After the introduction of ALUS Nutrition, its first product to optimize feed management, earlier this year, Dublin-based Cainthus is launching a second product – ALUS Behavior.
The computer vision and artificial intelligence company, set up to turn visual data into actionable insights for farmers, said ALUS Behavior monitors cows 24/7 in order to provide a complete behavior analysis, ensuring that cows are displaying the behavioral patterns that result in maximum milk production.
“We believe that ALUS Behavior is a cutting-edge product with the ability to transform farm operations.”
Large scale dairy operations often struggle with labor shortages, farm profitability and feed management, while keeping animal health and welfare at a high level, said Cainthus. Using this technology, large dairies have access to valuable insights on cow behavior and cow comfort, pivotal to further increase farm profitability and sustainability, said the developer.
When asked if a farmer was already using ALUS Nutrition, what difference would the new product make to their operation, Cainthus CEO, Aidan Connolly, told us both ALUS products use the same technology and hardware – computer vision combined with artificial intelligence – to address different challenges on dairy farms:
« As the name suggests, ALUS Nutrition keeps an eye on feed availability 24/7 to ensure that your cows always have access to feed. The system passively monitors events like feed deliveries, push-ups and cleanouts and tracks those movements relative to the desired schedule. It enables producers to improve the consistency of their operations, maximize intakes and reduce feed waste.
« Conversely ALUS Behavior monitors how the herd behaves in the pen, 24/7, in order to provide a complete behavior analysis. The goal is to ensure that your cows are displaying optimal behavioral patterns to maximum milk production but also animal welfare, with the intent to make the changes required to improve cow comfort and address lameness or other health issues proactively.
« These products together provide a solution to two of the five domains of animal welfare – nutrition and behavior – and are critical for a successful and profitable dairy business. »
In term of the benefits of ALUS Behavior in terms of supporting dairy cattle feeding strategies, he said the technology allows producers to measure lying time, to create metrics around cow comfort, and what activities cows engage in while in the pen, establishing a 24-time budget. « A cow that lies down one hour longer will digest her feed better, have better health and produce up to 2kg extra milk per day, » said Connolly.
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