Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The integration of automated cow monitoring systems (ACMS) on dairy farms is becoming ever popular to address rising costs of production and to improvecow health and comfort. Despite their rise in popularity across the industry, the University of New Hampshire (UNH) lacks an ACMS on either of its two dairy research farms. To continue producing innovative research that addresses the needs of regional and national dairy producers it is imperative that an ACMS is installed at the UNH dairy farms and integrated into research explorations. This will allow UNH to stay at the forefront of innovative dairy research that contributes to and fosters the sustainability of dairy farms that are central to the socioeconomic fabric of New England.This project will support the acquisition of an ACMS at the UNH dairy farms. Through on-going collaboration and hands-on trainings, university dairy farm staff will be trained on the ACMS and its integration into existing herd management protocols, thereby streamlining efficiency and productivity. Undergraduate and graduate students will become familiarized with the system through classroom instruction as well as independent research endeavors. Exposing students to the ACMS and highlighting its utility as well as considerations with its adoptionwill position the next generation of dairy professionals with valuable knowledge and insight as they enter the workforce, thus ensuring the continued sustainability and success of the industry. With access to data collected from the ACMS, researchers at UNH will be at the forefront of precision dairy management and will be well-positioned to develop novel algorithms that optimize the management and environmental impact of dairy production.
Animal Health Component
50%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
10%
Applied
50%
Developmental
40%
Goals / Objectives
Through this project we will integrate an automated cow monitoring system, SmaXtec, at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) dairy herds. The SmaXtecsystem equips each individual cow in the herd with a sensor that continuously records cow metrics such as rumination time, eating and drinking behavior, and body temperature. The goal of this project is to enhance the management and productivity ofdairy cattle through the integration of an automated cow monitoring system and strengthen our ongoing research programs with precision technology data, harnessing machine learning models to predict disease and environmental impact of dairy cattle. The objectives of this project are four-fold:Install the SmaXtecsystem at the UNH Fairchild Dairy Teaching and Research Center and the UNH Organic Dairy Research Farm.Integrate data collected from the SmaXtecsystem into existing herd management protocols to improve decision making and efficiency regarding herd health and reproductive management.Develop novel machine learning algorithms incorporating the data collected by the SmaXtecsystem to predict and identify subclinical diseases in dairy cattle.Incorporate SmaXtec data in existing research programs related to heifer growth and development, methane production, and protein metabolism in dairy cattle.
Project Methods
The overarchinggoal of this project is to acquire and install an automated cow monitoring system, the SmaXtec system, at the two University of New Hampshire (UNH) dairy farms, therefore the methods for this project are straightforward. At the initiation of the project, a SmaXtec sensor will be purchased for each UNH cow and SmaXtec base stations, wireless transmitters that receive and transmit data collected from the sensors, will be installed at the dairy farms. Following installation, the Project Director will work with hard managers and staff to ensure the efficient integration of the SmaXtec system into herd management protocols.?As the PD and researchers become familiar with the SmaXtec system, data on cow behavior and health will be incorporated into future scientific investigations. The utility of automated cow monitoring systems to improve cow management and productivity will be disseminated to farmers through field days and extension bulletins in collaboration with UNH Cooperative Extension. Undergraduate and graduate students at UNH will have the opportunity to work with the SmaXtec system in the classroom setting and learn the benefits and considerations of utilizing automated cow monitoring systems in dairy production.