A discussion of calibration techniques for evaluating binary and categorical predictive models.

Modelling of binary and categorical events is a commonly used tool to simulate epidemiological processes in veterinary research. Logistic and multinomial regression, naïve Bayes, decision trees and support vector machines are popular data mining techniques used to predict the probabilities of events with two or more outcomes. Thorough evaluation of a predictive model is important to validate its ability for use in decision-support or broader simulation modelling.

The creation and evaluation of a model to simulate the probability of conception in seasonal-calving pasture-based dairy heifers.

Background: Herd fertility in pasture-based dairy farms is a key driver of farm economics. Models for predicting nulliparous reproductive outcomes are rare, but age, genetics, weight, and BCS have been identified as factors influencing heifer conception. The aim of this study was to create a simulation model of heifer conception to service with thorough evaluation.

A comparison of 4 predictive models of calving assistance and difficulty in dairy heifers and cows.

The aim of this study was to build and compare predictive models of calving difficulty in dairy heifers and cows for the purpose of decision support and simulation modeling. Models to predict 3 levels of calving difficulty (unassisted, slight assistance, and considerable or veterinary assistance) were created using 4 machine learning techniques: multinomial regression, decision trees, random forests, and neural networks. The data used were sourced from 2,076 calving records in 10 Irish dairy herds.

The creation and evaluation of a model predicting the probability of conception in seasonal-calving, pasture-based dairy cows.

Reproductive performance in pasture-based production systems has a fundamentally important effect on economic efficiency. The individual factors affecting the probability of submission and conception are multifaceted and have been extensively researched. The present study analyzed some of these factors in relation to service-level probability of conception in seasonal-calving pasture-based dairy cows to develop a predictive model of conception.

The impact of removal of the seasonality formula on the eligibility of Irish herds to supply raw milk for processing of dairy products.

Background: The dairy industry in Ireland is expanding rapidly, with a focus on the production of high quality milk. Somatic cell counts (SCC) are an important indicator both of udder health and milk quality. Milk sold by Irish farmers for manufacture must comply with EU regulations.