8/11/2011
Monitoring the cow's body for more accurate decisions about health and nutrition
Automation technology is changing the way we produce milk, and the benefits are far-reaching: improved profitability, milk quality, lifestyle and animal welfare. It can also provide us with information about the cow that we have not had before, to support decision-making.
"These new automated technologies have the potential to change the way we manage cows. We will now be able to understand each cow’s condition in a way that we previously might have only dreamed of. The potential to catch cows in heat with limited human observation or pharmaceutical intervention is the most exciting prospect economically. Being able to catch sick and lame cows sooner will improve treatment success resulting in reduced disease losses, increased longevity, and improved animal well-being."
(Jeffrey Bewley, Associate Professor and precision dairying expert, University of Kentucky)
Read the whole interview with Jeff Bewley here
Herd Navigator - identifies the cows in need of special attention
At Lystbjerggaard farm in Denmark Ole and Anette Lind are using a technology called Herd Navigator that automatically takes milk samples and analyzes parameters, helping farmers to monitor reproduction, mastitis, and energy and protein balance of the cows. This way they can easily detect heat, mastitis, cysts, pregnancy, ketosis, and measure urea levels.The system identifies mastitis up to 3-4 days before physical signs are visible with a sensitivity of more than 80%.
Read more about how the Herd Navigator works here
"We cannot come closer to the truth about the cow’s health, since the numbers are based on direct measurements of hormones in the milk. This way we are able to make the diagnosis at an early stage and also prevent and act before the cow becomes sick and needs treatment," says Anette Lind.
Read more about Ole and Anette at Lystbjerggaard farm here
When the Swedish dairy farmer Samuel Holmberg and his brother Peter expanded their herd with an additional 100 cows, they fell behind with the inseminations and their reproduction status suffered. The Herd Navigator system has helped them regain the control over the herd, and they are also very positive about the ketosis warnings they get, which has saved them a lot of money, preventing production loss.
“Overall, the herd’s health has improved with the Herd Navigator, because we can take action early, before the problems grow too big. We can be pro-active and prevent feed-related problems.”
(Samuel Holmberg, owner of Brännfors Lantbruk, Sweden)
Read the whole interview with Samuel Holmberg here
