For years, dairy producers have invested in fans, soakers and ventilation systems to keep cows comfortable during periods of heat stress. Now, a new generation of technology is helping those systems work smarter. Using cameras, sensors and artificial intelligence, automated barn management tools can identify where cows are standing, apply water only where it’s needed and provide managers with a deeper look into what is happening inside the barn.
Josh Broekema of Inbarn recently discussed how the company’s Barn AI technology is helping dairies reduce water and energy use while generating information that can support day-to-day management decisions.
“We’ve spent years improving the cow’s health with cow comfort practices. Now it’s time to improve the bottom line by helping the dairy purchase things like this that really help the ROI,” Broekema says.
Reduce Water Use Without Sacrificing Cow Cooling
Heat abatement remains one of the most important components of cow management during warm weather. Soakers and fans are one of the most effective cooling combinations, but many systems apply water whether cows are present or not. Barn AI was initially developed to address that challenge.
“Barn AI started as a system that helps dairies save on water,” Broekema says. “There are many reasons to save water more than just the water itself.”
According to Broekema, the technology can reduce water use by 60% to 70% depending on the system design and management goals.
“Barn AI is probably one of the biggest advancements we have with being able to cut down on water depending on which system we find that’s best for the dairy,” he says.
The system identifies where cows are standing and prevents water from being applied in empty areas. This not only conserves water but can also reduce the amount of excess moisture entering manure handling systems.
In areas where water management is already challenging, reducing unnecessary water application can provide additional benefits.
Individualized Cooling Opportunities
Beyond reducing water use, newer versions of the technology are designed to improve how cooling is delivered to individual cows. Instead of waiting for the next scheduled soak cycle, cows can receive water shortly after arriving at the feed bunk.
“When the cow’s at the feed bunk, rather than waiting on the next one when she gets there, that water turns on for her right away,” Broekema says. “She gets her own individual timer.”
While this approach may not deliver the highest possible water savings, Broekema says it allows dairies to focus available water where it can provide the greatest cooling benefit.
Bringing AI into the Barn
Artificial intelligence is becoming more common across the dairy industry, and Broekema sees significant potential for using cameras and computer vision technology to support management decisions.
“We see at a rapid pace that AI is starting to take a role in the dairy industry and that farms are working with it to make some decisions,” he says.
The company’s camera-based system can monitor whether feed deliveries occur on schedule, verify feed pushups and provide other operational insights. Additional capabilities currently under development include monitoring lying time, feed bunk attendance, waterer usage and standing behavior.
The goal is to provide managers with greater visibility into areas of the barn that often receive less attention during the workday.
“Having some eyes in the back of the barn to know what’s going on and having some reports to look at daily would be pretty valuable,” Broekema says.
Savings Beyond Water
The technology’s ability to identify where cows are located can also create opportunities to reduce energy consumption. Using camera-based monitoring, fans can be shut off when pens are temporarily empty while cows are away being milked.
“If cows aren’t in the pen, that’s an opportunity to reduce that usage without affecting cow comfort,” Broekema says.
While he notes the strategy is not appropriate for every facility, it can offer meaningful savings in naturally ventilated barns where fan operation provides little benefit when cows are absent.
“If there’s no benefit to have the fans on while there’s no cows, let’s shut the fans off and save that one hour every time they go to milk,” he says.
As dairies continue evaluating technologies that can improve efficiency, Broekema believes the combination of resource savings and management insights creates value beyond cow cooling alone.
“It’s about sustainability and helping the bottom line on less energy usage, less water usage and better decisions,” Broekema says. “Information is valuable and adds to the bottom line.”
