Analysis of the Microclimate Conditions and Parameters in the Shelters for Dairy Cows and their Influence on the Animals Welfare

Abstract

Abstract Agriculture is reinventing itself, in a world in constant motion, where the current generation of farmers seems to be much more informed about new technologies (sensors, software, agrobots, tractors guided by GPS, satellites, etc.) that have direct results in increasing business efficiency which they develop in the agricultural field, while protecting their yields. The new regulations at the level of the European Union create pressure on farmers, who are forced to rethink the business model they are developing, based on sustainability principles and with new technologies, which once implemented can create new economic opportunities for farmers and for the communities from which they are part, as well for the environment. SMART Livestock Farming (S - simple, specific; M - measurable; A - acceptable and achieved; R - realistic; T - temporal, that is mean with a time limit) should include a repetitive cycle of collecting and processing data, namely: ⇒ Observation (by sensors) ⇒ Diagnostics (interpretation of the data transmitted by the sensors) ⇒ Decisions (in real-time and informed) ⇒ Implementation (evaluation and action). At the European Union level, an important percentage of the value of agricultural output is represented by milk production (approximately 154 million tonnes/year, 70% being produced in Germany, France, Poland, Netherlands, Italy and Ireland). In Romania, animal husbandry was, is and will be for the future, a prime occupation, in guaranteeing the agri-food goods necessary to feed the population. Without a doubt, cattle in Romania are one of the most valuable farm animals, due to the multiple advantages they offer us. Cow farms need to ensure optimal environmental conditions with constant parameters for performance and competition, in obtaining milk and meat production from a quantitative and qualitative point of view, as well as animal health. Following the research carried out on the farm for the breeding of milk cows, the necessary parameters for the assessment of the main microclimate factors were determined and the results obtained were compared with the existing norms in the specialized literature, regarding the conditions for raising and exploiting cattle. Animal health is an element that must concern us permanently. Only a healthy animal will perform in the production, to benefit the farm, farmers and consumers.