Machine Learning Study Reveals Insights into Dairy Cow Behavior

New research has shed light on the behaviors of dairy cows when it comes to using shade, with significant implications for the dairy industry. The study, conducted by researchers from DairyNZ Ltd., used machine learning to analyze data from 4 dairy farms in New Zealand. The team found that dairy cows tend to use shade when solar radiation exceeds 2 MJ/m per hour, and when at least 1.3 meters of shade is available per cow. The study also identified that air temperature, wind speed, and terrain can affect shade use.

Key Takeaways:

• The study used machine learning to analyze data from 4 dairy farms in New Zealand, covering a total of 1,000 hectares of flat to rolling terrain.
• The analysis focused on the availability and use of shade by dairy cows, with cow global positioning system location data collected over a period of 1 month in summer.
• The research found that shade use was predictable and dependent on several interacting variables, including solar radiation, available shade, air temperature, wind speed, and terrain.
• The study identified that dairy cows tend to use shade when solar radiation exceeds 2 MJ/m per hour, and when at least 1.3 meters of shade is available per cow.
• The researchers also found that air temperature, wind speed, and terrain can affect shade use, with cows more likely to use shade when air temperature exceeds 24°C and wind speed is less than 4.2 m/s.
• The study concluded that the results can be applied to historic or forecast weather data to help farmers make informed decisions about investment in shade resources or to maximize the use of existing resources.

Statistics:

• The study analyzed data from 4 dairy farms in New Zealand, covering a total of 1,000 hectares of flat to rolling terrain.
• Cow global positioning system location data was collected over a period of 1 month in summer.
• The analysis used 15-min weather data, with software predicting potential shaded areas from aerial light detection and ranging imagery.
• The study found that dairy cows tend to use shade when solar radiation exceeds 2 MJ/m per hour, with an increase in shade use of 12% when solar radiation was above this threshold.
• The researchers found that the availability of shade per cow was a crucial factor, with an increase in shade use of 10% when at least 1.3 meters of shade was available per cow.

Sources:

• NewsRx. New Machine Learning Study Findings Have Been Reported by Researchers at DairyNZ Ltd. (Modeling shade use of grazing dairy cows using sensor-derived data and machine learning). Journal of Engineering. August 18, 2025; p 1493.
• Woodward, S. J. R., et al. "Modeling shade use of grazing dairy cows using sensor-derived data and machine learning." Journal of Dairy Science, 2025.