Overview
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project - EIP-AGRI Operational Group

"SENSORS ON BEEF CATTLE FED ON GRASS : Search for innovations adapted to the challenges of meat cattle farms in the Charolais basin "

Contacts
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Completed | 2020 - 2021 France
Completed | 2020 - 2021 France

Objectives

Identification, proposal and support for the development of technological and/or digital innovations adapted to the needs and challenges of beef cattle breeders in the Charolais basin of the Bourgogne Franche-Comté areaIdentification, proposal and support for the development of technological and/or digital innovations adapted to the needs and challenges of beef cattle breeders in the Charolais basin of the Bourgogne Franche-Comté area

Activities

Two actions are carried out separately:
1. The constitution and animation of the operational group (GO) and the breeder-advisor groups (GEC),
2. Scientific and technical investigation of the avenues for innovation identified by the GECs with knowledge and potential already available and/or under development.
Three breeder-advisor groups worked on the following topics:
• Grazing monitoring and management,
• Follow-up of the young “suckling” calf,
• Lightening of the workload, improvement of working comfort and reduction of musculoskeletal disorders

Project details
Main funding source
Rural development 2014-2020 for Operational Groups
Rural Development Programme
2014FR06RDRP026 France - Rural Development Programme (Regional) - Bourgogne
Location
Main geographical location
Saône-et-Loire

EUR 119 248.00

Total budget

Total contributions from EAFRD, national co-financing, additional national financing and other financing.

Project keyword

Resources

4 Practice Abstracts

Breeder working group: physical load

Needs

• Optimize the conservation and distribution of fodder (in particular the silage tarpaulin system)

• Optimize the design and operation of existing buildings

• Secure handling/handling of heavy loads and animals

• Reduce MSDs (musculoskeletal disorders)

• Optimize the opening of the yokes, automate weeding under the fence wires

Existing solutions

• The remote-controlled tarpaulin reel

• Wire cutter

• Feeder trough

• The salt stone holder

• Robots and forage pushers

• The mobile barrier

• The versatile brushcutter.

• The exoskeleton

Work tracks

A track makes consensus in the group on the question of the covering of the silos. It was worked on as part of a creativity session with the mobilization of the Crunchlab of the UTBM de Montbéliard.

A second subject caught the attention of the group around solutions for the distribution and repelling of fodder and contention.

The creativity session with the Crunchlab

Two technical solutions:

• An alternative to tires for loading the silo cover: the principle is based on a pipe filled with water to be placed on the silo

• A system for rolling up and unrolling the tarpaulins from a hitch on the tractor

Findings

The organization of work can be reviewed using the “Lean Agriculture” method (reducing arduous tasks, tips and methods).

The tools and equipment exist but the configurations of the farms are very different and the adaptation of these tools is not always easy.

Possible sequences

Collective and shared tests of OAD sensors and tools are planned.



 

Breeder working group: mental load

Needs

• Facilitate data entry and manage to value them for all declarations

• Automate the reporting of information from stakeholders in the herd management software

• Have real-time animal temperature monitoring with “timely” alerts

• Limit losses of traceability until animals are slaughtered

• Generalize dematerialization for all administrative tasks

Existing solutions

• Declic Travail, online application and tool sheets to identify tips and share best practices

• Obione: diagnosis of the farm and sharing of good practices between breeders, with veterinarian

• CowGestion, alternative financing



Work tracks

• The study of the most repeated data

• Loops, weights, health book, food stocks.

The major expectation is to “ENTER ONCE” the information.

Mental load – Conclusions and vigilance

• Data governance and sovereignty

• Mass of data to be entered as problematic as double entries

• Complexity of fetching the data on several accesses

• Sector vision for everyone's best interest

Software and data are operated by different actors. There is a new trend to pool and group together like MyEasyFarm.

The most pressing needs relate to:

• Genetic information, one-click access to indexes.

• Reminder of vaccines (cf. IDELE calendar).

• Administrative follow-up of invoices

New approaches highlight the "Happiness of the breeder": HAPPY approach developed by OBIONE and survey named COW FARM.

Tools such as Declic Travail or APtimiz help raise awareness and identify the levers to optimize the time spent.



 

Group followed by the young nursing calf

The issues identified for animal welfare and health are:

• The detection of calvings for the survival of the calf,

• Taking colostrum,

• Early detection of health problems,

• The correct use of the veterinary medicinal product,

• The issue of mother-child separation

Different “breeder-advisor needs” identified by the group

• Automatically record calf health and behavior parameters,

• Simplify the weighing of the young calf,

• Simplify the “birth” declaration process,

• Guarantee the traceability of the animal,

• Help the breeder in the interpretation of data

Existing solutions identified

• The loops for taking the temperature,

• Calving and heat detection tools,

• The automatic concentrate dispenser,

• Accelerometers,

• The dung scan



Avenues of work envisaged, 2 projects

Project 1: use of thermal cameras to detect hypo/hyperthermia

Proof of concept to test:

The project is to replace the surveillance camera with a thermal camera to:

• Compare a body temperature measurement on the calf and on the cow with the evaluation by infrared measurement

• Evaluate the zoom capabilities and ergonomics of the infrared camera

Project 2: use of activity sensors

It would consist of:

• Test and develop a digital device with applications and connected equipment for monitoring the health and activity of cattle,

• Deepen the investigation work (acquire data on behavior, state of health, weaning performance, etc.)

• Carry out experimental tests on the Jalogny experimental farm



 

Pasture Monitoring and Management Group

Expressed needs:

• Knowledge of the plots,

• Fence management,

• Management of drinking water,

• Monitoring of animal batches,

• Traceability of grazing



The existing solutions identified:

• The virtual / connected fence,

• The herbometer (manual or connected),

• Geolocation collars,

• The surveillance drone,

• Self-weighing on pasture



The areas of work identified within the group to be invested in:

• Self-weighing on pasture

• The issue of technical mastery of rotational grazing, linked to knowledge of the basics and the management of practical difficulties

• Management of drinking water

• Work on fences and their installations



Synthesis of the products of the creativity session supported by the Crunchlab:

1 - An insulator system integrated into the post

2 - A pole trolley with the wires integrated into the poles, and assisted traction of the trolley

3 - An unwinder rewinder system with integrated insulators on the wire



Grazing monitoring: conclusion

• Contacts have been established with installers.

• A confrontation of ideas within the framework of the Crunchlab with experts or manufacturers made it possible to better understand the solutions already developed (Pâtura for example) and those in the pipeline.

• A very “comfortable” mechanized solution for installing an electric fence integrating stakes and 3 electric wires with an agricultural quad.



Equipment and material on the shutter of the fences:

• Multi-purpose materials on the species (cattle, sheep, etc.)

• An interesting solution identified: the double motorized heat pump

• A recently developed device of virtual fences under development (trials presented and the video intervention of No Fence)

Contacts

Project coordinator

  • Chambre d'agriculture de Saône et Loire

    Project coordinator

    julien.renon@sl.chambagri.fr 0609219638 59, rue du 19 mars 1962 71000 MACON
         Advisor

Project partners