By using precision technologies such as automated milk feeders and pedometers combined with machine learning, dairy producers can detect illness earlier and make informed decisions about treatment.
A recent study at a northern Colorado dairy showed whether cows had to wait a long time to be milked or a little did not have much impact on their subsequent activity and resting behavior.
Similar to human fingerprints, cow noses are detailed, nearly unique, difficult to change, and remain the same over the life of an individual, making them ideal long-term markers of identity.
Monitoring what's happening at the pen level, rather than for individual dairy cows, is proving to be the best approach for producers with more than 1,000 cows.
Developers say the automated system will reduce the amount of labor required to administer shots, thereby reducing out-of-pocket costs, while improving herd health and production outcomes in the process.
A 2014 Top Producer of the Year honoree, producer Jay Myers is continuously seeking out new equipment and technology to improve operational efficiency.
