Precision Dairy Farming

Precision dairy farming is one of the major topics that influences dairy farming developments world-wide. Precision dairy farming involves the use of technologies to measure physiological, behavioral, and production indicators on individual animals. The primary goals of precision dairy farming are to 1) maximize animal per­formance, 2) detect diseases in individual cows early, 3) detect herd level health and production problems early and 4) minimize the use of medication through preventive health measures. The use of precision dairy farming technologies enables the fulfillment of these goals without (too much) additional labor input, something that is increasingly important on current dairy farms. Examples of precision dairy farming technologies in­clude milk yield recording systems, milk component monitors, activity monitors, lying and rumination behavior moni­tors, milk conductivity indicators, and heat detection monitors. The individual animal information these technologies collect supplements observations of the herdspeople. By proper processing of these data in combination with decision support systems, the application of these sensors improves animal monitoring and decision-making.

Precision dairy farming is one of the major topics that influences dairy farming developments world-wide. Precision dairy farming involves the use of technologies to measure physiological, behavioral, and production indicators on individual animals. The primary goals of precision dairy farming are to 1) maximize animal per­formance, 2) detect diseases in individual cows early, 3) detect herd level health and production problems early and 4) minimize the use of medication through preventive health measures. The use of precision dairy farming technologies enables the fulfillment of these goals without (too much) additional labor input, something that is increasingly important on current dairy farms. Examples of precision dairy farming technologies in­clude milk yield recording systems, milk component monitors, activity monitors, lying and rumination behavior moni­tors, milk conductivity indicators, and heat detection monitors. The individual animal information these technologies collect supplements observations of the herdspeople. By proper processing of these data in combination with decision support systems, the application of these sensors improves animal monitoring and decision-making.

This website contains the links to programmed and finished conferences on precision livestock farming and aims to be a source of information for the precision dairy farming community worldwide.

Successful 3rd International Conference on Precision Dairy Farming, 2022

From August 29th to September 2nd, the “3rd International Precision Dairy Farming Conference” was held in conjunction with the “10th European Conference on Precision Livestock Farming” and took place at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna. Around 370 participants from different disciplines came together in the Banquet Hall of the Vetmeduni. In addition to numerous scientific lectures, workshops and poster presentations, the congress program also offered an field trip to the VetFarm, a central teaching and research facility of the Vetmeduni. The Covid-19 pandemic of recent years has shown how closely the health of animals and humans, but also their common environment, are linked. In this context, Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) offers the potential for prudent use of resources and for early detection of diseases so that transmission of diseases within and between species can be reduced or even avoided. Prevention and early treatment of diseases can further help to reduce the use of pharmaceuticals and to minimize the risk of antibiotic resistance in animals. Precision livestock farming is therefore considered one of the key technologies within the “One Health” initiative to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN and makes a sustainable contribution to improving animal health and animal welfare.

More than 150 scientific lectures by renowned scientists and more than 50 poster presentations dealt, among other things, with the growing importance of digital technologies in the housing of cows, pigs and poultry, but also with the social relevance of the use of these technologies in modern animal husbandry. During the conference, Vienna proved to be a melting pot for almost 370 international participants from 28 nations, who promoted the exchange of experiences from the perspective of science, industry, agriculture and veterinary medicine. In addition to internationally recognized speakers, scientists from the Vetmeduni also presented the latest scientific findings and innovations.

ion dairy farming is one of the major topics that influences dairy farming developments world-wide. Precision dairy farming involves the use of technologies to measure physiological, behavioral, and production indicators on individual animals. The primary goals of precision dairy farming are to 1) maximize animal per­formance, 2) detect diseases in individual cows early, 3) detect herd level health and production problems early and 4) minimize the use of medication through preventive health measures. The use of precision dairy farming technologies enables the fulfillment of these goals without (too much) additional labor input, something that is increasingly important on current dairy farms. Examples of precision dairy farming technologies in­clude milk yield recording systems, milk component monitors, activity monitors, lying and rumination behavior moni­tors, milk conductivity indicators, and heat detection monitors. The individual animal information these technologies collect supplements observations of the herdspeople. By proper processing of these data in combination with decision support systems, the application of these sensors improves animal monitoring and decision-making.

This website contains the links to programmed and finished conferences on precision livestock farming and aims to be a source of information for the precision dairy farming community worldwide.