A Simple, Cost-Effective Activity Monitoring Solution Is Now Available

_{The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoard’s Dairyman.}

Datamars Livestock has launched the Tru-Test Active Tag, a simple and cost-effective activity monitoring system. The Active Tag system, available as either an ear tag or neck collar, delivers all of the benefits of activity monitoring—cow welfare, enhanced heat detection, health event notifications, labor efficiency—with efficient installation and minimal peripheral hardware leading to a cost effective activity monitoring solution.

“Activity monitoring systems have been in the marketplace for several years. Over that time, technology has evolved to become much simpler and more cost effective,” says Justin Miller, Datamars director of smart farming. “As we were developing the Active Tag system, we took the time to listen to dairy producers to understand what they wanted in an activity monitoring system, then applied our technical teams to develop a program that meets these needs and takes advantage of technology innovations and efficiencies.”

The Active Tag system provides access to real-time heat detection data to help improve reproduction efficiency. A multi-metric analysis on individual cow behavior enables more accurate and timely heat detection, improving labor efficiency and reducing costs associated with timed AI. The system also identifies and monitors events such as feeding, rumination, resting and activity to monitor animal welfare and signal a potential adverse health event. With this information producers can be more proactive in identifying and treating health events before they require treatment.

Technology advancements have made the Active Tag system efficient to install and manage. A single data gateway is mounted in a high traffic area, such as the parlor holding area. Individual cow behavior is recorded 24/7 by an ear tag or neck collar and linked to each animal’s electronic animal identification tag. Data is automatically uploaded to the cloud whenever an animal is within 500 meters of the data gateway. Since it’s a cloud-based system, data can be accessed from anywhere on a computer or mobile device as long as there is an internet connection. The herd nutritionist and veterinarian can have access to the data as well.

“In addition to the cost effective technology we’re able to bring to the dairy, we’re most proud of the service we’re able to provide starting at installation and going through the life of the system,” says Miller. “Our goal is to be the gold standard in terms of service to simplify the process for dairy producers to integrate the system into their daily management and reap the benefits of precision cow management as quickly and for as long as possible.”

Datamars is a company 100% focused on developing technologies that help dairy producers develop better herds. By only focusing on technology, Datamars can bring innovative approaches to precision dairy management that are easy to manage without being a financial burden on the dairy business. Dairy producers can learn more about the Active Tag system, including connecting with a Datamars sales representative, at www.dairy.farmingmadebetter.com.