Exploring the Effects of Precision Livestock Farming Notification Mechanisms on Dairy Farmers

Abstract

Modern dairy farms are increasingly adopting technologies to monitor animal health and welfare and send notifications to farmers when issues arise. These precision livestock farming (PLF) technologies promise increased animal health and farm productivity. Yet, few studies exist on the effects of these technologies on those who use them. Studies from Europe show the 24/7 nature of potential PLF notifications can make farmers feel always “on call”, increasing their overall stress levels. This thesis conducted an initial online survey of 18 dairy farmers in Ontario, Canada, to explore their experiences with PLF notifications. Reported benefits of PLF technologies include improved animal health and dairy products, labour benefits, and ease of data collection. The study also uncovered weaknesses of PLF notifications, including information uncertainty and overload, false alerts, inappropriate timing, and mismatches between information content and communication mediums used. Design recommendations are presented to improve PLF notification mechanisms.