Peyton Fernandes was recently featured in the March issue of California Dairy. In the cover story, he shared how adopting CowManager technology has helped transform productivity and deliver measurable returns on his family’s operation.
Saving $4 Per Cow Per Day
Fernandes works alongside his father and brother at Legendairy Farms, a 4,500-head Jersey dairy operation. Although the farm has been using CowManager for just over a year, the results have already been significant. According to Fernandes, the system has generated a 25% return on investment with an additional $30.50 in income per cow.
A key driver of that return is improved reproductive performance. CowManager has increased pregnancy detection rates by 6% and improved heat detection accuracy by 8%, helping the farm team identify more cows at the right time. Actual conception is up 4% because CowManager provides a more precise window for insemination. With the cow monitoring system, the average number of open days has decreased from 109 to 105, saving about $4 per cow per day.
Impactful Benefits
California Dairy highlighted how these gains translate into real operational benefits. Improved conception rates are just one piece of the puzzle. Fernandes also reports saving $3,742 in veterinary costs by reducing the need for manual pregnancy checks, as CowManager detects if a cow is pregnant. Labor efficiency has improved as well, freeing up time for other priorities on the farm.
Perhaps the most impactful benefit, however, is herd longevity. By identifying health issues earlier, Fernandes is able to treat cows sooner and avoid unnecessary culling. Combined with stronger breeding efficiency, these improvements create compounding value across the operation.
Improving Day-to-Day Operations
Technology also plays a growing role in improving labor efficiency at Legendairy Farms. Fernandes currently uses a CowManager scanner and wand system that sends real-time cow data directly to his phone while cows are in stanchions, helping him quickly identify animals that need attention. Looking ahead, he plans to implement an automatic sorting gate to further reduce labor and minimize lock-up times. “For every 30 minutes they’re on their feet when they shouldn’t be, they produce one to two pounds less milk,” said Fernandes.
“CowManager pays for itself in breeding alone,” Fernandes noted in the article. “It has made our life a lot easier for sure.”
As more dairy producers look to improve efficiency, animal health and profitability, this real-world example highlights the practical impact of integrating smart technology into everyday operations.

About California Dairy
This article was previously published in the March 2026 issue of California Dairy.
Benefits of CowManager
Always Know When to Inseminate
Inseminating 10 to 22 hours after receiving a heat alert is known to be a success. This makes mating and breeding a breeze!
Catch Diseases Early, Reduce Sick Cows
Get alerted immediately when a cow isn't ruminating or eating, and intervene proactively. Pick up on diseases like mastitis and ketosis in an early stage.
Improve Herd Performance
Your cow's ears are full of vital information. Monitor their rumination, eating, inactivity, activity, ear temperature, and high active behavior.
5th Generation South African Family Dairy
At MacKenzie Farming in South Africa, dairy is a true family operation. Now in its fourth and fifth generations, the MacKenzie family runs a progressive dairy business with approx. 800 milking cows and youngstock bread alongside the forestry side of the business.
With fertility performance critical to profitability, the team recognized that traditional heat detection methods were limiting their results. After discovering CowManager at a large herd conference, they decided to implement the system; and quickly saw transformative results.
Solving the Biggest Fertility Bottleneck: Heat Detection
For the MacKenzie team, one of the most significant challenges in dairy fertility was accurate heat detection.
“Heat spotting has always been one of the biggest bottlenecks” they explain. “You simply can’t manage what you don’t know about.” Since installing CowManager two years ago, the change has been immediate and dramatic. “It was a night-and-day scenario. Suddenly we were finding all these cows on heat. We’re inseminating cows exactly when CowManager tells us.”
CowManager’s precise heat timing allows the team to inseminate at the optimal moment, a key factor in improving conception rates. “We haven’t missed a heat,” they say. “We’re now getting cows pregnant at 80 to 90 days. That puts you in a different league.” Even weekend inseminations, previously uncommon, have increased significantly, with record numbers of cows identified for breeding at the right time.
Early Health Detection by Measuring Ear Temperature
Operating in South Africa means dealing with tropical and subtropical diseases, many of which cause temperature spikes. CowManager’s advanced ear temperature and behavior monitoring helps the team distinguish between environmental heat stress and genuine illness.
“The health side of CowManager is in a league of its own. It’s identifying cows that are sick; it’s just amazing how it works.” Early detection has significantly improved herd health outcomes. “The earlier you can pick up that something’s wrong, the better your results are going to be. We’re able to intervene way sooner with a sick cow that would normally not be seen.”
The team follows a strict daily protocol, reviewing activity and health lists each morning and closely monitoring flagged cows post-treatment. “Definitely the herd health has improved because we’re intervening much earlier.”
Data-Driven Decisions, Total Control
CowManager integrates seamlessly into daily farm routines. Data from their herd management system syncs each morning, providing up-to-date insights before the workday begins. “All these tools just make working on the farm and making decisions a whole lot easier. Having all the information enables us to make informed decisions at the right time.”
Even team members who do not work in the dairy daily find the system intuitive and easy to use. “There’s no guesswork. It’s a case of you are now in total control.” Staff engagement has also increased, with the team fully adopting and utilizing the system.
CowManager is a True Game Changer
For the MacKenzie family, CowManager has delivered measurable improvements in fertility, herd health, and operational efficiency. “It’s a game changer. The reward is immense.”
With clear performance gains and no hesitation in recommending the system, the MacKenzie family sees CowManager as a critical tool in maintaining a competitive, future-focused dairy operation. “I’d have no hesitation in recommending CowManager to other dairy farmers. It’s delivered the results we were looking for.”
Benefits of CowManager
From Calf to Cow
Our lightweight sensor is designed to last a lifetime, offering a seamless and continuous monitoring solution tailored to your specific farm and your cow's life phase.
Save Labor, Time and Costs
No more wasted hours spent walking around, searching for that one cow. Let Find my Cow find her for you.
Catch Diseases Early, Reduce Sick Cows
Get alerted immediately when a cow isn't ruminating or eating, and intervene proactively. Pick up on diseases like mastitis and ketosis in an early stage.
Dickman and Sons Dairy milk 3,200 Holsteins in Coolidge, Ariz., and has seen incredible improvements in their overall herd health thanks to the CowManager system. In less than a year, the herd death loss has nearly been cut in half. Identifying those subclinical cows early has been invaluable.
Living up to its Promises
What began as a trial in September of 2024 turned into a full installation in May of 2025. Heifers pregnant 200 days through freshening and all cows receive the CowManager ear sensor. Ben Dickman shared that this allows the farm team to monitor animals during the critical transition period and through lactation.
When asked why Ben decided to invest in a lifetime monitoring system, he explained, “We wanted to improve the reproduction in the herd as well as the health aspect. Being able to identify cows before visible signs appear has allowed us to make better, more informed decisions. We can focus our attention on sick cows faster, make decisions sooner, and treat or cull accordingly.
The savings they have seen in increased beef cow prices due to healthier cows being culled combined with lower death loss, pays for the CowManager system. “Our death loss was 3.7%, and now with CowManager, it is at 1.9% since we started on the program 10 months ago,” shared Ben.
“We are now saving more than a cow a week! The employees are so excited because they see how early detection really impacts our ability to save these cows. Factored over the year, that is nearly $225,000!” announced Ben. “There is a definite savings realized when CowManager is in my cows’ ears. The system more than pays for itself.”
In addition to improving cow health, the farm has also gained labor efficiency. Cows with health issues are sorted and treated at one time, which allows the farm team to care for identified cows and then move to the next task, instead of treating cows at various times throughout the day.
Ben uses CowManager with the Health, Transition, Nutrition, and Fertility Modules, as seen on his phone here. The Find My Cow Flash feature has identified a cow to breed. Notice the light in the orange tag in her ear.

CowManager Enhancements
Ben appreciates the fact that CowManager integrates well with his DHI+ system and all the relevant cow information is at his fingertips. He was also an early adopter of Find My Cow Flash, noting its benefits for heat detection, conception rates, and pregnancy rates.
Ahead of the Herd Together
The herd has also been supported by SSMC’s CowManager Sales Acceleration Specialist Dan Curtin, CowManager Specialist Jorge Ramirez, Director of Corporate Accounts Brandon Thesing, Account Manager Vince Weber, and independent A.I. Technician Raul Aceves.
Ben concluded, “We made a great decision! CowManager and the SSMC team stand behind their product with amazing customer support. The product aids in management, but the people, support, and training are vital to the overall package.”
Benefits of CowManager
From Calf to Cow
Our lightweight sensor is designed to last a lifetime, offering a seamless and continuous monitoring solution tailored to your specific farm and your cow's life phase.
Save Labor, Time and Costs
No more wasted hours spent walking around, searching for that one cow. Let Find my Cow find her for you.
Artificial Intelligence Algorithm
Our Artificial Intelligence algorithm tailors the calf health alerts to your specific farm, to help you optimize your calf management at every stage of their behavioral development.
Hanke Farms Shares CowManager Experience
At Hanke Farms in Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin, efficiency and animal care go hand in hand. As a sixth-generation dairy farm milking 900 cows and raising all their young stock on-site, the team manages around 1,700 animals.
Insights into calf health
Technology is helping Hanke Farms take calf care to the next level. CowManager is proving just as valuable for the calves as it has been for the cows. This proactive approach reduces the need for intensive treatments and antibiotics, saving time, money and labor while supporting calf well-being.
When Heidi Taylor introduced CowManager ear sensors to their calves in the summer of 2024, the goal was simple: gain better insight into calf health while saving time in daily management. “Our overall experience with the calves is that we can treat them faster especially in our post-weaning calves. We can catch pneumonia quicker and get those calves treated quicker,” states Heidi.
The graphs share insights on individual animals and groups. Heidi shares how she utilizes the data visualization straight from her phone while walking pens in the barn to look at a calf that needs attention. Continuous monitoring of calves enables more efficient and targeted herd management planning.
Efficient Flash Functionality
For Heidi, one of the most practical advantages of CowManager is how easily it fits into her day-to-day routine. The flashing LED light on the ear sensor makes it easy to identify the right cow, heifer or calf, even in crowded pens. “The new feature of Find my Cow Flash has definitely saved us time, labor, and cost because we can locate the animal that is needed to be found quicker because the light is flashing,” says Heidi. This flash functionality streamlines workflow and enables Hanke’s team to operate more efficiently by walking less pens.

Catching Health Issues Earlier
Installed in February 2022, CowManager has proven its value in the cow herd at Hanke Farms. The system has helped produce healthier, longer-living cows while reducing the need for synchronization.
“We’re spending only half of what we used to on synchronization shots,” said co-owner and herd manager Doug Taylor.
“We have more older cows now because they’re getting pregnant sooner, and we find sickness quicker, which has prolonged the life of our cows. With CowManager we’ve been able to catch ketosis earlier than before, which helps reduce DAs. Over the last couple of years, we’ve cut our DAs in half by being able to catch these cows early enough to get them treated.”
For Hanke Farms, CowManager continues to deliver time savings, herd health improvements, and helps every animal reach its potential. “It definitely is a benefit to our farm, and we are so glad that we expanded CowManager to our youngstock,” said Heidi.
Benefits of CowManager
From Calf to Cow
Our lightweight sensor is designed to last a lifetime, offering a seamless and continuous monitoring solution tailored to your specific farm and your cow's life phase.
Save Labor, Time and Costs
No more wasted hours spent walking around, searching for that one cow. Let Find my Cow find her for you.
Artificial Intelligence Algorithm
Our Artificial Intelligence algorithm tailors the calf health alerts to your specific farm, to help you optimize your calf management at every stage of their behavioral development.
Managing large dairies requires tools that are reliable, easy to use, and deliver real results. For Steven Schaap and his family at Pleasant Hill Dairy, CowManager has become a key part of running an efficient operation across multiple facilities.
“One good thing with the CowManager, it was a simple program that the employees were able to integrate and utilize, and they were able to understand it very easily,” says Steven.
Pleasant Hill Dairy milks roughly 4,000 cows and uses CowManager’s Sort my Cow to streamline daily operations. Additionally, there are two other dairy sites with 4,000 cows in the family using CowManager.
Automation is the Future
As the operations looked toward the future, especially automation and sort gate integration, Steven saw cow monitoring as a way to improve efficiency without adding complexity.
At this location, CowManager ear tags are used mainly for the Health, Fertility, and Nutrition modules, helping the team make faster, more informed decisions every day.
“We’ve seen better milk production, and I think that’s mainly attributed to the less time the cows are locked up and standing in the feed lanes,” comments Steven. By pairing CowManager data with sort gates, the dairy has also improved labor efficiency and herd workflows.
Great for Large Operations
“We’ve been able to utilize our labor in a different way that is more efficient since using the sort gates now. The veterinarian checks have been getting done about two hours earlier than what they used to,” says Steven.
For Steven, ease of use is what makes CowManager a strong fit for large dairies. “The interface is convenient, it’s easy to use on your phone, and the ear tags are simple. That’s why I’d recommend CowManager to other dairy producers, especially larger operations.”
Keeping cows healthy, productive, and easy to manage can sometimes feel like juggling in the wind. That’s why more and more farmers are turning to cow monitoring technology — and according to Terang farmer Trevor Uebergang, it’s one of the best decisions he’s ever made.
All About Comfort
Trevor milks 210 cows and has been using CowManager since 2022.
“The main reason is I don’t like the idea of putting things around a cow’s neck. And I find that ear tags are easier to put in and out,” Trevor says.
For him, it’s all about keeping things simple and comfortable for the cows — and for himself.
“It’s just more ease of management. We like using it and we will continue to use it. And it wasn’t too expensive, I don’t think. I’m 51 now. As we get older, why not make it a little bit easier for yourself?”
Before buying, he asked around. “I got some feedback from other people who use it (CowManager), and it was exactly the same. Once you put it in, you will never regret it. You think, ‘why didn’t I do this earlier?’”
First Thing in the Morning
Trevor says CowManager is now part of his daily routine.
“I check the system first thing in the morning. What cows are cycling, if there’s any health issues. Whether we need to check a cow for mastitis, which is normally the first instance. It tells you exactly what a cow is doing.”
And here’s the real bonus: you don’t even have to be at the farm to be able to keep an eye on the herd.
“If one of us happens to go away, you can still monitor everything, from wherever you happen to be. Whether it’s overseas, or in Australia. We went on a trip to New Zealand, and we could still tell what was going on back on the farm, which was quite nice.”
For Trevor, that’s been huge. “It’s been a game-changer for me.”
Here to Help
In Australia, CowManager is distributed and supported by World Wide Sires Australia. No one knows the system better than they do. Want to know more? Don’t hesitate to reach out. They’re excited to discuss cow monitoring with you and answer any questions you may have.
Contact the TeamNo More Tail Painting
One of the big wins for Trevor has been in reproductive management.
“With CowManager, it was a lot easier to pick up empty cows. Any cows that were still cycling when they shouldn’t have been, they should’ve been all in calf.”
He’s also been able to ditch some of the more time-consuming old-school methods.
“I used to tail paint. And that means touching cows up three times a week with paint – I no longer have to do that, which is good. And I always used to jump up and check each individual cow for heat. Whereas now, I just look at the app.”
The app’s Fertility accuracy has even changed how he uses sexed semen.
“CowManager gives you that optimal time of using sexed semen, and I’ve used that a lot. I always used to AI in the morning only, and now – because of that – I AI morning and night, because I can do it myself.”
Trevor has CowManager linked with Easy Dairy.
“We use the system with Easy Dairy, so there’s a touch screen at the front of the pit, which is all linked to CowManager, as well as our phones. Now I can auto draft or just punch them up into the computer and draft them that way.”
This means less running around and more time doing the important stuff.
A Lifesaver
One of the most valuable features for Trevor is CowManager’s health alerts.
“If there is a cow that’s not doing so well, an alert will come up on my phone, and I find that really, really good. When the health alert comes up, one of the things I always do check is what is the temperature doing? Has she got a stomach-ache, or has she got something else wrong with her?”
And when it comes to mastitis, CowManager’s speed is a lifesaver. “It’s definitely saved us. It picks up mastitis a whole lot earlier.”
Trevor’s pretty clear on where he stands: “Once you put it in, you will never regret it.”
Cow monitoring technology like CowManager isn’t just about making farming easier. It’s about keeping your herd healthier, catching problems before they cost you, and freeing up your time. And in Trevor’s case, it’s also about being able to go on family trips while being able to still keep an eye on the cows. For him, the only regret is not getting the system sooner.
Dairy News Australia
This article was previously published by Dairy News Australia.
Benefits of CowManager
Confidently Use Sexed Semen
View cycling and fertility history in Fertility Insights and see if a cow is suited to be mated to sexed semen.
Catch Diseases Early, Reduce Sick Cows
Get alerted immediately when a cow isn't ruminating or eating, and intervene proactively. Pick up on diseases like mastitis and ketosis in an early stage.
Increase Workload Efficiency
Divide your workload more efficiently thanks to real-time alerts. Focus on the right cow at the right time and be able to spend more time off-farm.
Early detection of for example calf pneumonia is essential in raising healthy youngstock. At Benninghoff MilchEnergie, ultrasound lung scans serve as a reliable verification method, confirming that CowManager’s Youngstock Monitor accurately detects early respiratory issues, often days before symptoms appear. This case also shows the power of collaboration: the herd manager and the veterinarian work closely together, combining CowManager’s data with expert clinical insight to make smarter, earlier interventions.
“Our goal is for our calves to grow into healthy, high-performing dairy cows.” Anna Schaate, Benninghoff MilchEnergie.
Detecting Calf Pneumonia Before Symptoms Appear
In addition to our established modules for cows, CowManager introduced the Youngstock Monitor for calves last year. The program enables dairy farmers to improve their calf management. At the Benninghoff Milchenergie farm, herd manager Anna Schaate and her calf team have long been using CowManager for cows and young cattle over ten months, and it now also helps them to successfully detect respiratory disease in calves at an early stage.
Calf health is an important aspect of dairy farming because only healthy calves become productive dairy cows. Farmers and veterinarians are always looking for tools to help them rear healthier calves and reduce the reliance on antibiotics. Pneumonia, in particular, has long been a major challenge in calf rearing. It poses a risk of permanent damage to the lungs and can later on lead to reduced performance as a dairy cow. In practice, the problem is that the infection is often not noticed initially and only severe cases with clear symptoms are clinically apparent. CowManager’s Youngstock Monitor is a valuable tool for detecting sick calves at an early stage. The major advantage of this system is that it flags calves with a health warning and provides an alert even before the animals start showing visible signs of illness.
“I tend to rely on figures, data, and facts, and that’s why I like working with CowManager’s health data for calves.”
Early detection of changes in activity with CowManager
And that’s precisely why herd manager Anna Schaate from Benninghoff Milchenergie in Bevern decided to use CowManager for calves too. “I tend to rely on figures, data, and facts, and that’s why I like working with CowManager’s health data for calves,” she explains, “because once calves stop drinking, you’ve got a major problem on your hands.” At first she thought that she wouldn’t see much difference in activity because the young calves don’t move around that much. “But I came to realize how useful CowManager is when it comes to the early detection of calf pneumonia.” The health warning allows her to recognize early in the day which calves are deviating from the group average in terms of activity and drinking. She then considers information on group changes, rehousing, weaning, and dehorning as this may also influence the data. If there are no such factors to consider, Anna Schaate then examines the calves in question with an ultrasound scan of the lungs.
“We’ve found that CowManager shows us the animals that have pneumonia two days earlier than we would have recognized their labored breathing and general poor health. Since we started consistently monitoring the calves using a combination of CowManager and LungScan, we’ve been able to treat the pneumonia before the symptoms become apparent”
Early stages of respiratory disease are detected in good time
The CowManager health lists are checked three times a day. Anna Schaate identifies calves with deviations and then examines them with her colleagues from the calf team. Depending on the diagnosis, the calves are treated with anti-inflammatory drugs or painkillers. “We’ve found that CowManager shows us the animals that have pneumonia two days earlier than we would have recognized their labored breathing and general poor health,” she reports. “Since we started consistently monitoring the calves using a combination of CowManager and LungScan, we’ve been able to treat the pneumonia before the symptoms become apparent,” adds the herd manager. “I’m not a fan of the blanket use of antibiotics, so we only really treat calves when it is absolutely necessary,” she says, explaining another advantage of this approach.
Working with a veterinarian on prevention
The herd’s veterinarian, Hanna Strodthoff-Schneider, confirms the benefits of using activity monitoring for the early detection of disease: “With pneumonia in particular, it allows us to identify the affected calves at a very early stage of the disease – at a time when lung tissue is showing minimal change on the ultrasound.” The veterinarian goes on to explain that as lung tissue cannot regenerate, any loss of functional tissue results in a permanent decline in lung function. Early diagnosis using an activity monitoring system can therefore help to minimize structural changes in the lungs. “It is likely that this will also have a positive effect on lactation performance later on,” says Hanna Strodthoff-Schneider. Despite these undisputed benefits, she underlines that every dairy farm should be aiming to minimize cases of pneumonia from the outset with appropriate feeding practices as well as optimal housing and environmental conditions.
“If this helps us to rear more high-quality heifers that are well-prepared for the start of lactation, then it will have been worth it!”
Consistent hygiene management, health monitoring, and treatment
Herd manager Anna Schaate agrees. “Consistent compliance with hygiene measures and constant monitoring of housing conditions, for example with adequate ventilation, is extremely important in the prevention of calf disease. Damp conditions and draughts must be avoided,” she adds. “We make sure to check the ventilation in all barns on a regular basis and install new ventilation tubes when necessary. We also shave three strips on the backs of older calves so that they can dry off more quickly.” She is confident that this combination of hygiene management, health monitoring, and early treatment has considerably improved the health of the calves on the farm. Lung scans take five to ten minutes per calf, but she considers it worth the time as cases of acute and chronic respiratory disease have decreased significantly. The impact on staff satisfaction and motivation is also noticeable as working with healthy animals is much more enjoyable than trying to alleviate the pain of sick animals. “If this helps us to rear more high-quality heifers that are well-prepared for the start of lactation, then it will have been worth it!” she says.
Learn more about Benninghof Milchenergie and their experiences with CowManager.
Farm Profile
Benninghoff MilchEnergie: Bevern/Bremervörde, Rotenburg/Wümme District, Lower Saxony
- 1,275 Holstein-Friesian cows, including ~1,100 lactating
- Entire female youngstock raised on-site; 750 head of youngstock
- Team of 25 employees plus interns
- Modern two- and three-row freestall barns
- 510 ha of farmland: 330 ha silage corn, 180 ha grassland
- Nearly all roughage grown in-house
- 460-kW biogas plant (joint venture), three CHP units with 1,064 kW combined output, demand-oriented power supply
- Milking center with a 2×16 herringbone parlor
- Milk production approx. 46–47 kg ECM per cow per day (4.08% fat, 3.43% protein)
- Health monitoring through milk-flow data and CowManager ear sensors (fertility, health, nutrition)
- CowManager in use for almost six years: Health Module, Fertility Module, Transition Monitor
- For female calves and male calves destined for ET-bull programs, CowManager has been used for one year, with health alerts combined with lung scanning
Written by Angelika Sontheimer
Download Calf Guide
Download the Calf Guide to learn how CowManager’s Youngstock Monitor helps you catch calf health issues. Act fast, reduce antibiotic use, and raise healthier, higher-performing heifers.
DownloadAt Pole Farming Limited in the UK, dairy farmer Nik Pole manages a high-performing dairy operation alongside his family, who run the pig division of the business.
With 500 cows milked three times a day in a fully housed system, maintaining optimal cow health, fertility, and efficiency is essential.
After extensive research and farm visits, Nik chose CowManager as the herd monitoring system that best met the needs of his operation. “Everywhere I looked, CowManager stood above all the other systems.”
Choosing the Right Herd Monitoring System
Before installing CowManager, Nik compared several herd management and cow monitoring solutions on the market. His goal was to find a system that delivered accurate heat detection, reliable health monitoring, and actionable insights, without adding complexity to daily routines.
“It ended up not even being a close race,” Nik says. “Everywhere I looked, CowManager stood above all the other systems.”
Measurable Improvements in Fertility Performance
After four years of using CowManager, Pole Farming Limited has seen clear improvements in reproductive performance:
- Pregnancy rate increased from 18% to 28%
- Conception rate improved from 34% to 44%
CowManager’s precise heat detection and continuous cow behavior monitoring have played a key role in these results.
“CowManager picks up pretty much everything,” says Nik. “Even the heats and illnesses we don’t spot ourselves, it finds them.”
Early Health Detection and Better Mastitis Management
Early detection is critical for effective cow health management, especially when dealing with mastitis and other illnesses. CowManager’s real-time health alerts allow Nik and his team to intervene quickly and reduce stress on both cows and staff.
“If you leave a cow for even 12 hours, you’re often fighting an uphill battle. The quicker you find it, the less stress on the cow, and us,” explains Nik. “CowManager gives us that crucial head start.”
Even after recently switching back to sand bedding following 10 years on RMS, during which mastitis alerts were more frequent, CowManager continues to provide consistent and reliable early warnings, helping the team maintain herd health efficiently.
Easy Integration into Daily Farm Management
CowManager is fully embedded into daily operations at Pole Farming Limited. Every staff member uses the CowManager app via MultiView, enabling fast communication and immediate action, whether Nik is on the farm or away.
“The app on your phone is brilliant. I very rarely use the PC. It’s just so easy,” Nik says. “When I’m away, I can check in on the cows, and if there’s an issue, I can call the team immediately.”
Installation was equally efficient: “We tagged every cow in one afternoon after milking”
A System Nik Confidently Recommends
With proven results in cow health monitoring, fertility management, and ease of use, Nik has no hesitation recommending CowManager to other dairy farmers.
“I’ve recommended it to everyone I’ve crossed paths with. There are a lot of tech systems out there now, but I always say the same thing: Put in CowManager. It’s simple, effective, and anyone can use it.”
Interested in how CowManager can improve cow health, fertility, and daily efficiency on your farm? Explore more customer stories or discover how CowManager works for your dairy operation.
Meet the Team
Ready to take the next step? Whether you’re managing a large dairy herd or looking to grow your operation, CowManager can help you monitor, manage, and maximise your herd’s potential. In the United Kingdom, CowManager is distributed and supported by World Wide Sires. No one knows the system better than them.
Get in TouchAt Wagner Farms, efficiency isn’t just a goal, it’s part of the culture. For calf and herd manager Laura Raatz, staying ahead of herd health and daily tasks means relying on tools that make work faster, easier, and more accurate. That’s why the new CowManager Find My Cow Flash feature has quickly become an essential part of her routine.
Easy and Efficient
“The CowManager Find My Cow Flash has helped us manage smarter,” Laura explains. The bright LED flash built directly into the tags allows her to pinpoint animals in seconds, even in busy pens or larger facilities. “You can pinpoint those animals much faster by them having that bright LED flash that’s in those tags.”
Each morning, Laura starts her day by reviewing the animals that appear on CowManager’s health list. With a few quick taps, she activates Find My Cow Flash for the cows that need a physical check. “Then you go ahead and go out and find your animals. It’s super fast, easy, and efficient.”
Herd Management Tool
Wagner Farms has used CowManager tags with calves for some time, but Find My Cow Flash has taken that to a new level. Whether it’s feeding time or a routine walkthrough, Laura and her team can now instantly locate specific calves that need attention. The feature has scaled seamlessly first with calves, then into the heifer facility, and now throughout the entire cow facility.
“It makes it easier as you’re walking through pens to specifically find those animals,” Laura says. No more guessing. No more extra time spent scanning groups of animals. Just quick, clear identification.

Laura Raatz at Wagner Farms.
Happy, Healthy Cows
The team at Wagner Farms is excited about what Find My Cow Flash means for their future. Every improvement in efficiency helps them do what they do best: take exceptional care of their animals.
“Our team here at the farm is super excited about being able to implement this into our day-to-day routine,” Laura says. “And that’s part of our culture—being more efficient and, by the end of the day, having happier, healthier cows at Wagner Farms.”
Find my Cow Flash
With Find my Cow Flash, the flashing light on the ear sensor makes it easy to identify the right cow, heifer or calf, even in crowded pens. Activate the light from your app or desktop and spot your cow in seconds.
Find out moreIn modern Australian dairy farming, staying ahead means doing more than just keeping up. It means being proactive, efficient, and data driven. That’s especially true when managing herd fertility, a task that becomes increasingly complex with year-round calving.
For one family-run farm in Winchelsea, Victoria, the CowManager system has become the backbone of their reproduction strategy. With 600 cows and four calving seasons, James Parish embraced technology to simplify joining, improve health monitoring, and lighten the daily workload.
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.”
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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.
Benefits of CowManager
Catch Diseases Early, Reduce Sick Cows
Get alerted immediately when a cow isn't ruminating or eating, and intervene proactively. Pick up on diseases like mastitis and ketosis in an early stage.
Always Know When to Inseminate
Inseminating 10 to 22 hours after receiving a heat alert is known to be a success. This makes mating and breeding a breeze!
Increase Workload Efficiency
Divide your workload more efficiently thanks to real-time alerts. Focus on the right cow at the right time and be able to spend more time off-farm.