INTRODUCTION OF DAIRY FARMINGÂ
Dairy farming refers to the production of milk and other dairy products for consumption. The dairy industry contributes to livelihood and provides essential nutrition to the masses. Many renowned companies have ventured into the dairy sector, and they have been fulfilling the dairy needs of people for a long time. IoT Dairy farming is now been explored to get the maximum out of farming.
The Internet of Things has been making advancements in every field with its data-driven technology that includes physical objects embedded with sensors and other technologies connected with a network. There are only a few or maybe negligible industries where IoT has not proved to lay an impact. One of the important areas of IoT development is IoT-enabled Smart dairy farming.
Do you know, how is IoT involved in dairy farming? How can IoT be helpful in dairy farming? Is this technology safe for cattle? What is the growth of IoT in dairy farming in the USA? Are you also stuck with any of these questions? Don’t worry; we have got it all covered for you!
THE INVOLVEMENT OF IOT IN DAIRY FARMING
Since the beginning of dairy farming, several advancements have been made in the process of milking cows. Starting from manually hand milking the cows and then automating the process through milking pipelines till the innovation of fully automated robotic milking. All the different methods of milking were developed in order to fulfil the increasing needs of the people. The current scenario of automation brings the idea of involving IoT and AI techniques together for a new and improved method of dairy farming.
The areas where smart technologies can be implemented include the monitoring of data on the cattle’s health, feeding, calving including the production of milk. Wearable sensors help the farmers monitor and keep track of the cattle. These sensors can be placed around the neck, tail, or leg and they also help in keeping the farmer aware of the illness before the milk quality is compromised. This is how IoT can help in Livestock Management.
APPLICATIONS OF IOT IN DAIRY FARMING
There are a number of applications of IoT in dairy farming, few of the major applications can be divided into the following points:
1. MAINTAINING THE HEALTH AND CLEANLINESS OF CATTLE
The main issue in dairy farming involves the caretaking of cattle. Looking after the cattle, keeping a track of cattle health, keeping them clean, and monitoring the quality of milk is very necessary. This is the factor where IoT in dairy farming comes into the act. Many smart wearable health monitors and ID collars have been developed that can be placed on different body parts of the cattle-like ear, tail, legs, and neck. These wearables track the health of the cow, as well as the analysis from them, which helps in getting veterinary reports of the cattle. Technologies like Near Field Communication(NFC) and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) are proven to be helpful in tracking the milk quality of cattle. The milk quality is analyzed by comparison with the production history to check the patterns.
Cleanliness of the cattle is also necessary in order to obtain good quality products. IoT-based smart cleaning of cattle makes it all easy. The smart cleaning solution includes an integrated car wash brush that provides comfort to the cattle as well as the bristles are designed in such a manner that they give the feel of a massage. This development not only helps in cleaning the cattle but also with better blood circulation and milk production.
2. MONITORING THE CATTLE(DRONES)
Another issue in dairy farming that arises in dairy farming is looking after the cattle. Smart IoT devices like drones help in keeping a track of the cattle if any case of emergency arises while they go grazing the fields. They provide real-time footage of the cattle to ensure the safe grazing of the cattle.
3. TRACKING MILK SUPPLY
Implementation of IoT in dairy farming not only helps with the betterment of cattle but also helps in business development. IoT helps with the inclusion of blockchain in the supply chain management of milk. QR codes are stamped on the packaging that allows the customer or the retailer to know the information about the product. Blockchain helps in providing real-time data about the package to manufacturers, suppliers, and other stakeholders.
4. ROBOTIC MILKING EQUIPMENT
IoT-based robotic arms and cups are developed which are embedded with sensors to monitor the milk expectation. These sensors detect if the teat is ready for milking or other impurities. This robotic milking equipment can also compare the milk quality and colour from past records and separate them if they do not match.
5. SMART MANAGEMENT OF FARM
A centralized management system software can be very helpful in smart dairy farming using IoT to monitor each and every operation running on the farm. The management software helps the farmer to keep track of their cattle, the deliveries, and the milk production, all in a single place
RISE OF IOT-BASED DAIRY FARMING IN THE USA
IoT-based dairy farming has made an impact all over the world. This technology proved to be beneficial for dairy farmers and the people involved in the dairy business. Research based on the implementation of IoT in dairy farming by Aerin Einstein suggested the majority of dairy people among 1600 were from the United States, confirming the use of smart farming. The ag-tech industry is on the verge of development in the USA. It was also reported that 10% of dairy farmers have already started using smart farming. It is also expected that Smart Dairy Farming (SDF) is bringing a revolution in the agriculture industry in the United States with its smart devices.
HOW IS IOT-BASED DAIRY FARMING BETTER THAN STANDARD DAIRY FARMING?
The new-age smart techniques of dairy farming are not just random technical equipment! These devices actually help the farmers with increased milk production, better monitoring of cattle health, and most importantly streamline the business. Although smart dairy farming using IoT gives various features to a common farmer, it may be a bit costly for setting up as well as difficult to use in the beginning. The truth is that the expense paid in the implementation will compound over the years and the use of new technology is always hard but everyone eventually learns it all.
Conclusion
This blog would surely have amazed you with the information about the next-generation technology for dairy farming. Gone are the days when dairy farmers were not able to detect the health conditions of the cattle and were underpaid for the products. IoT-based dairy farming has got it all done. From tracking the health of the cattle, and their location to supply-chain management, feed management in dairy farming has upgraded everything. An issue also arises: are these devices safe for the cattle? The answer is a yes, all these devices are registered to not harm the cattle in any way so they are all considered safe for the cattle.
Also Read: SMART IOT SOLUTION and  HOW THE IOT DAIRY FARMING IN THE USA BECAME SUCCESSFUL?
If you are looking for automating the processes involved in farming, then you can surely contact PsiBorg, an IoT solutions company, experienced in developing and innovating IoT solutions.
FAQs
IoT in dairy farming is utilized to monitor resources (cattle) by connecting objects in a dairy farm. To elaborate, IoT in dairy farming refers to the use of IoT technology such as sensors, RFID tags, and data analytics to monitor and manage various aspects of dairy production such as cattle health, milk quality, and living conditions in order to achieve productive and profitable results.
In dairy farming, IoT is used to monitor cattle health in real-time, track cattle locations while they are out in the field grazing, optimize cattle feed schedules, and monitor and maintain milk production.
Dairy farming solutions employ a variety of technological approaches. However, some of the most popular technologies in dairy farming include IoT (Internet of Things), RFID, automated milking systems, precision farming techniques, and data analytics.
In dairy farming, automation refers to the use of IoT to automate tasks such as milking, cleaning, and monitoring. Automated systems used in dairy farming include robotic milkers, automatic feeding systems, and sensor-based monitoring.
