Precision Livestock Farming: Advantages, Disadvantages & Tech

Precision livestock farming has become increasingly valuable in cattle farms, with an emerging focus on grazing management. So what is precision livestock farming? Precision livestock farming (PLF) uses sensors and other technology-driven tools to monitor animals with real-time data. 

PLF benefits are numerous, ranging from healthier livestock to minimising waste. Like with all new implementations of tech, there are challenges when integrating new methods into your operation. The first PLF challenge to overcome would be identifying the pros and cons and determining if it’s right for you. 

In this guide, we'll go deep into the advantages and disadvantages of the up-and-coming precision livestock farming tech so you can make an informed decision for your grazing experience. 

Definition of Precision Livestock Farming

Since this is a new emerging technology, let's start with some definitions. Precision livestock farming’s definition, according to Berckmans, is "the management of individual animals by continuous, automated, and real-time monitoring of health, welfare, production/reproduction, and environmental impact." 

PLF uses a combination of sensors, drones, and monitors to keep track of livestock in real-time. 

Most of the inputs can be simple, like an electronic identification (EID), a radio frequency identification (RFID), or a combination with a traditional ear tag. These inputs are then interpreted with other sensors and historical information to give farmers precise data points for each individual animal. 

Hence, PLF provides farmers with actionable insights and automated monitoring, improving animal welfare, productivity, and sustainability. 

PLF vs. Precision Farming and Precision Agriculture – What’s the Difference?

Oftentimes, similar terminology gets in the mix. It's important to note that PLF is not the same as "precision agriculture" or "precision farming" in agriculture. 

Precision agriculture and precision farming also involve technology and tools such as GPS, robotics, and sensors. However, the main difference is that its main focus is on the efficiency of agricultural activities and controlled management of all husbandry. For example, in addition to livestock production, precision farming overviews crop production. 

Lastly, some farmers use variable rate technology to apply different rates of fertiliser, seed, and other nutrients in different field areas. Although this can be resourceful for graziers to strategise feed, variable rate applications are an advanced agricultural technology used by precision farming. 

More Information with ISPCA and SPAA

Thankfully, you can always stay informed on the up-and-coming scientific studies related to precision livestock farming, precision farming, or any other related tech with the International Society of Precision Agriculture (ISPA). 

The ISPA regularly conducts international conferences on such topics and provides a platform for graziers and farmers to exchange knowledge. It's an excellent resource for clarity and guidance on this topic. 

In Australia, you can visit the Society of Precision Agriculture Australia (SPAA) to learn more and receive guidance on enhancing productivity, profitability, and sustainability with precision agriculture. 

History of Precision Livestock Farming

Evolution

The history of PLF technologies goes back to the 1970s and has been ever-evolving. The first PLF goes back to electronic milk meters for cows, and today, you can find behaviour-based monitoring and even real-time data analysis. Innovations and trends have been dynamically growing all over the world, according to this study by the NIH. 

Milestones and Key Developments

From the milk meters in the 70s to now, there have been significant milestones that PLF has successfully seen. In the early 2000s, precision farming began to gain momentum. With sensors, actuators, and sophisticated data analytics, accurate real-time monitoring and management have become more accessible. 

Impact of Technology

With the rise of Industry 4.0 and farmers' adoption of advanced technologies, the global spread of PLF has been significant, yet as mentioned above, it's still in progress. Additionally, satellite and artificial intelligence show the continuous exponential advancement available for PLF. 

Although intimidating, the shift towards data-driven PLF is widespread and promising; with sophisticated tools merging from simple data analysis to machine-learning projections, we will see more precise and accurate predictions soon. 

Advantages of Precision Livestock Farming

Improved Health Monitoring

Early Detection of Diseases

So, how can PLF really help graziers? With PLF, early disease detection becomes a reality. Farmers can immediately intervene with real-time data when there is unusual behaviour or suspected illness. 

With the combination of historical data and real-time monitoring, early identification of health disorders and illnesses are possible. Needless to say, PLF can improve animal health and welfare while preventing further disease spread. 

Real-time Vital Signs Monitoring

Many advantages listed above are possible due to multiple blends of data analytics, but the main benefit comes from monitoring real-time vital signs. With continuous measurements of the environmental parameters alongside the general health and behaviour of the livestock, the sensors associated with the PLF enable early detection of distress or illness.  

Enhanced Disease Prevention

All in all, early detection and real-time vital signs help a single cow, yet on the herd level, PLF can prevent disease outbreaks within the livestock group. Systems that use algorithms and models to interpret data will generally recommend check-ups or generate alerts, providing informed guidance for decision-making. 

Enhanced Productivity

Optimised Feed Efficiency

PLF advantages go beyond just the direct observation of animal activity. With PLF, you can enable precise feeding strategies by customising diets based on the individual animals' needs. 

In addition, you can design PLF systems to analyse feed intake, body condition, and growth rates and use that analysis to design automated feeding systems to match the animal's requirements. 

Predictive Breeding Strategies

With PLF, you can also predict reproductive outcomes at the individual animal or herd levels. These predictions can optimise resources and decide breeding strategies. One example is increasing reproductive rates.. 

Increased Reproductive Performance

Feed efficiency and breeding strategies make sense, but how can PLFs increase reproductive performance? PLF technologies offer an opportunity to detect diseases early on the individual animal level.

Now, combine that resource with a large amount of data on the reproduction history, which will give you crucial information for reproductive performance (especially for dairy cows, as shown in this study).

Resource Efficiency

Reduced Feed Wastage

PLF also increases resource efficiency for your farm while reducing resource consumption, water intake, feed, and energy.

By continuously reflecting the diet based on the vital signs and behaviours, this will not only lead to improved animal health but also significantly reduce feed wastage associated with illnesses. 

Precision Nutrient Management

With optimised feed strategies, individual animals can receive a customised diet based on their needs. PLF can analyse animal waste composition and nutrient runoff to help minimise resource consumption and provide the nutrients for optimal animal production. 

Environmental Sustainability

When consumption and nutrient runoff are analysed, this also assists with analysing the environmental impact. Adjusting animal diets to daily requirements maximises nutrient bioavailability and minimises food wastage. 

With PLF, you can improve environmental sustainability by reducing your ecological footage and optimising the use of natural resources. 

Disadvantages of Precision Livestock Farming

Initial Set-up Costs

High Investment Requirements

Precision livestock farming can come with a hefty price tag, like all new technology. The upfront cost for PLF can be intimidating because of expensive set-up costs and high investment requirements. 

Technological Learning Curve

PLFs can also become complicated when implementing them into your traditional practices. The data collection and analyses can feel foreign, but with training and free assistance available, you'll be able to gain the required knowledge and skills to run them effectively. 

Limited Affordability for Small Farms

That being said, due to the high investment requirement, PLF can be out of reach for small farms. The barrier to entry is towering with high-price equipment and maintenance costs.

Unfortunately, a small farm cannot offer good sustainability practices and competitiveness with these financial challenges. As always, it's essential to calculate the return, as it may not outweigh the costs. 

Data Security and Privacy Concerns with PLF

Risk of Unauthorised Access

Most systems in PLF use a geographic information system (GIS) to capture, store, analyse, and manage the spatially-referenced data points. Unfortunately, with automated and continuous data streams from cameras, sensors, and sound devices, the room for security and privacy breaches is expansive and remains vulnerable. 

A system failure can lead to unauthorised access to multitudes of sensitive data. 

Farmer and Livestock Data Privacy

With unauthorised access, data security and privacy become the number one concern. Mainly, farmer and livestock data are at risk without robust data security measures. 

Mitigation Strategies

When it comes to robust security systems, it's always important to consult a professional. To briefly review, it's essential to have these fundamentals secured: data encryption, regular software updates, and implementing security measures to maintain confidentiality.  

Dependency on Technology

Vulnerability to Technical Failures

Alongside security and financial challenges, other vulnerabilities come with PLC. When livestock depends on these technologies, any glitches or malfunctions could be a potential exposure or direct harm to animal welfare. Furthermore, farmers could make the wrong decision with misinformation when data collection or animal monitoring malfunctions. 

Impact of Technological Obsolescence

Unfortunately, PLF is not immune to the rapid pace of tech advancements. Since PLF systems are intertwined and generally automatic, the impacts can be devastating when technical obsolescence occurs. 

Farmers who invested in earlier generations could face challenges with compatibility and require higher maintenance and support as newer generations emerge.  

Need for Redundancy Measures

Establishing redundancy measures becomes critical to ensure uninterrupted operations during unexpected situations. It's vital to implement backup solutions for sensors, automation, and data collection tools to mitigate any downtime risk and continue to monitor and manage your livestock and safeguard animal welfare. 

Advances in Precision Livestock Farming Technologies

Cutting Edge Technologies 

Cutting-edge tech like IoT and innovative monitoring systems such as advanced RFID and GPS tracking are revolutionising PLF. These advancements further enable better data collection, analysis, and automation. 

As mentioned by Li, there is also further room for advancement with potential collaboration between computer-based and animal-based scientists. 

Sensors, Analytics & Automation.

As sensors, analytics, and automation become more sophisticated, an added advantage for farmers with PLF is the human-animal relationship. We can build trust and promote healthier grazing behaviour when we offer our livestock to roam freely and graze without fences. 

With a better understanding of animal behaviour and environmental conditions, farmers can also create better grazing opportunities for their cattle. Furthermore, the emerging tech will further improve livestock production, especially by promoting better quality of life.

Potential Benefits & Challenges of Emerging Tech

The precision livestock farming market is growing with farm systems advancing in several tech aspects. Continued advancement could mean that prices will come down, and different software tiers will become readily available at an affordable price. With better implementation to reduce cost and associated labour, PLF is a paradigm shift.  

The Unknown

Since most emerging techs are new farm features, we still need to learn the long-term effects of some elements. For example, ear tags are commonly used tools alongside EIDs in PLF for identifying and tracking animals. 

Unfortunately, we don't know its long-term effects on the cattle - physically or behaviorally. Just a simple element like an ear tag comes with unknowns, as do all other PLF aspects. It's important to consult before stepping into PLF and take careful measures when implementing it into your farming system.

Get Started with Grazing Management Software

Want to get started with grazing? You don’t need to implement a lot of technology. However, you will want to incorporate software technology into your operation to manage your grazing system efficiently.

Try MaiaGrazing. This grazing management software provides advanced analytics to help you make the most informed decisions for your individual operation. It also will help you to:

• Maximise your livestock’s potential
• Boost carrying capacity of your land
• Optimise paddock yield
• Minimise feeding costs
• Capture data for seasonal planning and adjustment
• Manage practices that build and retain soil carbon