Expert Systems—Their Use in Dairy Herd Management

Development of expert systems for dairy herd management is now feasible due to recent advances in computer technology. Expert systems are special computer software applications that utilize inference and symbolic representation to carry out reasoning and analysis functions in contrast to the numerical approach of traditional programming. Applications that appear to have specific use in dairy management include interpretation of data collected automatically from specialized animal sensors, diagnosis and prescription of remedies for equipment malfunctions, analysis of current herd programs and recommendations for improvement in feeding, culling, mastitis control, selection of sires, and designation of specific service sires for individual cows.