7 steps to PLF
Meat and dairy livestock farmers are facing increased pressure to reduce their impact on the climate. Will this dent profitability? No. Profitability and improved sustainability may actually go hand in hand, thanks to Precision Livestock Farming (PLF).
What is PLF?
Most people are familiar with precision farming, whereby pictures emerge of autonomous tractors performing accurate functions, guided by GPS, weather and soil data and information pulled from many sensors. Precision farming is overtaking agriculture. In livestock a similar wave is coming, called Precision Livestock Farming or PLF.
PLF is the use of sensors to create a picture of each animal, rather than the average of a herd. The primary sensors are LF-RFID (or EID aka electronic tags), which allow for collecting “per animal data”.
We can help you get the most out of PLF in seven easy steps.
Step 1
Record the essentials: DoB (age), sex and where possible breed.
Step 2.
Traceability compliance. Differentiation
Step 3.
Genetics. There are several ways to record father(s), mother and child relationships. This provides insight in bloodlines.
Step 4:
Production data: Dairy. Weights, Growth
Step 5:
Feed and Feed Conversion
Step 6:
Health. Meds. Issues. Characteristics
Step 7:
Draft and Cull
Breed with the best
Produce with the best
DO away with below average