Cow motion sensors watch 24/7

Technology enabling the dairy farmer to “feel the pulse” of every cow in the dairy 24/7, independent of herd size, was described at the recent International Committee for Animal Recording conference in Cork.

Doron Bar, chief scientist at SCR Engineers, Israel, described how unique cow motion sensors with built-in microphones, record and analyse rumination.

He said rumination is an ideal wellbeing indicator because it is the sum of what and how much the cow has eaten, and how well she could rest.

These HR-Tag sensors have an eight-year lifetime, and come with six-year graduated warranty, he said.

At the conference, Edmond Harty of Dairymaster described how the company’s MooMonitor is used for heat detection, enabling dairy and beef farmers make full use of artificial insemination, the economic, safe and flexible method of breeding their herd using superior genetics.