How CowManager Is Making Joining Easier

Year-Round Demands

Running a mixed feeding operation with multiple calving cycles means this farm needs a system that can perform every day of the year.

It’s a pasture-based system but they feed a lot of grain, batch hay and buy local hay in the area to feed the cows and youngstock. They calf four times a year – in February, May, August and November.

The family relies on shared oversight to stay on top of things, made easier by connected tools and shared data.

“Every milking cow has a sensor – we’re at about 600 now. My brother uses the platform and so does my father; we all keep a close eye on the cows together”, James says.

Boosting Repro and Health

With constant joining and a heavy focus on animal health, they needed a system that would give reliable insights and real-time alerts. CowManager fit the bill.

“We started using the CowManager system 2 years ago. We chose the CowManager sensors for the backup support and because we prefer ear tags over collars.”

Their use of both the Fertility and Health modules allows them to handle reproduction and wellbeing with confidence.

James explains: “The Fertility Module is important because we’re joining all year round, and we just use AI. And the Health Module is important as well for seeing how the cows are eating, and if we have any sick cows.”

He adds: “You get notifications from the app all day so if something happens and it needs your attention; you’ve got all information straight away.”

Integration into existing infrastructure also made the transition seamless.

“CowManager integrates seamlessly with the dairy software. We use Jantec in the dairy and it was as simple as ringing up Jantec to make sure it all works properly. We haven’t had any issues since. The benefit of them being integrated is that all the CowManager alerts go straight into Jantec. So, all of the heat and health alerts automatically come up when we want to draft.”

Less Guesswork

Where before, James and his family were relying on visual methods like stickers, they’ve now gone fully digital—and haven’t looked back.

“One of the biggest benefits has been heat detection. We were using stickers beforehand, but after 2 weeks of using both stickers and CowManager, the stickers disappeared. We just rely on the CowManager system now for heats – it’s more accurate.”

The simplicity and clarity of the system’s data makes day-to-day work easier.

“All the data in the system is easy to find and very easy to understand. You can look up individual cows to find pretty much anything. The reports on the pc are really handy as well. It gives you early indications of how many you’ve got in calf, any suspect aborted cows that you can get rechecked.”

And with the added control of sexed semen timing, they can be more strategic in their decisions.

“We use the Insemination Window to select the right cows for sexed semen. If they’re not in the right window and they’re too early, then we’ll not join them in the morning and wait ‘till the PM to join them.”

Faster Action

Frequent calving can increase the risk of health issues, but CowManager’s alerts are helping them act earlier and faster, according to James.

“The health alerts from CowManager are really good. They pick on rumination and eating and can tell you how the cows are performing. But for sick alerts, the temperature alert is the best. It gives you very quick information on whether a cow is actually sick and needs treating.”

This has been especially valuable during calving, when milk fever can strike suddenly.

“Just because we’re calving so often, the temperature alert from CowManager picks up a lot of cases of milk fever. We can see from the phone straight away if a cow is down and needs treating. You get an alert, and you know which cows to look out for. Whereas before CowManager, we were checking every cow individually to make sure that she wasn’t sick.”

Essential Technology

With constant calving, intensive feed systems, and a large herd, this Victorian farm shows how digital tools like CowManager are not just convenient, but essential.

“The installation was really easy; it only took about 3 or 4 hours. They (WWS Australia) helped set up all the solar routers and routers and get it all connected.”

With the whole family now involved in managing the herd through a single platform, there’s more confidence in every decision.

“I’d recommend CowManager to anyone who asks what system we’re using, or if anyone has any doubts about getting a system. I’d strongly recommend getting CowManager”, James says.

Dairy News Australia

This article was previously published by Dairy News Australia.