As technology continues to reshape agriculture, dairy farms are increasingly turning to smart tools to improve herd management, productivity, and sustainability. Two terms often used in this space are precision livestock farming and digital livestock farming. While they may sound similar, they offer different levels of insight and innovation.
What’s the Difference?
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Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) focuses on gathering specific data from animals and their environment using sensors. This includes tools like cow pedometers, rumination collars, or temperature sensors. These technologies help farmers monitor animal health, behavior, and environmental factors in real-time. For example, a cow’s lying time or feeding behavior can be tracked to detect early signs of illness.
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Digital Livestock Farming builds on precision tools by integrating big data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. It doesn’t just collect information—it analyzes it and can even automate decisions. Digital systems can predict health issues, optimize feed efficiency, and support management decisions without constant human input. Think of it as the next generation of smart farming, where data becomes actionable insight.
Why It Matters to Dairy Farmers
Digital and precision tools are helping producers reduce costs, improve cow comfort, and support more sustainable practices. Key benefits include:
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Health Monitoring: Early illness detection means faster treatment and healthier cows.
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Improved Productivity: Better feed efficiency and reproductive monitoring increase milk yield.
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Reduced Labor Needs: Automated systems save time on daily herd checks.
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Sustainability: Optimizing feed and water use reduces environmental impact.
For instance, machine learning models can now recognize cow behaviors like eating, ruminating, or lying down through video feeds. Advanced systems can even identify individual animals and assess their body condition using computer vision—no need for physical scoring or stress-inducing handling.
A Growing Area of Research
A recent bibliometric analysis reviewed 198 scientific publications from 2008 to 2023, showing a surge in research on these technologies—especially after 2019. Most studies focused on using computer vision, deep learning, and sensor networks to monitor dairy cow behavior and health. The analysis also found strong global collaboration among researchers, with countries like Italy, the U.S., and China leading the field.
The Takeaway
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Precision livestock tools help you collect accurate data.
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Digital livestock tools help you analyze and act on that data—often automatically.
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Both technologies are essential steps toward smarter, more sustainable dairy farming.
Dairy producers interested in staying competitive and improving long-term herd management may want to explore integrating these technologies on their farms.
📖 Read the full published study here:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11201094/
