Motivations and attitudes of Brazilian dairy farmers regarding the use of automated behaviour recording and analysis systems

Abstract

In this Research Communication we investigate the motivations of Brazilian dairy farmers to adopt automated behaviour recording and analysis systems (ABRS) and their attitudes towards the alerts that are issued. Thirty-eight farmers participated in the study distributed into two groups, ABRS users (USERS, n = 16) and non-users (NON-USERS, n = 22). In the USERS group 16 farmers accepted being interviewed, answering a semi-structured interview conducted by telephone, and the answers were transcribed and codified. In the NON-USERS group, 22 farmers answered an online questionnaire. Descriptive analysis was applied to coded answers. Most farmers were young individuals under 40 years of age, with undergraduate or graduate degrees and having recently started their productive activities, after a family succession process. Herd size varied with an overall average of approximately 100 cows. Oestrus detection and cow's health monitoring were the main reasons given to invest in this technology, and cost was the most important factor that prevented farmers from purchasing ABRS. All farmers in USERS affirmed that they observed the target cows after receiving a health or an oestrus alert. Farmers believed that they were able to intervene in the evolution of the animals' health status, as the alerts gave a window of three to four days before the onset of clinical signs of diseases, anticipating the start of the treatment.The alerts issued by the monitoring systems helped farmers to reduce the number of cows to be observed and to identify pre-clinically sick and oestrous animals more easily. Difficulties in illness detection and lack of definite protocols impaired the decision making process and early treatment, albeit farmers believed ABRS improved the farm's routine and reproductive rates.

Factors associated with the adoption of mobile applications (Apps) for the management of dairy herds

“…The factors associated with the implementation of these technologies in these are related to internal or external motivations, which influence the behavior of the producer (Conor et al, 2019). Vieira et al (2021) and Freitas et al (2018), found that the health control of the cows, quality control of the milk, the reduction of the costs associated with maintaining the hygienic and sanitary quality of the milk, are factors that motivate the dairy producer to invest in technologies for their production systems. Schulze-Schwering et al ( 2022), determined that the use of mobile technologies facilitates data analysis, provides real-time information for decision making and improves business management in the dairy herd, factors that motivate the producer to implement information technologies.…”

Developing ‘Smart’ Dairy Farming Responsive to Farmers and Consumer-Citizens: A Review

“…Researchers investigated Brazilian farmers' attitudes to the use of automated behaviour recording and analysis systems (ABRS; i.e., sensor technologies) that could aid oestrus detection, as timely and accurate detection of oestrus is very important for dairy farmers [63]. They found that farmers face practical difficulties in adopting such technologies (e.g., low quality of internet services (33%)), and had concerns about costs.…”

“…Quality of life factors were also important with the technology associated with enabling them to reduce the number of animals to be checked, and to do so more easily. This paper concluded that "farmers believe that ABRS is improving the farm's routine and quality of their lives as well as reproductive rates" [63] (p. 273). Research on Australian dairy farmers' perspectives on precision technologies indicates that automatic oestrus detection systems are one of the technologies with the highest levels of expected adoption within 10 years (80% of farmers expected increased adoption rates) [68].…”