Photo: Collected
Harnessing the power of artificial intelligence and the expertise and knowledge of poultry workers to boost bird welfare is key to a new project launched by Harper Adams University in the UK.
Researchers are working with data technology firm Optifarm to try and make better welfare assessments for poultry – working both remotely and on-farm in commercial poultry units.
They will also undertake social science research working with farm staff to help understand what issues they face when making choices about bird welfare, and the best ways to present data so that workers make the best decisions. This will explore the use of language models to translate complex data into clear management actions.
Improving animal welfare and operational efficiencies
David Spellar, Optifarm CEO, said the company’s mission was to combine the possibilities of artificial intelligence with practical farm insights that improve both animal welfare and operational efficiencies.
“Collaborating with Harper Adams University on this project is an exciting opportunity to further validate our AI engine and its algorithms, plus introduce social science to our use of AI language models. We are looking forward to further exploring how to adapt AI language models to communicate with farmers in a way that they freely welcome and can relate to, ensuring seamless integration of AI insights and responsive on-farm actions, ultimately driving improvements for the animals and the farm business jointly.”
Barriers for poultry workers
Recent research from Purdue University in the US has shown that while AI can offer an automated, practicable and effective way of monitoring poultry welfare, on-farm implementation has been limited.
The study, published in January in the journal Animal Frontiers, said that the barriers for poultry workers were:
· Research translation
· Technological limitations
· Diversity of animal environments
· Consumer perspectives
· Hesitation to use AI
· Financial implications
The study concluded that collaboration among producers, researchers, consumer, policymakers and poultry companies is critical for ensuring the transfer of AI technology from laboratories to the industry for on-farm application.
Dr Laura Palczynski, project lead at Harper Adams University, said speaking with farmers and others was key to discovering the challenges they face when making data-driven welfare decisions – and how this data is presented can inform those decisions.
“My previous research indicates it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it, when advisors are working with farmers, and it will be fascinating to explore how that sentiment applies when recommendations come from artificial intelligence,” said Palczynski.
Boosting bird well-being
Animal behaviour and welfare lecturer Dr Holly Vickery will be working with the Optifarm data from poultry farms to identify ways it can be used to boost bird well-being.
“We will be investigating the links between poultry welfare and data coming from Optifarm systems that already exist on poultry farms, which will enable us to take a data-informed approach to improving animal welfare.”
The aim of the project is to develop a validated early warning system that will allow producers to predict welfare issues and intervene early.
Source: Online/GFMM
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