May 6 2019 11:04 AM

Sponsored content created and provided by Stephanie Aves, business development manager for Nedap North America

Activity monitors know cows’ estrous cycles with 24/7 monitoring

Less time. Less labor. And more bred cows. Does it sound too good to be true? It shouldn’t. Activity monitoring systems help make those realities. Because when heats are detected, you can accomplish all three for a better bottom line.

Activity monitoring systems help dairy farmers catch cows in heat for timely insemination. They track cow activity 24/7 and quickly find cows not showing heat. Ultimately, they help get cows pregnant faster.

Let’s talk about 24/7 monitoring

Sure, you can look for a cow standing to be mounted, but it’s not fail-proof. It’s also not realistic for you to monitor cows 24/7. Wouldn’t it be nice to use time spent on monitoring heats for other farm tasks and family time?

Heat activity also happens to be the lowest during feeding and milk times – the time you or your staff are most likely with the cows. About 70 percent of mounting occurs between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m., when cows have limited distractions.[1] So, unless you’re sleeping in the barn, you’re probably missing a pivotal time for heat detection.

Activity monitoring takes on the full-time job of heat detection. These systems observe indicators the human eye might miss, like sniffing and chin resting. The system’s data can also pinpoint the optimal time to inseminate for the highest chance of conception.

Problem cows become less of a problem

Activity monitoring systems not only work well for cows showing heat, but they also work for cows not showing heat due to environmental or metabolic factors. Things like floor surface, sore feet or legs, heat stress or ketosis could prevent a cow from showing heat. Or, a cow may be annovular (not cycling).

Activity monitoring data can help you identify these problem cows quickly. Then you can dig deeper into the data and check the cow to determine the potential cause of the problem and correct the situation. The data gives you insights to make a management decision to get a cow bred as quickly as possible.

Activity monitoring systems help catch cows in heat and take early action when there’s a problem. They help improve reproductive outcomes and put dollars in your pocket.

Visit nedap.com/dairyfarming to learn more about automated activity monitoring systems.

Nedap focuses on helping livestock farmers become the best farmers in the world. A publicly listed company, Nedap employs more than 700 people globally, across 11 locations and eight business units.

[1] O’Connor M. 1993. Heat detection and timing of insemination for cattle. Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, Agriculture Research and Cooperative Extension. Extension Circular 402.