to manage the complexity of modern-day dairy operations. This is an important element that we shouldn’t underestimate in terms of the long-term sustainability of agriculture and its required industry itself,”

she says.

Better health for cows

The “big data” generated by today’s dairy farms are also improving animal health. With GEA’s CowScout system, on the market since 2012, it is possible to track each cow’s activity data, such as lying and eating times. With its heat detection feature, the CowScout also provides data on the optimum time for insemination. The CowScout sensors continuously measure the cow’s behavior – 24/7 every day throughout the year – CowScout generates an alert if the cow’s behavior deviates from her usual activity patterns, comparing her behavior to the previous weeks rolling average. A new optional positioning function allows for faster locating of cows and thus immediate action.

Another example is GEA’s DairyMilk M6850 cell count sensor, which uses patented sensor-based technology to measure somatic cell count classes in milk for earlier detection of mastitis. By analyzing milk at each udder quarter individually, the sensor gives farmers a new level of early detection capability to protect the health of their herds.

“Real-time data and analysis allow managers and veterinarians to intervene earlier with targeted action so cows can recover quicker from illness and require fewer antibiotics,”

says Maassen-Francke.

Also, GEA’s feeding systems support farmers in their feed management and feeding strategy, which plays a very important role for high-performance cows. With DairyNet, precise control and programming of feeding stations in the barn and in the milking robot including group management, different rations, feeding ingredients, etc. are possible. The herd management software can show at a glance, where to improve the feeding strategy which affects not only the better health of the herd but also the farm’s feed costs. This precision feeding conserves the resources in many respects.

Making data smart

Especially on large farms, using sensor technologies with 24/7 monitoring capability generates huge amounts of data. As in any other industry today, a system is only “smart” if it can manage the flood of data effectively. That’s where the software comes in. So what is the key to good herd and farm management software?

“It’s important to understand that farm managers don’t want to see data, they want to see the information. They want to see where they can improve processes and strategies, where they can improve animal welfare, where they can save on resources and costs; they want to see the key figures at a glance, customized to their needs,”

says Maassen-Francke, who recently oversaw the launch of GEA’s new DairyNet herd and farm management software in Germany.

Developed and tested together with international dairy producers, DairyNet features a user-friendly interface with graphics and diagrams depicted visually and tailored to the individual needs of the farm.

While sensors, smartphones, and software are opening up all manner of new possibilities, they also increase a farm’s dependence on fast, robust connectivity.

“This is a potential limiting factor because especially in rural areas all over the world, network coverage – with the kind of security and transmission rates required by smart farms – is not yet complete in most of the cases,”

Maassen-Francke continues.

GEA’s answer is DairyNet Box, essentially a local server that allows the DairyNet system to be installed locally to secure operating processes and ensure fast response times on site.

“Ultimately, the job of a good herd management software is to empower dairy farmers take full advantage of the opportunities this digital transformation has to offer.”

– Dr. Beate Maassen-Francke, Product manager Farm Management Software at GEA

Changing the game

Smart technologies are not just making familiar processes easier, faster, and more efficient, they’re also opening the door to brand new territory. To explore this potential, GEA takes part in critical dairy research with governments and world-renowned institutes, engaging with students and entrepreneurs to mine next-generation solutions.

GEA’s AutoDry project offers an example of the milking technology industry joining forces with agricultural scientists to rethink the use of antibiotics.

Initiated in 2015 as a joint project between GEA and the University of Bonn, AutoDry set out to change the way cows are milked in their last phase of lactation before the dry period, which is 6-8 weeks before the expected calving date. Conventionally, cows are often administered an antibiotic treatment at the start of the dry period because the abrupt cessation of milking increases udder pressure and the risk of mastitis infections.

The goal of AutoDry was to develop a software that could gradually reduce udder emptying, i.e. milk yield, in the period before dry off to avoid abrupt cessation. Based on research conducted at the University of Bonn’s Campus Frankenforst test farm, GEA succeeded in developing milking control software that helps to remove the milking cluster earlier and earlier in the last days before drying off.

“This provides an automated way to ‘wean’ the cow down to a significantly lower daily milk yield and initiate involution, the regression of the mammary gland tissue, before the actual dry period starts,”

says Müller, who led the University of Bonn research team for this project.

The software, which monitors absolute milk quantity rather than milk flow rate, is the first software of its kind that allows farmers to automate the initiation of involution.

“Currently we are testing the software on larger farms to see how the changed milking control affects the routine work of drying off the cows. This includes multiple optimization tests with other research partners before the patented software is ready for market,”

says Beate Maassen-Francke.

The results of the research farms so far show promise.

“The software achieved an effective reduction in the milk yield of the cows before drying off. No cases of mastitis were recorded, and the average cell count was well below the limit. So not only is the automated reduction gentler on the cow but drying off can be done without antibiotics,”

says Müller.

“I believe this new milking control software will initiate a rethink in dairy farming.”

– Dr. Ute Müller, Institute of Animal Sciences, University of Bonn

Health, happiness, and sustainability

Whether they’re shaking up the industry or making age-old processes faster and more efficient, smart technologies are empowering dairy farmers to rise to the many challenges they face today – helping them stay profitable, attract young talent, ensure herd health, reduce resource consumption, waste and even GHG emissions.

“We’re seeing these technologies make a difference because, most importantly, they’re enhancing the farmer experience and improving animal health and happiness, which is really the foundation for an efficient, cost-effective dairy business. It’s also the foundation for a sustainable dairy business. As an example, scientists in Switzerland recently found out, that cows produce less methane as they get older. So if we can keep them healthy and productive longer, we’re not only conserving the farm’s living resources, farms can improve their climate footprint as well,”

says Maassen-Francke.

Source: GEA

The post How Smart Technologies Contribute to Happy Cows and Sustainable Dairy Farming appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

ClicRtechnologies Shares Innovative Scaleless Livestock System at Expo and Pinnacle Meeting

Jaclyn Krymowski — Thu, 10 Jun 2021 15:00:18 +0000

ClicRtechnologies held its first-ever Exposition on May 20, 2021, demonstrating its revolutionary scaleless livestock weight and data management system at the Double C Bar Ranch in Kenansville, Fla. A pinnacle team meeting was held the next day, marking the very first gathering of the company’s employees from across the nation.

“ClicRtechnologies is laser-focused on bringing the ag industries into the 21st century,”

said ClicRtechnologies President Joey Spicola,

“using never before seen technology and creating the digital ranch.”

About 30 attendees gathered for a luncheon and presentation by Spicola and other ClicRtechnologies team members. Among those in attendance were representatives from Florida Senator Marco Rubio’s office, guests from the University of Florida’s Beef Teaching Unit and Abraham Baldwin Agricultura College (ABAC).

Recently ABAC partnered with ClicRtechnologies and American Cattlemen magazine to produce a series of articles after the company donated $40,000 along with three weighing systems for the school’s cattle operations.

After the luncheon, all attendees had the opportunity to view the ClicRweight Bovine Solution for themselves at work in one of Double C Bar’s pastures. The system is set up in a simple pole barn around the water source. An RFID ear tag is scanned whenever an animal goes to drink and a camera instantly begins “clicking” hundreds of 3D photographs. That data is immediately processed into a weight, which can be viewed with a digital dashboard made accessible through any device with connection to the internet.

Over time, the system continues to learn each animal, providing the herd’s valuable information including daily rate of gain, weight average and feed efficiency. The ClicRweight Bovine Solution has been in place on the Double C Bar Ranch since early March. Joe Planz, a ClicRtechnologies board member and investor, grazes some of his cattle herd on the ranch.

“Grazing our calves two and half hours away from the main ranch,”

he says.

“ClicR enables us to have a constant analysis of how the calves are doing in real-time and enables us to address any issues expediently and proactively.”

The next day, the ClicRtechnologies team gathered in the company’s new International headquarters in Tampa. The team discussed plans for company growth in the near future and progress made over the last 12 months.

“One of the benefits of our system is that it can be totally managed from anywhere in the world,”

said Spicola.

In addition to cattle, ClicRtechnologies also has solutions for weighing swine and alligators. To learn more, visit the company website: https://clicrweight.com.

ClicRtechnologies is a company revolutionizing the agricultural industry through unique means of scaleless weighing and data management. They are committed to the development of proprietary technology to enhance the lives of its users by providing the most advanced vision software with unparalleled expertise in 3D imaging.

The company remains focused on the expansion of our weight capture technology and the development of future applications that will deliver cutting-edge solutions to increase production efficiency across multiple industries.

Source: ClicRweight

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New Holland North America supports beef industry through NCBA, CCA, Cattle Producer

Michele Catinari — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 18:00:27 +0000

New Holland knows beef. In the 1950s, the brand promoted its “Eat More Beef,” message throughout North America and has been dedicated to supporting beef producers by providing industry-leading hay and forage solutions ever since.

Brett Davis, Vice President for New Holland Agriculture North America, said:

“North American beef producers are among the most efficient and productive in the world. New Holland matches the effectiveness of the cattlemen and women with robust equipment solutions. New Holland equipment provides the best hay and forage equipment for the best-tasting beef products.”

New Holland affirms its commitment to the North American beef industry through longstanding partnerships with United States National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association in Canada. Both organizations provide cattle producers with the most up-to-date resources to maximize production and advocate on the industry and members’ behalf to federal governments. New Holland supports these efforts and offers retail incentives to members of each organization, so they may improve their operation’s efficiency and improve hay and feed quality.

NCBA President Marty Smith, a Florida cattle producer said:

“NCBA and its members truly appreciate the partnership we have with New Holland. Advocating for the beef industry in the United States and abroad is an enormous task and we couldn’t do it effectively without great long-term partners like New Holland. Cattle producers across the United States rely on us to protect their operations and ensure the sustainability of their operations for the next generation; New Holland understands the importance of NCBA’s mission, and we appreciate all that they do for cattle producers.”

CCA invests in the next generation of cattle producers and industry leaders by providing professional and personal growth opportunities. New Holland’s sponsorship is earmarked for CCA’s two youth programs: The Cattlemen’s Young Leaders Mentorship Program and the Young Cattlemen’s Council.

Bob Lowe, President of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, said:

“We are proud to have New Holland as a strong supporter of the next generation of leaders for our industry through the Cattlemen’s Young Leaders Mentorship Program and the Young Cattlemen’s Council. We look forward to seeing the results of this continued partnership in equipping our up and coming young leaders with the skills they need further the Canadian beef industry.”

Similarly, Matt Hagan, who owns and operates a 1,100-head angus cattle ranch in Virginia, as well as a 60-acre CBD hemp farm with his wife Rachel, brings the unique perspective of the operator to New Holland’s efforts to support the North American beef industry.

Matt Hagan said:

“I’m a first-generation farmer, so having the support of my New Holland dealer has helped me grow my cattle operation more than I imagined. As we’re diversifying the farm, it’s also given me an opportunity to share what I’ve learned with my fans and customers.”

The Hagan Cattle Company is committed to providing the highest-quality beef to its customers across the United States. To keep their farm and ranch running smoothly, the Hagans rely on New Holland tractors and hay tools. Thanks to Matt’s success in his career as a funny car driver, he has amassed over 30,000 followers on Instagram, where he regularly updates his fan base with activity on the ranch and advocates for the beef industry.

Hagan is a member of the Don Schumacher Race Team and will display the New Holland logo on his car through the 2021 season.

Matt Hagan, Cattle producer. Courtesy of media.cnhindustrial.com

Source: New Holland

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