SAM ROWLANDS, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, has welcomed the introduction of new technology to boost animal welfare and milk production at Coleg Cambria Llysfasi, near Ruthin.
Mr Rowlands, a keen supporter of farmers and the agricultural sector said: “I am always pleased to hear about the continual development of Coleg Cambria Llysfasi especially when it involves new technology which can only add to the learning experience.
“It certainly is good news for future dairy farmers wanting to study at the college and will not only help to support animal welfare but bring economic and environmental benefits.
“The college’s rural setting has always made it a popular place for studying and it is great to see new technology being embraced and offering even more to students who want to gain farming qualifications.”
Coleg Cambria Llysfasi has installed revolutionary new 3D video monitoring technology, 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.”
“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.
