Would precision farming decrease costs or increase outputs (reduce mortality, increase growth) much compared standard conventional factory farmings? It could reduce labour costs, increase energy and equipment costs, and have no effect on feed and juvenile costs. It seems that feed often (e.g. chicken, salmon) accounts for around 50% or more of the cost of production in factory. So precision farming could only reduce costs so much.
Hi Michael. I think AI can reduce cost spent on feed. It can’t change the cost of the feed but it can change how much they need to use. For example, a lower mortality rate already means less feed per kg of product.
Thanks, this is helpful. I guess I’d wonder how much room there is to optimize here, e.g. how much feed is left uneaten over the whole cycle.
For example, a lower mortality rate already means less feed per kg of product.
This particular example could actually be a good thing. It would mean fewer animals harmed per kg of product, and presumably higher average welfare, too, if mortality rates are lower. I suppose it’s possible it could decrease costs enough to actually mean more animals farmed, though.
Would precision farming decrease costs or increase outputs (reduce mortality, increase growth) much compared standard conventional factory farmings? It could reduce labour costs, increase energy and equipment costs, and have no effect on feed and juvenile costs. It seems that feed often (e.g. chicken, salmon) accounts for around 50% or more of the cost of production in factory. So precision farming could only reduce costs so much.
Hi Michael. I think AI can reduce cost spent on feed. It can’t change the cost of the feed but it can change how much they need to use. For example, a lower mortality rate already means less feed per kg of product.
Second, feeding could be optimized by reducing wasted feed. For example, there are AI systems built for fish farming that uses image recognition to identify the number of uneaten pellets in the water as an indicator or whether the fish is overfed at the moment. If yes, the system lowers the number of pellets dispensed and this reduces the number of pellets uneaten and get dropped to the bottom of the pond of leak from the bottom of a cage in the case of fish farms on the sea. Another way of doing it is to tell from the activeness of the fish. Or combined.
AI could also improve the whole feeding scheme to improve the feed conversion ratio.
Thanks, this is helpful. I guess I’d wonder how much room there is to optimize here, e.g. how much feed is left uneaten over the whole cycle.
This particular example could actually be a good thing. It would mean fewer animals harmed per kg of product, and presumably higher average welfare, too, if mortality rates are lower. I suppose it’s possible it could decrease costs enough to actually mean more animals farmed, though.