4 Ways to use Drones on a Dairy Farm
Feed Management
Feed is one of the most critical elements on a Dairy farm. It constitutes 50-60% of total farm costs and up to 20% of that can be lost due to shrink. As an essential component to the production of milk, its important that farms and their nutritionists know exactly how much feed they have.
With the right drone, software, and surveying equipment, you can get highly precise volume measurements to help with feed management. Combine these precise measurements with consistent data points, and you can begin tracking usage trends, as well as metrics like shrink and density.
Crop Management
Fields are so vast and conditions so variable that its difficult to make the right decisions to improve crop health and yield. Drones provide the unique opportunity efficiently gather the information needed to make those timely decisions. The right combination of drone and sensor type can provide a number of new opportunities for crop management, including:
- Water Drainage
- Yield Estimates
- Stalk/plant counts
- Pest infestation
- Crop Health
Pasture Management
Do you pasture or graze cows? It can be a headache trying to monitor and track these cows. A low cost drone can allow for a quick assessment of the number of cows in the pasture and where they are spending their time. Another interesting application uses thermal sensors on a drone to identify cows that may be in heat or pregnant within a herd on the pasture.
Facility Management and CAFO Planning
A good farm is always looking to future growth and optimization of their farmstead. Planning for new facilities can be a challenging task, especially if your current farmstead has limited area to expand. Drones are a low cost way to get accurate aerial maps to measure and plan for new facilities. Further, CAFO planners can use these maps and topographic mapping to ensure the farm is in accordance with regulations.