Development of a multi-use decision support system for scientific management and breeding of sheep

As the challenges of food insecurity and population explosion become more pressing, there is a dire need to revamp the existing breeding and animal management systems. This can be achieved by the introduction of technology for efficiency and the improvement of the genetic merit of animals. A fundamental requirement for animal breeding is the availability of accurate and reliable pedigreed data and tools facilitating sophisticated computations. Keeping this in view, Smart Sheep Breeder (SSB) was developed using the waterfall methodology and multiple programming languages. It is a multi-use online artificial intelligence (AI) based and internet of things (IoT) compatible decision support system (DSS). It is capable of automatic performance recording, farm data management, data mining, biometrical analysis, e-governance, and decision-making in sheep farms. A centralized database was also developed capable of ranking sheep across multiple farms based on genetic merit and effective dissemination of germplasm. The system in India is available as a web-based tool and android application which facilitates performance recording and generates customized reports on various aspects of sheep production. SSB uses artificial intelligence and biometrical genetic algorithms to calculate breeding values, and inbreeding coefficients, construct selection indices and generate pedigree, and history sheets as well as more than 40 types of custom-tailored animal and farm reports and graphs. The algorithms used were validated using on farms using farm data and also by comparison with established methods and software. Smart Sheep Breeder could thus prove to be indispensable for the present farming systems which could be used by sheep farm managers and breeders across India.