A shorter calving interval and fewer inseminations per cow. These are the fruits that dairy farmer Theo Adema is reaping since using CowManager, which monitors the temperature and activity of his cows. In addition, the sensor system ensures ease of work, which is perhaps the biggest gain in his situation.
Together with his father Johan and mother Jeltje, Theo Adema runs a dairy farm in the Frisian town of Lemmer. The farm produces approximately 1,4 million liters of milk each year, from 135 cows. In practice it sometimes proves difficult to keep a close eye on all those cows. "I work full-time outside the home myself," says Theo. "In addition, the cattle are in 3 different buildings. If you are in one stable, you cannot see what is happening in the other stable."
Good backup
CowManager's sensors catch this. "There is now always 'an eye' that keeps an eye on things", says the entrepreneur enthusiastically. "I work at a bank, but I still have a view of the livestock from my computer or mobile device." Especially in the summer, when the farm work takes up a lot of time, this is a big gain, he says. "After milking you step on the tractor and you don't see what is happening in the barn. With CowManager you always have a good back-up."
Father and son Adema started CowManager almost a year ago. Initially only with the heifers that were in a separate barn, but we liked it so much that all cows are now equipped with an ear sensor. The Health and Fertility modules are being applied, the Nutrition module is in the pipeline.
High success rate
With CowManager, dairy farmers are able to determine the correct time of insemination, among other things. Before this they still worked with a bull in the herd. According to Theo, artificial insemination is a relatively expensive affair. That makes it all the more important to accurately determine the moment. "CowManager ensures a high success rate. The system notifies you when a cow is in heat. You can remove false, irregular or no heat."
Theo Adama
The system indicates when a cow is not in heat after calving. "That enables you to investigate what is going on and whether, for example, fertility counseling is needed." According to the dairy farmer, getting there faster is the biggest gain. With the Health module, he picks out any sick cows much earlier. And that pays off: "In the case of milk fever, it quickly amounts to a few hundred euros per cow."
"You will receive a notification, among other things, if the temperature of the cow drops in the ear. That is an important indicator for the condition of the cow. The activity and rumination behavior also provide a lot of information. This way you can clearly see when a cow is on the The edge runs from the fed ration. Sometimes you haven't seen something yourself and the system is ahead of you, but it can also be a confirmation of what you see."
Simple and clear
Father and son Adema were already working with the AgroVision software. The link with CowManager is experienced as very positive. "The information exchange works well. Furthermore, the CowManager system is easy to use and well-arranged. My father can also use it well from his tablet at home. I personally experience that the app works smoothly. I'm always very impatient," laughs the entrepreneur. "I can view more extensive overviews and reports via the web application on the desktop."
Theo is also very positive about the support. "CowManager has a lot of in-house knowledge, they are helpful and very fast. I would definitely recommend the system to other dairy farmers. You go back in calving interval and the number of inseminations per cow. The payback period is difficult for me to indicate, especially because the system is more than just the effective costs and benefits. CowManager provides a bit of ease of work. I see many independent entrepreneurs around me who run large companies or work in multiple stables. CowManager is a valuable addition to be able to continue to grow. you are able to hand over a piece of craftsmanship."
In December, CowManager elected winner of the Agribusiness Awards 2019† The jury spoke of a 'special product that makes effective use of complex data.'
More Info
For more information, go to cowmanager.com or follow CowManager on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube. For any questions, please contact our dealer AgroVision.