CattleHub

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The situation in milk production has been characterised by a strong structural change for many decades, which is also continuing. With increasing milk yield per cow, the number of animals on farms is rising, while the number of milk-producing farms is declining. With an ever-increasing number of animals per farm, care for livestock farmers is becoming increasingly demanding and time-consuming. One way to meet this challenge is to use assistance systems in all areas of cattle farming. Assistance systems can fulfil various tasks and record a wide range of data such as lying, eating and movement behaviour. This data can provide targeted information on the welfare of the animals and their state of health, thus making practical work easier for farmers and increasing animal welfare on farms.

The "CattleHub" project is concerned with the use of this digital technology in cattle farming. The interdisciplinary cooperation takes place in seven experimental areas at different locations. The use of the systems is not only limited to the dairy sector, but calves and young cattle are also to be included. The establishment of digital systems in cattle farming is to be actively promoted and supported. The livestock farmers and their animals should benefit from the project and the validated systems and improved decision recommendations, which is why the successful transfer of knowledge into practice is of great importance. Specific improvements are to be achieved in the area of sensor technology and radio networking for the energetic supply of the systems. The use of artificial intelligence and machine learning will also be examined and contribute to higher forecasting reliability in data analysis. Another important aspect is the optimisation of business processes and the use of tracking systems. Basically, the digital transformation on cattle farms is to be actively strengthened by the "CattleHub" project.