Technology in hog barns isn’t new, but the use of artificial intelligence (AI) adds another element to the possibilities for barn and pig management. In the latest State of the Pork Industry report, four experts weigh in on how AI could possibly be integrated into the industry.
1. Daily operations
Randy Kuker, director of swine production for The Equity, sees a logical place for AI in data collection.
“A lot of our controllers and systems that we keep track of on a daily basis in wean to finish are probably going to be around feed and water,” Kuker says. “Using AI as a predictor for health issues or potential health issues, I think will probably be on the forefront. Another opportunity I’ve read about is using cameras to potentially predict when you’re ready to take your first cuts or top cuts out, or projecting how big your pigs are.”
He says it is interesting and exciting to see where AI is going to go in the future, but it will still have some limitations.
“I don’t think it’s going to eliminate the need for the human being in the barn unless you can get a robot that can walk pens,” he says.
2. Predictive forecasting
Brad Eckberg, account executive at MTech Systems, sees possibilities with AI in predictive forecasting.
“AI offers the ability to be able to say, ‘Here’s what I need to market pigs and here’s what I’m going to have from a projective standpoint,’” he says. “I’m going to have a health break coming up here in three days because the water just dropped by 50% based on predictive analytics.”
Eckberg says collecting, understanding and looking at the history of the data is something he thinks the industry can make progress at, especially considering how much progress has been made in the last 25 years.
“There’s a lot of variability with genetics, with barn types, and there’s the human factor as well, but AI is coming,” he says. “I think with the amount of data that’s coming in and how it’s being used today, it’s very exciting to be able to help pork producers get even better and more efficient.”
3. Management decisions
When it comes to the sow production side, AI should help people make decisions quicker, says Adam Annegers, sow production manager at JBS. He believes AI can help the industry be more proactive rather than reactive.
“We all have data systems and production records,” he says. “We’re looking at the 8, 12, 16, and 26-week trend lines. I think AI will help us predict those trend lines much quicker so we can make decisions that will influence production numbers quicker, one way or the other.”
4. Pig care
From a veterinarian’s perspective, Cara Haden, DVM with Pipestone, believes AI will be able to empower caregivers to focus even better on the pigs that need more care.
“I don’t think we’re that far from where we might have people walk into their barn for the day, pick up a printed list of the 12 or 100 animals they need to pay attention to today,” she says. “This pig has a fever. This pig is limping or has reduced movements according to the camera. This pig hasn’t been to a feeder.”
She points out data has shown there is reduced movement and reduced water intake before a porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) outbreak. AI tools can monitor for these things.
“I think we’re going to be able to diagnose disease quicker, identify things quicker, and we’re going to learn so much through AI about disease processes and movements,” she says. “I think it’s going to really help us improve our ability to take care of pigs.”
Read more: Artificial Intelligence in the Future of Swine Genetics
You can find more of the State of the PORK Industry report here.
