ABSTRACT
While the intention behind the Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) research and development efforts was to introduce Process Control principles in agricultural/animal production there have, in fact, been a number of incentives for management systems on farms. A core principle in the development of PLF has been the development and deployment of technologies, which provide a farmer with information that is accurate and relevant. PLF has special requirements in networking as a large amount of information is exchanged between different components of the system via networks such as the Internet. Individual identification and monitoring of animals is an important step towards enhancing the tractability of livestock products and state-of-the-art developments in livestock and building control are continuing to emerge. Different control systems, such as conventional ventilation systems are commonly used in animal buildings to control internal temperatures. Radio telemetry systems are available to remotely monitor and record physiological parameters, such as the heart rate and deep body temperature of animals.
