THE USE OF FULLY AUTONOMOUS CALF FEEDING ROBOTS TODAY AND ANALYZING THE CONSUMPTION HABITS OF CALVES

In order for calves to complete their development in a healthy way, their diet for the first four months is of critical importance. In this period, colostrum intake immediately after birth, feeding with milk or milk derivative (nowadays many farms prefer powdered formula) liquid feeds in the first two months, and starting from the second month, calves should be directed to solid foods. Rapid developments in agricultural technologies have led to significant changes in the livestock sector. In this context, the use of fully autonomous calf feeding robots is becoming more and more widespread in order to increase productivity in animal husbandry and to support the healthy development of calves. Autonomous feeding robots optimize the feeding process of calves, reducing labor costs and providing a more controlled and balanced nutrient intake. These technological advances increase sustainability and competitiveness in animal husbandry while prioritizing animal welfare. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the extent to which farms comply with the standards specified in the literature when feeding calves and to investigate the root causes of health problems encountered by monitoring the behavior of calves during the free feeding process. It was aimed to analyze the relationship between the change in routine movements of calves and health problems by recording the first four months of calves through autonomous calf feeding robots. In this context, through data collection and analysis, the effectiveness of calf feeding processes and the effects of these processes on calf health were evaluated.