UVAS brings dairy farming to the fore

LAHORE: The Department of Theriogenology at the University of Veterinary and Animal Science (UVAS) organised a one-day training workshop on ‘Precision Dairy Farming’.

Animal Production and Technology Faculty Dean Dr Annum Khalique chaired the workshop at the Ravi campus and emphasised on the importance of PDF in commercial farming. Twenty focused commercial farmers, managers, faculty and postgraduate students attended the workshop.



Workshop organiser Dr Ali Husnain said precision dairy farming involved the use of modern technologies to measure physiological, behavioural and production indicators on individual animals.

In the technical session, Usman Nazir demonstrated how different wireless and sensor technologies were being used to monitor individual animal parameters to provide the ease to farm management.



Dr Melad Ahmad shared his study outcomes on comparative efficacy of manual observation vs. NEDAP (Automated) heat and health monitoring in American Holstein cows. Nedap system improved heat detection rates from 40% to 79% when compared with two time manual observation; conventional heat detection method, said Dr Melad.

By using these parameters, one could predict heat and health status of an individual cow standing, walking, lying, eating and rumination times, said Dr Ali while demonstrating an automated monitoring system.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 2^nd, 2017.