Dairy cow monitoring is a disruptive technology, to say the least. Since its introduction, this tool has turned traditional cow management upside down by providing actionable insights into cow health and behavior often unseen by human eyes. These data are then used to hone dairy herd performance while saving time, labor and costs.
When thinking about technology and your ability to get the value out of a sensor, it really comes down to logistical ease of use: How much automation can be created with these tools?
As more dairy farms turn to herd management technology, keep these points in mind.
Q: Is successful tech adoption herd size-dependent?
A: Herd size is one parameter of how dairy farms can be categorized, and certainly the number of cows can define many factors on a farm, including purchasing power. However, the farm’s management style is usually most important when considering technology.
From a monitoring technology perspective, a dairy’s management and internal infrastructure are the most important considerations. The effectiveness of this technology comes down to who needs to see which information. Understand that the information needs of the person who uses the breeding and health lists may be vastly different from those of the person who seeks herd metrics to make strategic decisions.
Ultimately, the value comes from getting the right cow in front of the right person at the right time.
Q: How does herd monitoring tech fit into farm goals?
A: The answer is going to be different for every farm.
If you are milking and breeding cows as an owner, herd monitoring technology gives you another set of eyes so you can be better at all those things. For a dairy where owners do not necessarily see cows every day, these data fill the gap between what happens in the barn and the larger farm management picture.
It also helps set the stage for protocols and directing employee actions to drive the herd outcomes you need.
For instance, in terms of cow health, herd monitoring removes the human interpretation factor and ensures that the cows on the health list receive attention as directed by the protocol. The data can then inform management decisions about whether herd performance is up to par and whether any protocol or other changes are needed.
Q: How important is integration with other existing tech?
A: Dairies sometimes express concerns about the logistics of integrating herd monitoring technology with existing systems. But that issue has largely been overcome. Ten years ago, dairies may have had 10 different systems that did not talk to each other, but that is truly not the case today. There is almost no level of customization we cannot accomplish.
Developing cooperative partners with complementary technology helps dairies maximize the value of their data investment.
Some integrations are further along than others, like herd management software, while others such as feed management software are moving along a little more slowly. However, you can still draw conclusions from daily dry matter intakes by pen, for example, even if your feed management software is not completely incorporated into your herd monitoring technology platform.
Q: What efficiencies can dairies expect to gain with herd monitoring technology?
A: Labor and operational efficiency are two top benefits most dairies find with these systems.
For example, dairies often notice changes in labor’s role in reproductive programs. Instead of focusing on breeding a target number of cows to achieve reproductive goals, which may or may not have been successful, programs can emphasize quality over quantity. With monitoring data, technicians can focus on breeding cows that are truly in heat based on accurate data to potentially achieve even higher reproductive program performance.
The system provides employees with a list to eliminate variability or subjectivity that humans create on a dairy. It enables farms to create a repeatable, objective process that is easy to analyze. This benefit is especially of interest to larger farms.
Herd monitoring technology also alleviates pressures on employees. Now they do what this list tells them to do and follow the given protocols. It can be a great way to create a more positive work environment because the actionable data generated by the system removes a lot of the burden from employees.
Q: What sets dairies up for ROI success?
A: Understanding your goals for tech is of primary importance. After that, the most successful farms implementing monitoring technology are those open to change. You can put all the fancy devices on cows you want, but if you are not going to change the way you operate on a day-to-day basis, you are not going to get your money back.
Return on investment (ROI) is comprised of many tangible and intangible contributions. Here are a few keys to maximizing ROI to consider:
- How well do you transition into new operating procedures? How do you adjust to the information the technology provides? If you do so slowly, the ROI is going to be a little longer.
- How widely do you plan to incorporate system data into your overall farm management? If you are simply interested in breeding the right cow and finding sick cows earlier, ROI may also be a little longer.
- Generally, dairies that are open to changing several parameters – like feeding strategies, cow cooling and more – and seek more data to analyze from the technology often report the fastest ROI.
None of these strategies are wrong. Whatever you choose must fit within your management structure and farm goals as long as you are willing to act based on the information the technology provides.
Remember, as dairies experience performance improvements, other contributions to ROI come into play, like labor efficiencies and improved job satisfaction.
The beauty and challenge for any herd that adopts herd monitoring technology is that the platform contains a ton of information you can use to continue pushing the pencil to improve. Every day.
