Aotearoa New Zealand’s (NZ) sheep-milk production industry is developing rapidly. Sheep milk is more readily digested and nutritionally rich than cow milk, and sheep-dairy farming practises have a less detrimental effect on the environment than cow dairy farming. Happy, healthy animals make the best producers. In partnership with Waikato-based Greenridge Sheep Dairy, LambLab is identifying the environmental and individual factors that make for the happiest, healthiest, and most productive dairy sheep, and exploring the way sheep make decisions. We’re using a combination of computer vision, machine learning, and behaviour-analytic approaches to assessing data at the individual level.

The Lamb Cam project looks at environmental factors that increase happiness and reduce stress (and thus support growth and health) for lambs in artificial rearing systems.

The Ewe-nique project (reference AEC25811) looks at how a dairy ewe’s personality and experiences relate to her production, behaviour, and health.

Community Partners

To learn more about LambLab or become a community partner, contact Associate Professor Sarah Cowie (sarah.cowie@auckland.ac.nz)