Precision Livestock Farming Technologies

[c.louise22]

Hello,
I’m currently carrying out my dissertation on UK Livestock farmers perceptions/opinions on the adoption of precision livestock farming technologies and have created a survey to gather my results.
All data is anonymous & no personal information is required. The survey is not long and shouldn’t take more than 10 mins.
The link is able to be copy and pasted if you could send it to any other livestock farmers it would be greatly appreciated! UK farmers only please.
Link Posted below!

Microsoft Forms

forms.office.com

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

Hello,
I’m currently carrying out my dissertation on UK Livestock farmers perceptions/opinions on the adoption of precision livestock farming technologies and have created a survey to gather my results.
All data is anonymous & no personal information is required. The survey is not long and shouldn’t take more than 10 mins.
The link is able to be copy and pasted if you could send it to any other livestock farmers it would be greatly appreciated! UK farmers only please.
Link Posted below!

Microsoft Forms

forms.office.com

Louise (assuming that is your name)

You will need to provide much more information than you have if you expect folk on here to volunteer up information to you in return. Your post is fairly typical of the many student requests we see for surveys and is generally viewed as a bit pushy and rude unless phrased much more carefully.

Which institution are you studying at?
What degree?
Who is your mentoring academic?
What are you looking to do with the information?
Timescale?
What's in it for us?

 

[c.louise22]

Louise (assuming that is your name)

You will need to provide much more information than you have if you expect folk on here to volunteer up information to you in return. Your post is fairly typical of the many student requests we see for surveys and is generally viewed as a bit pushy and rude unless phrased much more carefully.

Which institution are you studying at?
What degree?
Who is your mentoring academic?
What are you looking to do with the information?
Timescale?
What's in it for us?

I’m studying my Bsc in Animal Behaviour and Welfare at Oxford Brookes University.
I’m looking at livestock farmers opinions on these technologies to see whether they actually want them and why they would or would not want them. The literature i’ve gathered has helped me create the survey in what i believe to be important reasons an individual may want to adopt a form of technology. I’m hoping it will benefit livestock farmers in that the manufactures of the PLF technologies will have more of an understanding of what the technologies are being used for other than business/profit and how they can cater to animals needs as well as farmers.

 

[BRB John]

I'd be happy if someone would explain precision livestock farming to me
Lots of examples please.

 

[c.louise22]

Precision livestock farming technologies are forms of tech that can aid farmers and reduce stress without diminishing their work. They’re things such as automated milking systems, ear tag identification readers, simple camera/microphone systems, pedometers, gait analysis readers - anything that can reduce workload without losing the value of the product as they can help maintain the animals’ welfare

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

Precision livestock farming technologies are forms of tech that can aid farmers and reduce stress without diminishing their work. They’re things such as automated milking systems, ear tag identification readers, simple camera/microphone systems, pedometers, gait analysis readers - anything that can reduce workload without losing the value of the product as they can help maintain the animals’ welfare

Or we livestock boys could just spend more time actually observing our stock instead of spending money on expensive toys.....

Just a thought!

My experience of tech in farming is that it always benefits the tech company way more than it benefits the farmer.

 

[c.louise22]

Or we livestock boys could just spend more time actually observing or stock instead of spending money on expensive toys.....

Just a thought!

My experience of tech in farming is that it always benefits the tech company way more than it benefits the farmer.

this is the reason i did the research, to see peoples opinions - and a lot of people have the same views as you. i’m not saying technologies are good or bad i was just curious on why a farmer would or would not want to have one. From my research it’s the bigger farms that benefit from these technologies if they simply don’t have enough staff to check all the animals efficiently.

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

Hmmmm.

You DO realise that half your questions, 7 out of 14, are just gathering personal data?

I was expecting much more from the questions.

Sorry if I'm sounding negative btw. I'm a masters student myself so my comments are intended to be helpful.

I could debate your statements in questions 8 and 12 for hours!

Question 12 needs more nuance.

Question 13 is just naive, we run businesses after all.

Question 14 needs a "maybe" option.

I have submitted my answers though.

 

[c.louise22]

Well according to the ethics board that looked over my survey they stated there’s no personal data that is unethical. Due to the survey being opinion based a lot of the questions will be personal in that sense as i’m finding out individuals perceptions and opinions on technologies.
In regards to question 13 you’d be surprised on the answers.

 

[BRB John]

Yeah it's funny your questionnaire about precision farming isn't precise enough . PLF technologies is too broad of a term. I might like cameras but not like weaning nose clamps.
So how am I meant to answer?
Is there a maybe option?
(Bet Louise's is regretting asking now )

 

[c.louise22]

If you don’t have any answers to put in the questionnaire, nor do you like the way it’s done, then please don’t take part - i’d like reliable results

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

I am watching Zelp with interest. It's technology, but not precision technology.

 

[BRB John]

Farmers are always reliable Louise just sometimes not particularly helpful .
How does a harness neutralise methane?
I still believe livestock are carbon neutral but I guess that would make them carbon negative? Or just reduce the climate effect they have so we can continue to burn fossil fuels whoop whoop.

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

Farmers are always reliable Louise just sometimes not particularly helpful .
How does a harness neutralise methane?
I still believe livestock are carbon neutral but I guess that would make them carbon negative? Or just reduce the climate effect they have so we can continue to burn fossil fuels whoop whoop.

They won't give details at the moment (citing commercial confidentiality) but it is some sort of catalytic reaction. They quote around 30 to 40% reduction. Maybe.

I think it has more potential than feed additives because;
Feed additives rely on changing the biochemistry of the rumen to produce less methane (or, in the case of biochar, to absorb it). We don't yet know what impact that has on the animal. My concern comes from the well established fact that finishing cattle fed high cereal diets suffer chronic acidosis because of the biochemical change leading to ulcers in livers and other damage (hence the USA feedlots using prophylactic antibiotics to keep them alive).

It might be fine but we won't know for a long time and each feed additive chemistry will be different.

 

[Boysground]

Done but not sure what I would do with the results to those questions. I would have gone for more detail regarding current and future use of the systems available.

personally of all the tech I have for my dairy herd the one that I think pays back best is the weigh cells and auto steer for the fertiliser application. I think most wouldn’t classify that as dairy technology.

Perhaps it is a good thing I’m not writing a dissertation

Bg

 

[BRB John]

They won't give details at the moment (citing commercial confidentiality) but it is some sort of catalytic reaction. They quote around 30 to 40% reduction. Maybe.

I think it has more potential than feed additives because;
Feed additives rely on changing the biochemistry of the rumen to produce less methane (or, in the case of biochar, to absorb it). We don't yet know what impact that has on the animal. My concern comes from the well established fact that finishing cattle fed high cereal diets suffer chronic acidosis because of the biochemical change leading to ulcers in livers and other damage (hence the USA feedlots using prophylactic antibiotics to keep them alive).

It might be fine but we won't know for a long time and each feed additive chemistry will be different.

Did a wee bit of research and they are claiming a 53% reduction.
Looks like it uses a couple fans to suck up the burp and put it through a filter which reduces the methane back to carbon dioxide and a little bit of water I think.
Looks ridiculous on them and it'll be interesting to see how it effects their behaviour to each other.
It's meant to least 4 years before needing recharged so what state it'll be in after 4 years I can only imagine.

Stupid question but cows can't breath through their mouth can they?