MIT takes note of CRISPR potential for cattle genetics
Plus, calf monitoring as the next dairy tech frontier
Agriculture should take heart that MIT is throwing its weight behind CRISPR technology. The institute’s technology review recently published an entire issue about how to use technology to improve agriculture and food production. Specifically, the magazine highlighted the potential of CRISPR technology to solve for methane emissions in cattle. This is a good article highlighting – again – the potential of the technology and also the regulatory challenges it faces.
Check it out here.
Jones-Hamilton Company (Sponsor)
Manufactured in the USA by Jones-Hamilton, ParlorPal® is an affordable way to control ammonia and lower pH in calf hutches, bedding and footbaths.
Learn more here.
Another autonomous locomotion scoring technology
This week I discovered another AI locomotion scoring technology company – Herd-i. This one is from New Zealand. They claim to have more than 10 million locomotion scores counted and analyzed. Add them to the list of other companies who are already working in this space, including Cattle Eye and Herd Vision.
Read more about Herd-i here.
Australian company uses virtual reality to teach cattle handling skills
Cattle VR is a digital design studio that solves problems in agriculture using virtual reality and AI. They recently partnered with Veterinarian Dr. Mandi Carr from the University of Adelaide to create a virtual reality training tool for how to handle cattle. The technology was displayed in the U.S. this summer during FFA’s national conference.
Check out the company here.
Various emerging technologies are reshaping the beef cattle industry from the packer to the processor, giving ranchers new methods to monitor and manage their herds.
Read more about them here.
Dairy exec: ‘We’re not the Jetsons’ … yet?
United Dairyman of Idaho CEO Rick Naerebout recently said: “There will never be a day where you can eliminate the human aspect of dairy production.” The quote was part of an article highlighting the use of technology on Idaho dairy farms.
Read the full article here.
Calf monitoring is next dairy tech frontier
I completely agree with this headline and the article reviewing new technology from three different companies present at World Dairy Expo. I’m calling my shot now: The dairy tech theme for 2025 – whole-life monitoring.
Read more about the topic here.
Researchers use novel methods to asses cattle methane emissions
Researchers in Canada are using near infrared spectroscopy of manure paired with other methods to analyze methane emissions of feedlot cattle. The research is part of a five-year study. Their end goal is to distill data about animals that produce fewer methane emissions into a genetic trait that would then be added to existing beef cattle selection indexes in Canada.
Read more here.
Dairy profit projections from ZISK
Projected profitability for the next 12 months for two dairy herd sizes DECLINED in recent profit projections from ZISK.
ZISK is a profit projection smartphone app that tracks individual dairy farm profitability based on current CME board prices. Projections for a 1,000-cow dairy producing an average of 80 pounds of milk per cow and a 2,500-cow dairy producing an average of 85 pounds of milk per cow are provided.
12-month dairy farm profit projections (as of Nov. 9, 2024):
1,000-cow dairy = $845,200 (DOWN about $199,000 since the end of October)
2,500-cow dairy = $2.886 million (DOWN about $525,000 since the end of October)