Every farm animal monitored by sensors

How close are we to routine sensor-based monitoring of individual farm animals on mainstream farms?

Collars that detect when a dairy cow is in heat are sold commercially, and one 2025 study found 91% sensitivity against ultrasound checks, though on a single farm. Automatic milking systems run on some large US dairies. Wider health and welfare monitoring is less mature. A 2021 review found that only 18 of 129 commercially available dairy sensors (14%) had external validation. A 2023 camera pilot on three dairy farms had modest sensitivity. Adoption looks low on smaller farms, according to a Brazilian dairy survey, and a survey reported in November 2023 put US pig farmer use of precision livestock farming at about 37%.

AI illustration · Illustrative scene, not a photograph of the specific device or experiment.
WHERE WE AREPilots

Close. Early pilots are running in the real world.

Heat-detection collars are sold, and automatic milking runs on some large US dairies, so the technology is past the lab. Routine monitoring across mainstream farms has not been shown. Adoption is described as low in Brazil and as not yet taken off in US pig farming. Few commercial dairy welfare sensors have external validation, and the validation studies cited here used one to three farms, so the stage is pilot.

The tech tree

Everything recorded on Vrulum that this future needs, oldest foundations at the top and the goal at the bottom. Lines show what each step requires.

What it takes: Every farm animal monitored by sensors Unlocked Being researched Locked
  1. 2021Precision livestock farmingCommercial Unlocked.
  1. 2021Sensors on the market with external validationIn progress Being researched.
  2. 2023Camera-based lameness detection tested on commercial farmsIn progress Being researched.
  3. 2023Precision livestock farming on pig farmsIn progress Being researched.
  4. 2024Automatic milking systems operating on large US dairiesDone Unlocked.
  5. 2025Heat-detection collar compared with ultrasound on one farmDone Unlocked.
  6. Date not recordedHeat-detection collars sold commercially for dairy cowsDone Unlocked.
  7. Date not recordedIndividual monitoring routine on mainstream farmsNot started Locked.
  8. Date not recordedWelfare benefits shown in practiceNot started Locked.
  1. GoalEvery farm animal monitored by sensorsGoalRequires: Precision livestock farming, Heat-detection collars sold commercially for dairy cows, Heat-detection collar compared with ultrasound on one farm, Automatic milking systems operating on large US dairies, Sensors on the market with external validation, Camera-based lameness detection tested on commercial farms, Precision livestock farming on pig farms, Individual monitoring routine on mainstream farms, Welfare benefits shown in practice. Locked.

The road so far

3 of 8 steps done, 3 in progress.

  1. DoneHeat-detection collars sold commercially for dairy cows

    Tuyttens and colleagues report that at least 11 accelerometer-based systems for oestrus detection in cows have been commercialised. The count is taken from their citation of Caja et al. (2016). [1]

  2. Done · Aug 2025Heat-detection collar compared with ultrasound on one farm

    In a 2025 study of 47 Holstein cows on one farm in Spain, a neck-mounted collar detected 30 of 33 cows in heat (90.9% sensitivity) and correctly left unflagged 14 of 14 cows not in heat (100% specificity). Two authors work for the company that makes the collar. The authors say ultrasound checks at 12-hour intervals may have introduced an error of about 6 hours in ovulation timing for some cows. [3]

  3. Done · Jan 2024Automatic milking systems operating on large US dairies

    A 2024 survey of 27 US dairies, each with at least seven automatic milking boxes, reported farmer perceptions. About 74% perceived lower labour costs, 62% perceived improved cow comfort and 58% reported higher milk production. The authors call the study exploratory and say the results are not conclusive evidence. The survey does not give how many US dairies use automatic milking. [4]

  4. In progress · Mar 2021Sensors on the market with external validation

    A systematic review found 129 commercially available dairy welfare sensors from 67 providers in 21 countries. Only 18 (14%) had external validation. Accelerometers were validated at about 30% and cameras at about 10%. Lying, standing and rumination were validated most often. [2][1]

  5. In progress · Jun 2023Camera-based lameness detection tested on commercial farms

    A 2023 pilot of the CattleEye video system on three UK dairy farms reached 52% sensitivity and 81% specificity for painful foot lesions. A single assessor reached 29% and 89%. The authors call it a pilot study. The lesion sample was 84 cows, and the company that makes the system funded the study. [5]

  6. In progress · Nov 2023Precision livestock farming on pig farms

    A survey reported in November 2023 found that about 37% of US swine farmers had used precision livestock farming on their farms. Electronic sow feeders were the most common choice among users. The article states that uptake has yet to take off on US swine farms. [7]

  7. Not startedIndividual monitoring routine on mainstream farms

    The sources reviewed give no national or regional share of dairy or beef farms using individual-animal sensors as routine practice. A Brazilian survey of 378 dairy farms (2018 to 2020) found adoption of precision technologies to be still low, especially on farms with fewer than 500 animals. That survey covered precision technologies in general, not individual-animal monitoring. [6]

  8. Not startedWelfare benefits shown in practice

    Tuyttens and colleagues argue that the claimed welfare benefits of precision livestock farming remain largely unproven, and that few welfare-focused tools have reached commercial practice. [1]

Why it matters

Individual monitoring could flag heat, illness and lameness sooner, which may help fertility, animal welfare and labour. It could also change who decides how animals are managed, and what data farms must share. The gap between a device that works on one farm and a tool that works across many farms is where much of the uncertainty sits.

What stands in the way

  • Few sensors have external validation. The 2021 review found that 14% of commercially available dairy welfare sensors had it, and the validation studies cited here used one to three farms.
  • Some validation is done on one farm, and some studies are run with the company that makes the device. The 2025 collar study used one farm of 47 cows, and two authors work for its maker. The 2023 CattleEye study was funded by its maker.
  • The welfare benefits claimed for precision livestock farming are described as largely unproven, so the case for wider monitoring rests on a few narrow uses, such as heat detection, and on farmer reports.
  • The collar study's ultrasound checks ran at 12-hour intervals, and the authors say this may have introduced about 6 hours of error in ovulation timing for some cows.
  • Adoption is low on smaller farms. A Brazilian dairy survey describes adoption as still low, especially on farms with fewer than 500 animals, and US pig farming uptake has not yet taken off.

Signals to watch

  • Independent validation of a health or lameness sensor on several farms, with the reference method and sample size reported in full.
  • Published adoption figures from national agricultural statistics for dairy and beef herds, measured by share of farms and share of animals.
  • Trials that show a sensor alert leading to a measured health or welfare gain, not only a detected event.
  • Regulatory or assurance schemes that accept sensor data as evidence of animal welfare.

Sources

  1. review article
    Twelve Threats of Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) for Animal Welfare
    Frank A. M. Tuyttens, Carla F. M. Molento, Said Benaissa. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 27 May 2022.
  2. review article
    A Systematic Review on Commercially Available and Validated Sensor Technologies for Welfare Assessment of Dairy Cattle
    Anna H. Stygar, Yaneth Gómez, Greta V. Berteselli et al.. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 29 Mar 2021.
  3. peer reviewed paper
    Estrus Detection and Optimal Insemination Timing in Holstein Cattle Using a Neck-Mounted Accelerometer Sensor System
    Jacobo Álvarez, Antía Acción, Elio López et al.. Sensors, 23 Aug 2025.
  4. peer reviewed paper
    Farmers' Perceptions on Implementing Automatic Milking Systems in Large USA Dairies: Decision-Making Process, Management Practices, Labor, and Herd Performance
    Camila Flavia de Assis Lage, Thaisa Campos Marques, Daniela R Bruno et al.. Animals (Basel), 9 Jan 2024.
  5. peer reviewed paper
    Initial validation of an intelligent video surveillance system for automatic detection of dairy cattle lameness
    Alkiviadis Anagnostopoulos, Bethany E. Griffiths, Nektarios Siachos et al.. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 13 Jun 2023.
  6. peer reviewed paper
    Adoption of Precision Technologies by Brazilian Dairy Farms: The Farmer's Perception
    Rebeca Silvi, Luiz Gustavo R. Pereira, Claudio Antônio V. Paiva et al.. Animals (Basel), 7 Dec 2021.
  7. news
    Will Precision Livestock Farming Be Adopted on Swine Farms?
    Jim Eadie. SwineWeb, 22 Nov 2023.

Last reviewed 21 Oct 2026.