Individualized mastitis risk assesment in dairy farming using sensors, digitalization and artificial intelligence

The main objective of the German-Irish cooperation project MEDICow is to develop an improved mastitis risk assessment model for dairy cows using an innovative multisensory approach, digitization and artificial intelligence. This enables animal-specific and highly sensitive mastitis risk assessment while shortening the time between mastitis infection and treatment. In this way, the project contributes to greater animal welfare, animal health and longer cow life. After all, the earlier mastitis is detected, the more successfully it can be treated. The project further contributes to more sustainable and profitable milk production by reducing the cost of veterinary treatments, medications and labor time to care for sick animals, as well as milk losses and culling of cows. Improved mastitis detection and treatment contributes to reduced antibiotic use and risk reduction of the emergence of antibiotic resistance. Following the basic idea of the One Health approach, lower antibiotic use protects people, animals and the environment. MEDICow thus supports Germany’s pioneering role in sustainable and forward-looking livestock farming. To achieve the goals of the MEDICow project, the interdisciplinary knowledge of veterinarians, data scientists, agronomists, microbiologists and technology experts from ATB, FU, LKV and DSMZ in Germany and TEAGASC in Ireland will be involved in the project. The MEDICow project will be a lighthouse project and leading example for the planned European Partnership in Animal Health.