Farmers face all kinds of challenges from infrastructure to animal health, etc. This is the most vital yet overlooked sector in the livestock industry. It provides us with everyday essentials and is still greatly neglected.
It is very important to keep animals’ health and safety in mind along with aiming to achieve maximum output out of them.
Why is the process of shifting to technology so slow for this industry? Especially since it’s a major requirement now more than a want. Large enterprises can’t gain their desired outcome without the use of technology and automation systems.
The future for livestock management is very bright. The market value in the US is over $30 billion annually which has piqued an interest in the market and has led to several people being keen to invest in it.
Problems in Livestock Management
– Poor Nutrition
Many animals are lacking good health as they don’t get proper diet and nutrition. Farmers can’t keep track of their actual intake or restocking of food. All of their care is done according to their assumptions.
This results in low meat and milk production along with lower reproduction. Due to their poor health, they are more susceptive to diseases from a very young age.
This can sometimes lead to increased mortality rates since they are vulnerable from the start. Therefore, farmers badly need advanced systems that can help them obtain their farming goals.
Also Read: Livestock Farm Management Software Offers More Than Just Management
– Diseases
Diseases like foot and mouth and other illnesses are quite bothersome for the farmers. These diseases make the cattle slow for obvious reasons which result in lower output.
The outspread of such diseases is insane as they affect an entire group and not just one animal. They’re known to be a menace for a reason since farmers have to bear great losses due to them.
Therefore, the right technological advancements should be made to avoid this menace in the future as it will continue to be a huge problem forever.
– Increased Workload
Consumers nowadays demand more reliable products and they want every detail to make sure what they are consuming is a hundred percent safe.
As the population is growing, so are their needs and to cater to that supply needs to be increased too. As the number of animals is increasing, so is the word load. This workload is extremely difficult to manage manually as it is humanly impossible to keep track of so many animals.
Digital Automation for Cattle Farming
– Remote Monitoring
The new latest technologies provide more insight into details on the animal and its well-being. All of the data can be gathered without having to come into contact with the animal.
This itself is a safety benefit in the workplace. Farmers can now keep track of every small detail of an animal. They can tell whether the animal is getting sick with the help of heat detectors or stomach acid monitors and can also tell if the cattle need exercising.
Detection of problems or sickness in the cow can help the farmers to take any precautionary steps needed beforehand. It can even diagnose whether the animal is expecting or not.
The cow’s tail can be monitored to see whenever it is going into labor. Walkover scales can help them weigh the animals without direct contact with them.
All of this allows the farmers to keep a close eye on the cattle and keeps them aware of any illnesses or pregnancies. It enables them to take important steps sooner which results in better care.
Also Read: The Role of Digitalization in Transforming Livestock Industry
– Dairy Installations
Daily installations are a relief for the industry as it was an extremely stressful task for the workers and would also require a lot of labor to do the job. Technology has made these systems so advanced that now the cows can be milked on their own time.
They can go in and out of the parlor whenever they want and be milked robotically without any interaction with humans. This reduces stress on the cows as they don’t have to hold in large levels of milk and wait for their milking turn.
Milk monitors can also see the quality of the milk and detect it to see if there are signs of diseases. This has made the work environment safe as it has eliminated the need to do one of the most dangerous tasks and has made the milking process seamless for the workers and the cattle.
– Feeding and Pastures
Just like humans worry about their food intake, similarly, farmers worry about their animals’ diet and whether they are overeating. Therefore, to maintain cattle food and nutritional intake, automated feeders play a very important role.
Farmers can now make feeding mixtures specifically for any animal according to their needs. They can also provide them with the right amount of food that the animal requires.
They can either do this specifically for any animal or for the entire herd, they will still benefit from this. They can also keep track of their pastures and decide how much extra feed is needed based on the amount that has already been consumed and the feed that is left.
Through this, farmers can look after their animal’s health and make sure their stomachs are never left unfed or overfed.
– Automated Waste Cleaning
The most used technology is the waste cleaning system. It helps remove waste from any place, whether is a stall or a pen, waste is easily moved through machinery
This provides the animals with a cleaner environment which is good for their hygiene resulting in good hygiene for the customers. It also reduces disease and sickness in the animal.
This is extremely important since animal sickness goes a long way and affects the entire group of animals. Sick animals become quite stressful for the farmers. Thus, the use of automated cleaning is extremely important.
It is also beneficial for the farmers since they don’t have to do the same task again and again throughout the day and it also eliminates their need to interact with the waste.
– Managing Herd
Herd management allows farmers to look after their cows and take care of every small detail. It makes sure the cows are fresh and healthy. These systems enable farmers to get maximum milk production without having to make the cow uncomfortable and pushing it too far.
It eliminates the need to do cattle branding since these systems can easily keep track of each animal and identifies their differences making it easy to recognize each animal separately. It also ensures that the workers are following certain practices whilst looking after their cows.
Moreover, these technologies have made cow pregnancies safer, and healthier, and have reduced the rate of stillbirth by 6%. It is a very cost-effective and easy way to look after animals’ health and also provides a safe work environment.
– Robotic Milking
Through expert technology, cows can now have a smooth and precise milking process. They can approach the machine whenever they please and the farmers can keep track of their milk intake through this collar that has a sensor technology. It is comfortable for the cows and the farmers since both don’t feel pressurized to do the task.
Conclusion
Recent trends have shown how technology has become a game-changer for livestock management. There have been massive improvements in the industry ever since technological advancements have been made. Tracking and managing have been made easy and you can now get real-time updates.
In this field, human errors can cause a great loss which affects the quality of the product resulting in lower profits. There is no room for such risks in this business since it affects the entire production as a whole and not just one thing specifically.
One has to adapt to this change and accept technology if they want to survive in this industry. Hence, technology has now become a necessity and Folio3 is the perfect solution for you.
It has been working on farm automation and believes it is the best thing that could ever happen to a farmer. This automation has multiple features that can lend a hand in taking care of the cattle.
We can be the key to your cattle’s productivity and health. Our drones can assist you in identifying problems in real-time and can take high-quality pictures to monitor your animal remotely.
Our software allows you to monitor the animal’s sickness, stress, etc. You can access software through your computer, phone, or tablet. It eliminates the need to hire more labor and provides you with a hundred times more reliable solutions.
No need to fret over your animals and allow yourself to enjoy some free time away from your farm by getting a pal for your cattle through cattle software that will watch them 24/7 so that you don’t have to.
Always keep your cow connected with the help of new technology. Technology has started playing a huge role in the farming sector already, you should catch on to the trend right away and stop your company from bearing any more losses.
Make your farm smart and manage each and every cow of yours as if it’s your only cow!
