Cows are constantly giving us signals about their fertility, health and productivity. Nedap CowControl can pick up these signals and help understand them. It watches your cows 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Cows have busy days. They need to have enough time for feeding, ruminating and lying down. And then there is time required for milking, treatment actions and other management activities.
All and all this means that cows run a tight schedule. Deviations from this schedule can have a serious impact on the herd’s profitability.
Nedap CowControl keeps track of each cow’s signs of heat, eating, rumination and inactive behaviour, day and night. This provides precise and complete information about the fertility, health, well-being and nutritional status of individual cows and groups.
The system turns this information into actionable insights to help manage and control the herd. It integrates with herd management programs and drafting systems. As a result, dairy farmers automatically focus on the right cows, at the right time, with the right treatment.
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A significant number of Irish dairy farmers already work with Nedap CowControl. They experience benefits in the field of fertility, health and farm management.
PJ O’Donogue took the system into use in 2017.
“The main advantage of Nedap CowControl for me is that someone is there looking after the cows 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Having used this system for a number of months, I know now that it is excellent in accuracy and I can trust it completely.”
Automated heat detection to improve submission and conception rates
Your cows are telling you when they are in heat. Nedap CowControl tracks signs of heat – such as increased activity, sniffing, chin resting and mounting behaviour – of all the cows. It shows a clear list of all cows in heat with their optimal insemination moment for effective insemination with the highest chance of conception.
By doing so, it supports dairy farmers in optimising heat detection rates. The reduction of missed heat leads to higher submission rates and better timing ensures higher conception rates. At the same time, it reduces workload sufficiently, altogether improving the bottom line.
The vast majority of the 140 cows that I farm here come in for insemination in three weeks. Nedap CowControl gives me the tools to control and monitor those cows in that very busy time.
“Before Nedap CowControl, I used to tailpaint the cows. This involved a lot of labour, once a week or maybe sometimes twice a week. Plus, we used to have to watch those tailpaints, constantly monitoring the heat status of the cows. Now, with Nedap CowControl, it is there in front of me on the computer,” said O’Donohue.
Proactive health management and peace of mind
Your cows are telling you when they are not feeling well. A change in a cow’s behaviour can indicate a potential health problem.
Early detection of these abnormalities in combination with quick action helps minimise the emergence of health issues, and thus prevents the possible need for medical treatment, a drop in milk production, reduced fertility, culling or even death.
“I find the health monitoring of Nedap CowControl very beneficial. For example, in the mornings when I wake up, the first thing I do is check the cows on the PC at home. If there is any urgent attention, I walk out the door and check her straight away. As often is the case when there isn’t an urgent attention, I sit down and relax and have that extra cup of tea. Peace of mind is what it’s all about,” commented O’Donohue.
Interested in Nedap CowControl?
Would you like to get immediate warning if your cows are at risk of ketosis?
Learn more at nedap.com/cowcontrol or contact your local Nedap distributor. They can provide comprehensive information about Nedap CowControl technology and how it can benefit your business.
