AI for the well-being of cows and the wallets of breeders—interview with Prof. Elsa Vasseur
Images captured by cameras scrutinizing the slightest movements of cows. This is the basis of a major study currently being carried out by the Innovation Research Chair in Animal Welfare and Artificial Intelligence (), jointly created by McGill University and UQAM.
Established with $5 million in funding, one of the Chair's objectives is to identify predictors of changes in the mental and physical health of cows. “We want to detect any deviation before it is perceptible to the naked eye, and AI [artificial intelligence] will be able to help us develop early indicators,” explained Elsa Vasseur, Associate Professor in the Department of Animal Science at McGill University and co-holder of the Chair, in an interview on the program La Semaine verte.
The ultimate goal? Better profitability for agricultural producers. “There's a misconception that the most productive cows are the most profitable, but that's not the case,” explains Elsa Vasseur's research assistant, Rachel Van Vliet. “These highly productive cows are also sick more often, and that costs money. What's more, a healthier cow will have a longer life expectancy, and that translates into gains.”
New breeding standards
Elsa Vasseur has been studying livestock breeding for many years. A Canadian authority, her research contributed to the introduction of new breeding standards by Agriculture Canada in 2023. “Starting in 2027, it will no longer be possible to keep cows tethered 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Breeders will be obliged to keep them moving, whether in or out, for at least one hour a day,” she says. The research that led to this development concluded that this practice improves cow flexibility and movement.