Honderdtonners
2023
In livestock farming, data has been used for some time to monitor and record the behavior of cows. “Honderdtonner” investigates the role of data in the cow's reproduction process and questions what these technologies mean for the cow and her milk production.
This work is the visual translation of my research into data and the evolution of the Dutch milking cow. Milk productions per cow are increasing rapidly and data is playing an important role in this.
I have visited various farms, from large stables with up to 800 cows to small ones with 60 cows. These visits provided various insights into data use, milk production and farming. The visits showed me how sensors are used in the stables and how the sector is continuously working on new developments such as facial recognition. Data is collected from individual cows, their food and water intake, thermal behavior patterns, fertility cycle and milk production. This data is collected and stored digitally. This allows the farmer to manage the livestock: milk production, the breeding process and animal welfare. This allows the farmer to manage the livestock: milk production, the breeding process and animal welfare. The data can be used to increase productivity. The result is cows that mature faster and produce more milk.
"What will it mean for the dairy cow in 2045 if data increasingly influences the evolution of the cow?"
To get a good idea of how much more milk the cow has started to produce, I look at hundred tonners, cows that exceed the milk production of 100,000 kg of milk. The work shows how the number of hundred tonners in the Netherlands has risen rapidly. It also speculates about the future, using computer-generated cows. What will it mean for the cow and her milk production if data increasingly influences the evolution of the cow?
