The project "AI for a healthy curly tail" focuses on the development of an innovative monitoring system that helps pig farmers to identify and prevent tail biting risks in time. By combining data from the barn and the slaughterhouse with artificial intelligence and common sense, the parties involved want to contribute to a future-proof pig industry in which pigs with long tails are kept.
Connecting Agri & Food, Vion Food Group, Utrecht University and Vision Partners work with three breeders and three fattening pig farmers. On their farms, special departments have been set up where sensors continuously measure such things as barn climate, light intensity, noise, feeding and drinking behavior, activity and general behavior of the animals.
Translating loose measurements into insight
The big challenge is to convert all that separate data into actionable insights for practical use. "We want to translate loose measurements into concrete information that is of real use to the pig farmer," says Angela van der Sanden, smart farming, animal health and welfare specialist at Connecting Agri & Food. "By deploying technology intelligently, we can recognize risks faster and take more targeted action."
Combined approach
Keeping pigs with long tails is a desire and ambition within the industry, but not always easy in practice. Many factors influence the risk of tail biting. This is precisely why a combined approach of barn measurements, artificial intelligence and slaughter data was chosen within this project.
Connecting Agri & Food is coordinating the measurements in the barn, working closely with Utrecht University and Vion Food Group on the development of the monitoring system. At the same time, Vision Partners and Vion Food Group are developing an additional system that will automatically analyze the tails of all carcasses in the slaughterhouse for signs of tail biting.
Smart coupling of data
Linking data from the barn and the slaughterhouse creates a unique data set. This not only provides insight into the occurrence of tail biting, but the goal is that predictions can be made and early warnings issued.
The end goal is a workable, preventive monitoring system that helps pig farmers intervene in time to prevent structural tail biting - so pigs can grow up healthy and with a complete curly tail.
