Predictive AI technology - how can it benefit sows? by Dr. Madonna Benjamin

The swine industry is constantly evolving and if it wants to stay profitable, we need to learn how to best utilize the latest developments in technology to increase revenue and sustainability. In this episode, I talk with Dr. Madonna Benjamin about her research utilizing pose estimation technology to be able to predict movement and identify lameness and body condition issues in sows.

Meet the guest:

Madonna Benjamin, DVM, MS is an Assistant Professor, Swine Extension Veterinarian, in Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University. She achieved her DVM from the University of Guelph (1995),  residency in swine health, and masters in animal welfare from Michigan State University (1998). She practiced food animal production medicine in Alberta, Canada until 2012. Her research focuses on precision livestock farming, to meld economic decisions, mitigation strategies, labor efficiencies and individual animal welfare. Some of her work has been on visual imaging to evaluate body condition and weight in cull sows, establishing rural connectivity to improve farm economics and animal welfare, and developing on-farm robust data collection devices.