Helping Livestock Care: AI-Powered Health Monitoring
Livestock farming is facing challenges due to the rise in global population and the increasing demand for food and feed. As large-scale farming has grown to meet new standards and demands, challenges have appeared in animal monitoring and sustainable resource use, impacting animal welfare, food security and the environment in general.
AI tech offers different solutions to farmers in addressing these challenges. They change how farmers manage and monitor their farms, enabling early detection of diseases and health issues and helping prevent their spread.
In this blog, learn how AI-powered monitoring revolutionises livestock care and helps farmers run their farms more sustainably.
Using AI in Livestock Care
New developments in AI, through drones, cameras and IoT sensors, are helping farmers monitor their animals in real time. By spotting early signs of stress, discomfort or illnesses, farmers can quickly intervene, preventing minor health issues from becoming serious problems.
Ways AI is transforming livestock care:
- Animal movement and behaviour tracking
Animal health sensors, such as CowManager, and RFID tags, help farmers monitor single animals in real time. RFID tags help track the location of farm animals and recognise them, while wearable sensors actively collect data on the animals’ activity and daily routines. Combined with AI, these devices can detect subtle warning signs, like limping or reduced movement, that might indicate a health issue. AI can then analyse the trends and suggest practical actions, helping farmers make informed decisions to keep their animals healthy.
- Livestock disease detection and control
AI-driven platforms analyse behavioural, visual and biometric data to detect disease symptoms at both the individual and herd level. Systems, such as Connecterra’s Ida, use AI in the form of computer vision and machine learning to monitor different actions in animals: posture, facial expressions, and activity patterns. Identifying subtle signs of discomfort or infection that farmers might miss. By combining daily behavioural data with historical and environmental information, AI can predict potential disease outbreaks and recommend preventive actions. This allows farmers to isolate affected animals early, protect the rest of the herd, and manage biosecurity proactively, minimising losses and enhancing overall farm resilience..
Environmental Temperature Monitoring
Environmental sensors and AI-powered control systems continuously track temperature, humidity and air quality in barns; one of these systems is Smart Barn. This data is processed through AI algorithms to predict heat stress and automatically adjust ventilation, shading and water supply on farms. Learning from past climate patterns, these tools can predict heat stress events before they happen, keeping the animals comfortable and productive all year.
Body Temperature and Stress Detection
Thermal imaging cameras (like the FLIR One Pro or Hikvision Thermal Cameras) and smart ear tags (such as the FarrPro Beacon) keep a close eye on farm animals, tracking body temperature, inflammation, and other heat-related signals. AI then analyses this data to tell the difference between normal changes and signs of illness, giving early warnings of fever or infection. Unlike traditional monitoring, AI doesn’t just log information; it learns from it, spotting subtle patterns and alerting farmers before any visible symptoms appear
- Feeding and Nutrition Tracking
AI systems can monitor and optimise food feeding through IoT devices and weight sensors. AI systems, that are integrated with automated feeding platforms like Lely Vector, track feed intake, animal weight, and nutrient conversion efficiency. These tools track changes in appetite and provide data on how much each animal is consuming, which can indicate potential health problems or overuse of pastures. By analysing those data, AI helps optimise feed schedules and ensure animals get the right nutrients while minimising waste.
A couple of Real-World Examples of Implementing AI in Livestock Monitoring:
The Dutch Cattle Expert System developed by the Dutch company Veepro, offers recommendations for feed regimens, treatments and conditions to improve livestock welfare and health. They also perform analyses to maintain animal health and advise on operational actions to enhance farm performance.
The UKRI-founded BeefTwin project aims to create an AI-powered DigitalTwin to improve feed efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and enhance animal welfare and profitability for farmers. BeefTwin AI-powered DigitalTwin will collaborate with farms across the UK for two years, measuring conversion rates and refining farming practices to develop more sustainable practices.
Benefits of AI in animal welfare
AI in farming brings many practical benefits that directly enhance animal welfare and streamline farm management, including: reduction in disease and animal mortality (AI systems enable early detection of health issues, that lead to improved survival rates and reduced outbreaks), improved living conditions (monitoring environmental factors like temperature, humidity and air quality, AI tools help farmers maintain optimal living conditions, reduce stress and promote a healthy environment for livestock), sustainable livestock management (thanks to precision feeding, waste reduction, environmental monitoring and efficient resource use, AI supports long-term sustainability in livestock management) and optimised feeding patterns (analysing the data on feeding habits and nutritional needs, enables farmers to ensure thier animals receive the right nutrients while avoiding overfeeding or wastage).
This innovation can also be seen on the research side, in papers published in MDPI Agriculture, SpringerNature Link and PubMed.
Overcoming Data Gaps in Traditional Livestock Farming
Traditional farming practices often lack access to real-time data, such as eating habits, daily routines, stress levels and health, this hampers the farmers’ informed decision-making for their farm.
AI-powered technologies help in bridging the gap in traditional farming by allowing farmers to track, analyse and respond to the specific needs of their farms. That leads to improving resource management and promoting sustainable farming practices.
The Digi4Live project focuses on the integration of IoT sensors and advanced AI algorithms to provide real-time data on animal behaviour and health. The project aims to simplify livestock data sharing, harmonisation and standardisation, making livestock monitoring more manageable and efficient.
Conclusion
AI-powered technologies are playing an important role in transforming livestock care on farms. By optimising feeding management, enabling disease detection and enhancing resource usage, AI solutions offer new opportunities to improve animal welfare, productivity and environmental impact.
The Digi4Live project uses the power of data and AI to drive smarter, more efficient and eco-friendly livestock practices. Explore our Newsroom and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube for the latest advancements in livestock farming.