UK | Sainsbury’s has become the first retailer in the world to invest in new AI veterinary technology to measure and enhance positive animal welfare on dairy farms, revolutionising the approach to cattle care.
In partnership with Vet Vision AI, a new spinout company from the University of Nottingham, Sainsbury’s has been trialling new technology designed to spot when cows are happy and healthy and why. The cows are monitored through low-cost, portable cameras that vets can use on multiple farms.
The AI works by recognising patterns in behaviour, analysing video footage, and turning it into real-time, accurate data. In addition to monitoring behaviour, the AI offers farmers suggestions on further improving the animals’ lifestyles.
Examples include housing improvements for better comfort and animal engagement and providing enrichment such as cow brushes, similar to a back scratcher, to reduce stress.
The ability to monitor cows around the clock has enabled more informed decision-making. Farmers will have unique insights into cow welfare that they may not have been able to identify with standard vet visits.
Continuous behaviour analysis also allowed for a ‘test and learn’ approach to the suggested welfare tactics. Constant monitoring can also identify diseases early, preventing vets from having to treat them later.
Beyond the benefits for the animal, the tech has promoted a step forward in farming efficiency, as a healthy cow means a more productive cow.
Thirty of Sainsbury’s Dairy Development Group farms have aimed to roll out the technology next year. The SDDG was founded in 2007 to provide more support to farmers.
“Investing in British farming and continuously improving animal health and welfare are key priorities for us, and this innovative new technology will mean we can help both farmer and animal,” said Dr Matt Turner, Vet and Agriculture Manager at Sainsbury’s.
“Our dairy farmers who are using the technology are already seeing real benefits, and we look forward to expanding it to our wider network of dairy development group farms soon.”
Dr Tom Angel, Veterinary Surgeon at Synergy Farm Health, added that Vet Vision AI has allowed them to identify positive animal welfare on farms, such as increased lying times and cow comfort, and management factors that needed to be addressed to improve these outputs.
“The computer vision technology has then assessed the impact of any changes we have implemented, objectively revealing how the animals have responded positively to the environmental and management changes."
Dr James Breen, a professor of cattle health at the University of Nottingham, began to use this AI technology with dairy herd health clients as part of their routine health and welfare monitoring.
The system's ability to observe the cows' natural behaviours without disturbing the animals and turn these observations into complex outcomes has been of enormous value when planning interventions to improve foot health, udder health, fertility performance, etc.
This initiative is the latest example of how Sainsbury’s supports British farmers.
