Module 1: Understanding How Data Can Impact Farm Animal Productivity, Health, and Welfare

Discovering the power of data

In the first module of this course, you will become familiar with what "data" really means, and how data skills can help farmers, and others working with livestock, overcome challenges such as remaining profitable as costs and competition rise, while helping to improve the health and wellbeing of production animals. We will show you practical ways of utilising data, and build foundational skills that will be built upon in future modules. 

What does "data" mean, and how can data benefit livestock farming?

What does "data" mean, anyway? As discussed in the following video, data is a powerful tool to help you gain information, and make decisions:

In the following presentation, Dr Rebecca Doyle, from the University of Edinburgh, explains how data and record-keeping can improve farm animal productivity, health, and welfare:

Farmer Spotlight | Sean and Chloe Barker

Data can be as simple as keeping records on paper, or can be more complex, and facilitated by technology. Sean and Chloe Barker, farmers based in the Scottish Borders, discuss how and why they use data, and how the the role of data in farming is changing over time:

How can data be collected and utilised on-farm? 

Case Study: Record-keeping on your smartphone

Data collection, in the form of record-keeping, can be done with:

• a pen and paper
• digital spreadsheets
• technological means 

These are all valid ways of recording and using data, and there is no single "best" method. When a higher-tech approach is warranted, specialised software can be used to record and keep track of data easily and efficiently.

In the following case study, iLivestock will show you an example of how their app can turn your smartphone into a powerful farm management tool:

Case Study: Practical benefits of data use for sheep management 

Dr Claire Morgan-Davies, from the Hill and Mountain Research Centre at Scotland's Rural College, shares the results of several projects including:

• The Sm@RT project which aims to help farmers identify the ways in which data and technology can help them find solutions to their unique challenges to achieve their individual desired outcomes
• The SusSheP project  which compared sheep farm productivity, economics, and efficiency with and without the use of on-farm data.

Data Tutorials

Data 101: An introduction to record keeping with spreadsheets

This first data tutorial will help you familiarise yourself with the free, online version of Microsoft Excel, and will teach you the basics of using a spreadsheet to manage data recorded on-farm. 

After watching the above video, expand the Learning Activity below, and share your thoughts:

Data 102: How to perform simple calculations and data summaries

Once data are recorded in an online spreadsheet, it becomes fast and simple to perform basic but important summaries of the data, such as finding averages, minimums, and maximums. The following tutorial will show you how to do so:

Now that you have watched the demonstration, expand the Learning Activity below, and try this for yourself.

Access the free online version of Excel here, then click the "Sign up for free" button and follow instructions. 

We provide you with a demo dataset you can first download, and then open with Microsoft Excel online. Use the dataset to answer the provided questions. Solutions are provided below, as is a step-by-step downloadable solutions guide. 

Additional Materials

• Farmer’s Weekly transition webinar | Data and livestock farming: Improving your productivity (1h15min): This webinar offers practical tips on: data capture, utilization, and key questions such as improving business, choosing relevant recording parameters, recommended apps, and the effectiveness of reducing stocking rates for increased productivity.

• Agri-EPI webinar | Addressing agri-tech Challenges on an international platform  (1h15min): This webinar explores global SmartFarm projects in Paraguay, China, and Kenya, showcasing the collaboration between Agri-EPI Centre, international partners, and UK agri-tech solutions to enhance agriculture worldwide.

• BVA Infographic and information | UK's Farm Assurance Schemes This website gives details of the UK's farm assurance schemes, providing information on what sorts of data are collected and compared for different schemes.  

 

Back to Getting Started     Go to Module 2  

 

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