The Use of Precision Dairy Farming in Feeding and Nutrition

Dairy operations today are suffering from narrow profit margins. This has intensified the drive for efficiency. At the same time dairy farmers have to take into account consumers demands such as food safety and quality, zoönotic disease transmission, animal welfare, reduction of the use of medical treatments, and an acceptable environmental impact of livestock production (after Berckmans, 2003;2004). Therefore the decision-making landscape for dairy managers has changed dramatically. Precision Dairy Farming may give support in working according to these consumers’ demands without loss of efficiency and within economic and ecologic sustainability. Precision Dairy Farming is generally defined as information and technology based farm management system to identify, analyze and manage variability within farm management for optimum farm performance, profitability and sustainability.