Week 3: Decision Making in Dairy Farming

Author

Guest Lecture: Dr. De Vries

Published

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Introduction

  • Overview of this week’s lecture
  • Introduction of guest lecturer: Dr. De Vries
  • Importance of decision making in modern dairy farming

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lecture, students should be able to:

  • Understand the foundations of decision making in dairy production systems
  • Explain how data and models support management decisions
  • Interpret scientific literature related to dairy farm optimization
  • Recognize opportunities for advanced analytics and AI in dairy farming

Background: Decision Making in Dairy Farming

Historical Roots

  • Traditional experience-based decision making
  • Role of observation and record keeping
  • Transition toward data-driven management

Modern Decision Support Systems

  • Sensor technologies
  • Farm management software
  • Integration of biological and economic data

Key Decision-Making Techniques

Economic Optimization

  • Cost-benefit analysis
  • Profit maximization
  • Risk assessment

Statistical and Mathematical Modeling

  • Regression models
  • Dynamic models
  • Bayesian approaches
  • Dynamic programming

Data-Driven Approaches

  • Machine learning
  • Artificial intelligence
  • Predictive analytics

Guest Lecture: Dr. De Vries

Focus Areas

  • Replacement decisions in dairy herds
  • Health monitoring and disease prediction
  • Integration of sensor data
  • Practical applications in farm management

Discussion Topics

  • Translating research into practice
  • Limitations of current techniques and models
  • Future directions in dairy decision support

Advised reading

Students are encouraged to review the following articles:

  1. Optimal replacement policies for dairy cows based on daily yield measurements
    https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2009-2209

  2. Bayesian integration of sensor information and a multivariate dynamic linear model for prediction of dairy cow mastitis
    https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2015-10060

  3. Invited Review: Examples and opportunities for artificial intelligence (AI) in dairy farms
    https://doi.org/10.15232/aas.2022-02345

Supplementary Materials

The following files are available in the course root directory:

In-Class Activities

Interactive Session

  • Q&A with Dr. De Vries
  • Discussion of student questions