For Cresthaven Farms Getting CowManager Felt Like Early Christmas

Sarah Torres, who is a fourth-generation dairy producer, farms with her husband Armando, her brother Joe Dickenson Jr., her sister Mary Tomlinson (who is also a veterinarian), and Mary’s husband, Brandon, plus a few key employees. The 145-cow Holstein operation is very much a family affair as parents Joe Don and Pam Dickenson are also still actively involved. Torres says the family strives to carry on a legacy of excellent production and cow care established by her father. CowManager’s Health Module and Fertility Module help them reach their goals.

“We mainly got CowManager because our repro was terrible. We were having a hard time catching heats by observation alone. We also had quite a few really high-producing cows that just wouldn’t show heats. There were a few years where one of the main reasons cows were culled was because we couldn’t get them pregnant, and it was heart-breaking!”

Sarah Torres of Cresthaven Farms, Virginia.

Raising Reproduction Numbers

Torres states that poor reproductive performance was clearly affecting their bottom line. “We had such high days in milk (again from not getting cows bred in a timely manner) that our average production slowly dropped over time.”

The farm now uses CowManager to guide breeding of their milk cows and heifers and to keep a pulse on the herd’s overall health.

“With CowManager, I feel more on top of things with the herd. I love being able to see hourly and daily what our cows are doing so we can respond accordingly. The sensor picks up subtleties that would easily be missed with normal observation. A great example is the measure of rumination; if it drops, we know something is going on with a cow before she shows more obvious signs.”

Right Cow, Right Time

Brandon, who does most of the reproductive work, concurs. He has entered herd check info in PCDART for the last 16 years and says this is the first time ever that he didn’t put in a single open cow. According to Brandon, “The ear sensors were responsible for all the heat detection last month. Open cows only show up on the vet check list because we missed a heat. Pretty sure that is the best money we’ve ever spent.”

Torres notes that CowManager has also helped with time management. “Walking the cows is no longer a drawn out, hit-or-miss process where we hope to catch the right cow at the right moment to know if she’s coming in heat or having a health issue.”

In a county once dotted with hundreds of dairies, Cresthaven Farms is now just one of three that remain. Torres says she loves farming with her family and hopes to continue milking and improving the dairy. She says that they have made great strides with the help of CowManager.

“The system is a game changer for us.”