3D app shows calf house design essentials
© Tim Scrivener A new 3D app allows farmers to step inside a virtual reality calf house and see the features that are essential for rearing healthy calves.
The free app, called Optihouse, offers farmers two options: to build their own calf house, or tour houses modelled from real farms using 360deg movement and compare them with their own.
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The technology was developed as part of a four-year research project in response to data showing an average mortality rate of 6% in UK dairy calves, with up to 40% suffering from pneumonia.
Housing essentials
Good ventilation, keeping young calves warm and dry, and ensuring consistently high levels of hygiene, were among the key findings of researchers who visited 66 farms across Northern Ireland.
“While most farmers are aware that calves need to be kept warm, there has never been a real understanding of what the environmental conditions are in Northern Irish calf houses,” says senior research scientist and project manager Gillian Scoley.
“Obtaining this information has been key to seeing what improvements can be made to housing facilities for calves to thrive.”
Calves suffering ill health in early life can struggle with delayed growth, leading to delays in breeding, calving age and a depressed level of milk production, she adds.
Development of Optihouse
The app was developed by Belfast tech company Sentireal and involved a team of researchers from Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) Hillsborough, Queen’s University Belfast, the dairy advisory team at the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise, and a group of international veterinary, academic and industry experts.
It was funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and led by the AFBI.