Proper cow care is the basis for good milk production and reproduction. Yet, despite all the effort towards a high level of cow care, the quality of care cows actually get tends to be lesser than the quality of care herd management believes the cows are getting. Let’s unpack this. As the herd responds to […]
Implementing an Animal Monitoring System – Part 3 of 3
Once these first two stages have been successfully implemented we would expect that improved cow welfare, improved nutritional control, and improved health of the herd have a positive impact on both milk production and reproductive performance. When cows are provided with the best possible conditions to perform in, management focus shifts to maximizing the economic […]
Implementing an Animal Monitoring System – Part 2 of 3
On average, the first six to eight months following the installation of an electronic animal monitoring system is the time span needed for a user to master the challenges of running efficient reproduction and health programs on a Basic User level. Operationally, the benchmarks for attaining Basic User level are: About 80% of inseminations are […]
Implementing an Animal Monitoring System – Part 1 of 3
In the hands of an advanced user, a monitoring system goes far beyond heat detection and health monitoring. It can help the herd manager implement a highly efficient, cow friendly and economically coherent management approach on their farm. But reaching “Advanced User” status certainly doesn’t happen overnight. It’s an evolutionary process. It consists of three […]
Let Your Cows Help With Your Heat Abatement Strategy
Finally, Spring is here… Which means that Summer is just around the corner along with Summer’s unique challenges to herd management. We’re sure one of your goals that you have set your sights on for this summer is minimizing heat stress. Heat stress is calculated to cost US dairy farms approximately $900 million annually (read […]
Stress and Profitability
Cows are creatures of habit. Inconsistencies in their daily schedules are bound to cause stress. Like humans, cows are exposed to stressors every day. The chronic effects of built-up stress may lead to negative metabolic changes in the cow and can have significant effects on their health and productivity. In a conventionally managed dairy, consistency […]
5 Ways Electronic Animal Monitoring Helps Reduce Veterinary Treatment Costs
Poor cow health poses a significant threat to profitability. When they’re sick, cows make less milk and require treatments that cost a lot of money. The sooner these sick cows can be brought back to full health with the least expensive treatment protocol, the smaller the economic impact the health issue has on the dairy. […]
Pen Movements and Profitability
Cow comfort is a key component in achieving and maintaining high milk production. One aspect of cow comfort that is typically underestimated in farms is the effect of pen movements on cows. It is very common for a new user to be surprised when they realize the negative impact pen changes have on cows. The […]
How Electronic Monitoring Improves Labor Efficiency
Labor is the second largest expense on a dairy after feed costs. The benefits of labor efficiency can total up to a sizeable contribution to a dairy’s bottom line. Labor efficiency is a function of four components: the operating process, training requirements, efficiency monitoring and feedback. Operating processes are a recurring set of activities towards […]
Customized Insemination Timing
Accurate heat detection is only a part of electronic animal monitoring. With a heat detection accuracy of over 90%, the next level of reproductive management relies on timing insemination to maximize conception rates. Statistically, the eight-hour window between eight and sixteen hours after the peak in activity are the ideal time to inseminate a cow […]