Animal husbandry

The development of a customized feeding and disease prevention system in free-range dairy farms using precision sensors

To date, the use of precision farming technology in Hungarian agriculture has generally been restricted to the large-scale cultivation of arable crops. There are, however, extraordinary opportunities in the field of animal husbandry. In the case of intensive animal husbandry in Hungary, we have already seen practical examples for the sensory recording of body temperature, milk yield and quality in dairy cows. In-free-range animal husbandry, however, which is more adapted to the natural needs of the animals, it is difficult to implement such continuous monitoring. New, individual, non-invasive sensors now make this possible. Our research seeks to introduce these new technologies into domestic practice, and to further develop it in order to produce new, high-quality domestic food products.

Activities

In the field of animal husbandry, we collect sensory and conventional measurement data on the nutritional processes, health status and weight gain of free-range cattle. Based on the data measurements, it should be possible to optimize husbandry technology and feeding, as well as ensuring the effective detection of diseases, and the application of individual veterinary procedures adapted to the biological needs of the animals.
Field days, professional evaluation and planning days allow for the sharing of experiences and a discussion of results. With the help of the new technology, we will begin to develop new products with an outstanding content index.

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Expected results

The introduction of new sensors into animal husbandry practice, which allow for the discovery of correlations between dietary habits, digestive efficiency, and animal behavior (e.g. based on the length, rhythm, and time of the rumination process).
Improvements will allow farmers to more accurately monitor their cattle at an individual level, thereby ensuring and documenting excellent animal welfare conditions, and thereby increasing the protection and service of consumer interests.
The development of new products has already begun, which will stand out from those currently on offer thanks to their favorable content indices.