Cost effectiveness was a big factor in Ben Maile’s decision to install the CowManager system in his 700-plus cow dairy herd at Weegena on Tasmania’s north-west coast.
Originally from Sussex in the United Kingdom, Ben and Kristy and their two youngsters are now in their fifth season contract milking for Dornauf Dairies. They operate the farm with two staff – Ben’s second-in-charge and a farmhand.
Since installing CowManager 18 months ago, Ben estimates early detection of health issues has been one of the standout benefits of the system.
“CowManager detects health issues before they become critical and we can pull cows out before they go downhill,” he said.
“We saved more than a dozen cows with displaced abomasum or potential pneumonia in the first year.”
He estimates that if CowManager detected just five or six cows with emerging health issues every year, it would well and truly cover the cost of the annual subscription.
His vet also uses the CowManager system to track the cows’ eating habits and detect any crashes that point to a potential health concern.
“Once the CowManager ear sensors are installed, we pay an annual subscription which covers maintenance of the system and the replacement of any ear sensors that stop working,” Ben said.
“There is no outlay for replacing equipment five to 10 years down the track, the system has a lifetime warranty on malfunction gear.”
Ben sees CowManager as another pair of eyes for heat detection. They still use stickers for visual observation of heats.
“We’re calving 700 cows in two months. We need to optimise fertility and quickly identify non-cycling cows within a very short timeframe, so every method of heat detection has value,” he said.
With a current empty rate of less than seven per cent, Ben estimates there has been a small improvement there.
The big improvement came with more early pregnant cows and the accuracy of heat detection using CowManager, which is significant in a herd of this size.
“More cows in calf in the first cycle means more days in milk, which again is another way we are seeing value for money in the system,” Ben said.
They run both the CowManager fertility module and the health module in the herd, which is made up largely of New Zealand LIC Friesians that average 580kg MS and are well suited to the hilly terrain of the farm.
“For us it’s about improving the efficiency and effectiveness of our dairy production system. We only need to milk four more cows a year to cover the cost of the annual subscription,” Ben said.
Additional benefits in having the CowManager system include the ability to monitor individual cows remotely. Ben and Kristy live off-farm, a few kilometres away, so the ability to check the cows gives them peace of mind and alerts them to cows that need to be followed up the next day.
Ben is also planning to use the fertility insights for cycling and non-cycling cows to compact the calving timeframe.
“We are also looking at the data the system produces to understand better and to compare the algorithm with what we observe is happening to the cow. This should enable us to continue to refine our system and improve efficiencies.”
Based on performance to date, Ben estimates the system will have paid for itself within five years through preventative milk loss.
“After five years, we will pay the subscription only, we don’t have to buy new equipment, it’s all covered under the lifetime warranty CowManager offer with the ear sensors that stop working, which are replaced free of charge,” he said.
“I reckon it’s one of the best, most cost effective and effective systems available.”