The SMARTBREED project is awarded by the Breed4Food program of STW in the Netherlands.
The breeding of dairy cattle and finisher pigs is very important in the farm animal industry. With the emergence of sensor technology the amount of data that is routinely recorded on individual animals is rapidly increasing. The Department of Intelligent Computer Systems at the Faculty of ICT proposes advanced machine learning techniques to build computational models of the behavior of animals by combining the genetics, phenotypes and environmental type of information.
The main aims of this research are twofold. First, to develop a method that identifies animals with performance that deviates from the expected one. This would allow for early prediction and identification of health-related issues so that timely action can be taken. Second, to develop predictive analysis methods that would allow for presorting animals (e.g. finisher pigs to groups targeted at intended market), as well as for the prediction of phenotypes with high accuracy (e.g. what is the likelihood that a cow will reach her second lactation?).
The proposed methods are expected to improve the welfare of farm animals and to contribute in the decision making processes of farm animal industry.
For more information about this research contact Dr George Azzopardi.
