Technology Takes Spotlight in Cow Disease Prevention

6 May 2026 News 3 min

In a recent issue of Hoard’s Dairyman, five dairy producers from across the country shared how they are using technology to gain insights for disease prevention and early detection. The common theme: identifying issues sooner leads to better outcomes for both cows and the bottom line.

Notably, three of the featured operations rely on CowManager to deliver actionable herd insights: Daystar Dairy (Little Falls, Minn.), Pleasant Dutch Dairy (Willow Lake, S.D.), and Valadao Dairy (Hanford, Calif.). While their experience with the system ranges from less than a year to nearly a decade, all report similar results, including more efficient management and measurable performance gains.

Daystar Dairy: Driving Efficiency Through Data

Owned and operated by Dave and Sara Jane Brutscher and their sons, Jesse and Paul, Daystar Dairy is an 800-cow Holstein herd. After nearly a decade with CowManager, the family has benefited by integrating data into their daily decision-making process. They emphasized that the cow monitoring system helps guide breeding, culling, feeding and herd health protocols.

Their goals when implementing the cow monitoring system were clear: improve efficiency, strengthen management, and enhance margins. With better visibility into herd health and behavior, they are able to make more informed, timely decisions that support those objectives.

Pleasant Dutch Dairy: Maximizing Labor

At Pleasant Dutch Dairy, the family partnership is led by John and Linda Vande Weerd along with their sons Alan, Mike, and Nick. They manage 2,500 cows across three sites. After implementing CowManager almost a year ago, the team quickly began leveraging its insights to improve both herd care and labor efficiency.

By reviewing daily data and responding quickly to health alerts, they can address issues earlier—often before visible symptoms appear. The ability to customize alerts based on their own farm data allows them to fine-tune their approach, helping reduce disease incidence and culling rates while making better use of employee time and expertise.

Valadao Dairy: From Heat Detection to Health Gains

Eduardo and Maria Valadao, along with their son Mike, operate a 2,100-cow Holstein herd. They initially adopted CowManager for heat detection, but soon realized broader benefits as they became more familiar with the system.

Today, they are able to identify cows at risk of health issues, such as clinical mastitis, before symptoms appear. The cow monitoring system’s impact has been significant, including improved fertility and a reduction in culling rates from 6.5% to 3.8%. Mike also credits CowManager with helping them through an HPAI (Bird flu) event, allowing them to intervene sooner and monitor recovery.

US farmer using CowManager system on smartphone

Shared Results Across Diverse Operations

Despite differences in herd size, management style, and length of use, all three dairies report similar advantages from using CowManager:

Earlier detection of subclinical health issues
Improved fertility and heat detection
Reduced culling rates
Faster cow identification and sorting
Actionable, real-time herd insights

Technology that Supports – Not Replaces – Good Management

While each producer emphasized the value of CowManager, they also noted that technology is not a replacement for skilled employees or sound management practices. Instead, it serves as a powerful tool to enhance both.

They also stressed the importance of evaluating any new technology to ensure it delivers measurable value and supports overall operational goals. For these three operations, CowManager has proven to be more than just a monitoring system—it’s a decision-making tool that supports healthier cows, more efficient teams, and stronger financial performance.

Hoard’s Dairyman

A longer version of this article has previously been published by Hoard’s Dairyman.

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