Common animal data framework
This project aimed to reduce the friction and overhead involved in exchanging livestock data between different systems through the development of data schemas to enable more standardised transfer of data and information exchange.
| Publication date: | 19 January 2022 |
| Project status: | Completed |
| Livestock species: | Grain-fed Cattle, Grass-fed Cattle, Sheep, Goat, Lamb |
| Relevant regions: | National |
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Summary
This project aimed to reduce the friction and overhead involved in exchanging livestock data between different systems through the development of data schemas to enable more standardised transfer of data and information exchange. It is intended that the MLA Group can use the data schemas to facilitate streamlined transfer of data into genetics, traceability, and industry accreditation programmes, and that third-party application and device manufacturers can also use the data schemas to streamline their own data flows.
Objectives
1. Facilitate co-creation with participants to produce a common animal data dictionary, data schema, and a set of extendable standard API definitions to be used by software developers and vendors to implement modern data exchange without requiring users to export, manipulate, and import files. This included leveraging and extending the comprehensive work on livestock data that has already been undertaken in New Zealand – specifically the New Zealand Farm Data Standards and DataLinker, developed for DairyNZ, Beef+Lamb NZ, and the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries.
2. Creation of an overarching schema to organise the data sets in a way that makes sense to Australian livestock organisations and ISC, without compromising international compatibility
3. Documentation in a readily searchable and maintainable form to enable adoption by Australian companies and industry organisations.
Key findings
1. The project focused on livestock data and focused on five key topic areas which were identity, life data and parentage; weight and condition scores and related events; health treatments and relate events; registrations and movements; and the structure of potential Application Program Interface models.
2. Co-creation webinars sessions were set up that occurred over period of time where they sort software vendors and industry representatives to provide their input into the draft object models on each topic area using the GitHub platform as a collaboration tool. Around 30 representatives across 14 or more organisations were involved in the webinars over a two month period.
3. Developed a draft animal object model, data dictionary and schema along with relevant JSON files and API specifications for identity, life data and parentage; weight and condition scores and related events; health treatments and relate events; registrations. This information is all available on the Github repository for software vendors and industry partners who are interested in adopting this common language in their products.
Benefits to industry
• Encourage and support data sharing and greater interoperability between devices, farm, feedlot, and livestock exchange management solutions, and industry systems
• Provide a better experience for farmers (collective end-users and customers of most participants)
• Enable data analysis and manipulation that was not possible with data in silos
• Provide a standardised schema and approach to help reduce the cost of development when sharing with multiple other systems.
Future research
Undertake a pilot project with two to four participants to validate and demonstrate that the animal data is able to be exchange using the animal data schemas is suitable for industry use.
Continue to build and enhance the animal data schemas to include additional data types such as session sightings of animals at locations, feed management, inventory control. A list of the potential data types that industry participants identified in the webinars are included in the final report.
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More Information: Contact Project Manager: Verity Suttor Email: reports@mla.com.au |
