Displaced abomasum (DA) is one of those post-calving challenges that can quietly derail a cow’s recovery and milk production before you even realise something’s wrong.
The abomasum — the cow’s fourth stomach compartment — shifts out of its normal position, usually occurs within the first 30 DIM. When that happens, digestion slows, feed intake drops, and milk solids follow.
Every dairy farmer knows what DA is. The real question is: how do you catch it early enough to prevent damage?
A displaced abomasum occurs after a period of subtle changes at first. Affected cows may eat less, ruminate less, and produce less milk.
An abomasum is not easily visible on external examination. Only trained veterinarians are usually able to detect it. You can recognise displaced abomasum using several clinical indicators, such as:
DA often appears within less than 30 DIM, when cows are already under metabolic stress and your team’s focus is split among fresh cow checks, feeding, and milking routines.
A displaced abomasum doesn’t occur spontaneously. Often a cow first shows other signs, like an infection.
That’s where technology makes the difference.
CowManager’s Health solution turns early detection from guesswork into data-driven insight. Instead of waiting for visible symptoms, the system continuously tracks eating, rumination, and activity patterns. These behavioural indicators are the first to change when a cow’s abomasum begins to displace.
Both ketosis (decreased appetite, lower milk production) and a displaced abomasum can have similar early signs, and it is common for a cow to have both conditions simultaneously.
During ketosis, a slight and gradual decline in rumination and feeding activity is typically observed. In contrast, a displaced abomasum is characterised by a sudden and marked reduction in both parameters.
For example, a healthy fresh cow should steadily increase her eating time after calving. If the Health solution shows a consistent drop instead, it’s an early warning sign.
The same goes for rumination — one of the most reliable indicators of digestive comfort. A sudden decline can point to displaced abomasum or related metabolic issues such as ketosis.
CowManager’s real-time alerts help you act fast and prevent health issues before they escalate. Instead of reacting to DA cases after production loss or veterinary treatment, you can intervene at the first signs of trouble — saving time, money, and improving animal welfare.
A good dry period is crucial for preventing health abnormalities under 30 DIM. Rumen fill should remain at an adequate level throughout the dry period, to avoid pre-partum ketosis and lower feed intake postpartum.
Most displaced abomasum cases occur around calving, when a cow’s energy balance shifts dramatically. CowManager’s Transition solution complements the Health solution by helping you manage this critical period more effectively.
It monitors each cow’s recovery after calving, showing whether she’s adapting well or struggling with feed intake. That makes it easier to fine-tune nutrition, adjust management for high-risk cows, and prevent metabolic problems before they cascade into a DA case.
The Nutrition solution sends an alert whenever a decline in both rumination and eating time for dry cows is detected, which gives users a chance to adjust management to avoid low feed intakes. This has huge impact on a cow’s welfare during dry period and postpartum.
When you can see how each cow transitions in real time, your team doesn’t have to rely solely on daily pen checks or milk data. You get a complete picture of her health and recovery — exactly when it matters most.
Displaced abomasum doesn’t have to be a production-draining surprise. With CowManager’s Health, Transition and Nutrition solutions you gain early, actionable insights into every cow’s health status.
Parameters like low feed intake and transition alerts give you the opportunity to dive deeper in dry cow management. That means fewer missed cases, faster interventions, and a smoother transition period for your herd.
Healthy cows produce more milk, breed back faster, and stay in the herd longer. Preventing DA isn’t just about treating disease — it’s about protecting performance.
CowManager can help you detect cow diseases so you can act early — keeping your herd healthy and your performance high.
Get alerted immediately when a cow isn't ruminating or eating, and intervene proactively. Pick up on diseases like mastitis and ketosis at an early stage.
Your cow's ears are full of vital information. Monitor their rumination, eating, inactivity, activity, ear temperature, and high active behaviour.
Our Health Module provides early disease detection. CowManager cows live longer, produce more milk, are in better shape and therefore perform better.
Many dairy farmers rely on monitoring systems to track behaviour, activity, and other indicators that help identify potential health issues earlier.
One physiological factor that is considered to play an important role in animal health is cow body temperature. Because temperature reflects internal biological processes, monitoring it can provide useful insights into the condition of individual cows and the overall herd.
When combined with behavioural monitoring, cow body temperature data helps farmers make faster and more informed herd management decisions. But it can be done even better and more precise by specifically monitoring cow ear temperature.
Temperature is one of the most widely recognised indicators of health in animals. When a cow experiences stress, illness, or metabolic challenges, changes in a cow’s body temperature may occur as part of the body’s natural response. The ear is one of the first places in the body where these changes are noticeable.
When a cow’s body temperature rises, it usually means the immune system responds to stress, infection, inflammation, or heat. The body increases temperature to help support immune activity, which can lead to reduced feed intake, lower milk production, and lethargy.
When a cow’s body temperature drops, it often indicates that the cow is struggling to maintain normal body functions. This can happen during severe illnesses, metabolic disorders, or after calving, when blood flow shifts from the cow’s ear toward vital organs and the body tries to conserve energy.
Modern cow monitoring systems often track behavioural indicators such as eating behaviour, rumination patterns, activity and inactivity.
Adding temperature monitoring, specifically ear temperature, to this data can strengthen the overall understanding of herd health. When farmers have access to multiple indicators, they can better interpret what is happening within the herd and respond quickly when conditions change.
For dairy farmers managing large herds, it can be difficult to detect subtle health changes through observation alone. Monitoring technologies that track indicators such as activity, rumination, and temperature trends can provide valuable insights that support early intervention.
Tracking a cow’s temperature alongside behavioural indicators contributes to a more complete picture of cow health. Continuous monitoring helps farmers detect changes sooner and respond more effectively.
The CowManager system measures ear temperature specifically, making cow monitoring much more accurate and actionable with early alerts.
Whenever a cow develops an infection, blood flow in the ears shifts toward vital organs. By monitoring ear temperature, this change can be detected early, potentially preventing more serious issues for both you and the cow later on.
Cow monitoring innovations continue to change how dairy farms manage animals. Monitoring technologies allow farmers to move from reactive management to proactive herd care.
It may seem tooling makes herd management more complex, but systems that provide reliable data are an important part of driving herd management forward.
With real-time data, herd management teams can make more informed decisions about herd health, reproduction, and overall management.
Your cow's ears are full of vital information. Monitor their rumination, eating, inactivity, activity, ear temperature, and high active behaviour.
Get alerted immediately when a cow isn't ruminating or eating, and intervene proactively. Pick up on diseases like mastitis and ketosis at an early stage.
The Transition Monitor identifies cows at risk up to 50 days before calving, ensuring proactive intervention and reducing transition diseases.
Vet Plus veterinarian Kyle Kannan has been working with Paul and Sarah Koopal for years. The Koopals are third generation farmers in Rerewhakaaitu, Central Plateau, and won the CowManager system in NZDIA’s Shared Farmer of the Year category in 2024.
Ever since then, Paul and Kyle have been exploring and utilising all the data from the CowManager system together, to take the already high performing farm to the next level.
With CowManager ear sensors, they track the herd’s ear temperature, rumination and eating time, activity and behaviour. According to Paul, it’s been a life changer for animal health.
He says: “It’s a real simple app on my phone, on my desktop in the cow shed, or at home. I have alerts come through, like health alerts for sick cows or suspicious cows. You’re picking up something that’s wrong with the cow a lot earlier than you would without the tech. We can intervene a lot earlier.”
It allows the Koopals to reduce the use of antibiotics, which they consider a huge plus.
Paul: “Because we’re picking up sick animals before they’re actually sick, before they know they’re sick, you can make calls on what you’re treating them with. Sometimes it’s just a case of giving them an anti-inflammatory and then they’re back to normal within a day. Whereas if you didn’t have that tech and you didn’t know she was sick until she was sick, you might need to use more antibiotics.”
Animal health isn’t the only benefit of using the CowManager system. According to Vet Plus vet Kyle Kannan, it’s just scratching the surface.
He says: “There’s also a ton of animal health related to nutrition. Like, how well we feed cows. That has a massive impact on the health of a herd, the health of an individual animal. That information is all coming through as well. And then on top of that, there’s fertility. Which is a key driver of profitability and an integral part of the farm business.”
Paul agrees and shares how the high-tech cow tags have helped him during mating.
“In the cow shed it saves us a lot of time and a lot of labour. Our milkings during mating have become a lot quicker because we’re not having to check tail paint, we’re not having to jump up and check every single cow that comes through.
Because we’re doing AI all the way through our mating, we can use a lot more of the short gestation semen on our herd. The cows that have been given that semen are calving 12 to 13 days earlier, so that’s more days in milk for us on farm. We’re able to actually have more cows in calf as well.”
“And”, he adds, “Because we’ve got CowManager picking up cows that are on heat, we don’t use bulls anymore on farm. That’s been quite a health and safety benefit.”
Kyle emphasises that cow tag technology isn’t just valuable for farmers – it’s a high-tech treasure chest for vets, too.
“We’re getting information that we’ve never been able to directly measure. You can’t see if your cows are full, or how much they’ve eaten. They look reasonably content, but now we’re getting live data pieces that say, ‘that cow is definitely content’, at a herd level. Now we can jump into our phone and onto our computer screen and actually put some solid information around that.”
Kyle continues: “As vets, we see the more retrospective data that comes through. There was a large scale of information that we just didn’t know, and we weren’t able to collect. An example of that would be between calving and mating.
So, as soon as a cow calves, how fast is she having her first heat? Obviously, we don’t whip tail paint on immediately as soon as they calf, so we don’t know and we don’t measure that as a thing.
Veterinarian Kyle Kannan (left) and dairy farmer Paul Koopal (right).
The first year Paul and Sarah got CowManager, we were able to look at that, and they were actually behind target for what we call the days to first heat; how fast the cows recover from calving. We were able to find a data point that we would never have seen before and then make changes to impact that data point. We managed to improve it.“
He concludes: “At our reviews we’re able to look at the data, have a look at all the different things coming out of it. It’s basically a set of whole brand-new metrics that we’re able to use now in New Zealand that we probably never been able to. It’s quite a cool frontier that we’re currently in.”
From a personal side of things, Paul really enjoys the 24/7 aspect of the CowManager cow tags.
“It allows me to get off farm, because I know someone is looking after my cows, through mating, 24/7”, he says.
He elaborates: “I never used to take any time off during mating period and now I’ll literally just come back from a holiday for four days. It’s brilliant, because I know all those cows are still getting their cycling and are still getting picked up by the system.”
Kyle reckons this is just the beginning – as a vet he’s excited about what CowManager will bring to the future of cow monitoring and farm management.
“This isn’t static technology, it’s bloody on the roll. It’s going to be really cool to see what’s coming in the next couple of years. The Milk Sensor is another thing CowManager are rolling in real soon and that’s basically going to close the loop. All the repro stuff that we’re doing is fantastic, but at the end of the day, milk is the product that we want.”
A new year on the farm doesn’t start with big promises. It starts with feeding cows, watching behaviour, making breeding decisions, and trying to stay ahead of problems before they cost time, money, or affect animal health.
CowManager Farmer Stories are built on real, day-to-day use of the system – across different herd sizes, farming systems, climates, and countries.
At the end of 2025, many farmers let us know how they like working with CowManager. By sharing their feedback with us, we continue to tailor our service to their needs. And by sharing these voices, farmers can learn from each other and make better-informed decisions for their own farms.
No matter where a farm is located, cost is always part of the conversation. In Ireland, dairy farmer Sean Corby put it plainly: “Like all farmers, I’d like tools to be cheaper – but CowManager is a fantastic product and working very well here so far.”
That balance between investment and results is familiar everywhere. Farmers weigh every decision carefully, and value becomes clear only when a system proves itself over time.
For Canadian farmer Lynn Moore, that proof came through years of use. “I believe I’ve had CowManager since 2015 and I couldn’t be happier. It’s an excellent product; keep it up!”
Sticking with a system for nearly a decade isn’t about features on paper. It’s about consistency, trust, and knowing the system supports better decisions year after year.
Want to read more real farmer experiences? Visit cowmanager.co.nz/farmer-stories and see how dairy farmers around the world use CowManager to stay ahead of the herd. Or check out the CowManager YouTube channel for more Farmer Stories videos.
With the right results and support, a tool becomes a partnership.
For many farmers, confidence in technology grows step by step. In the United States, farmer Ryan Carbaugh from Waterside Farm described how results in one part of the operation led to broader adoption.
“I enjoy CowManager. It really works. We started using it on our heifers and had instant success: heifers bred on first and second services. We’re now experimenting with it in our tie stall barn and pasture setup. Seeing those results made me jump in.”
That’s how technology earns its place on a farm. Not through promises, but by delivering results where it matters most.
For others, the value goes beyond performance alone. Catching issues early can make the difference between a small intervention and a serious setback – for both cows and farmers.
In Germany, animal welfare is a top priority for farmer Uwe Petzold: “We’re very satisfied. From an animal welfare point of view, I think the system should be mandatory. We were able to treat cows before major problems occurred.”
Real experiences – positive, critical, and practical – help set realistic expectations and support better decisions on-farm.
As this new year gets underway, these voices reflect what dairy farming truly looks like: constant decisions, tight margins, and a clear focus on tools and services that help keep cows healthier and farms running more efficiently.
Come meet us at many dairy events this year! We’d love to connect and discuss all things cow monitoring. You can find our CowManager Specialists at events all over the globe. Check out our dairy events calendar for 2026.
Raising replacement heifers is one of the biggest investments on any dairy farm. The way you manage nutrition quality, feed space, and growth rates directly determines whether your heifers become profitable, high-producing cows. By focusing on a few key management practices, you can lay the foundation for a strong, productive herd.
Forage quality is the backbone of every heifer diet. Not all forage delivers the same results — and when it comes to raising heifers, quality matters just as much as quantity.
High-quality forage supports optimal growth and body condition without overfeeding grain. The right balance of protein and minerals is crucial: too much grain can over-condition heifers, while low-quality forage may slow growth.
Protein plays an important role in the overall growth of heifers, as it provides the amino acids needed for tissue and muscle development.
Skeletal growth – bone formation and strength – is important and depends mainly on the availability and balance of minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium, as well as vitamin D and adequate energy supply.
The two go hand in hand: Bones also contain protein structures, collagen matrix, that minerals bind to. An excess of protein alone will not improve bone growth.
Neutral Detergent Fiber Digestibility (NDFD) is an important indicator of how much energy a heifer can actually extract from her feed. Higher digestibility means better feed efficiency – something that shouldn’t be underestimated. Higher NDFD means the heifer can extract more energy from the same amount of feed, leading to better feed efficiency and weight gain.
Changes in feed quality or type can easily affect growth rates. That’s why testing forage regularly and adjusting rations with your nutritionist is essential. With CowManager’s Transition & Nutrition Monitor, you can track the effect of ration changes per cow as well as per group.
And with the free MultiView functionality you and your advisors can easily share and monitor real-time data on feed and ration changes – ensuring every heifer stays on track.
Feed space is often underestimated, yet it plays a major role in growth and future milk production. Overcrowding causes stress, limits feed intake, and leads to uneven growth within groups — especially for subordinate heifers.
Aim for 45 to 60 cm of space per heifer. This ensures that every animal has equal access to feed, particularly in group housing systems. Providing adequate space reduces injuries, stress, and the risk of disease transmission. A calmer pen leads to healthier heifers, steady growth, and more efficient management.
The Transition & Nutrition Monitor even tracks a cow’s stress level; monitoring whether a cow is feeling safe and secure or is experiencing stress factors that may affect her health, causing her to become less active – in which case you’ll receive an alert. Too much stress also leads to cortisol release, which is immune suppressive.
When it comes to dairy heifer nutrition, it’s not just about intake — it’s about outcomes. One of the most critical milestones in heifer development is reaching the right breeding weight.
Heifers should reach 55–60% of their mature body weight by 13–15 months of age, allowing them to calve between 22 and 24 months. Hitting this target keeps rearing costs under control and maximises lifetime milk yield.
Underweight heifers often calve later, increasing costs and reducing production potential. Overweight heifers, on the other hand, are at higher risk for calving and metabolic problems. The right balance is key to achieving strong, productive cows ready for the next stage of their life.
When you combine forage quality, feed space, and proper breeding weight, the bigger picture becomes clear — these are the building blocks of your future herd.
Every decision in heifer management has a ripple effect. The heifers you raise today are tomorrow’s high-performing dairy cows. With CowManager’s Transition & Nutrition Monitor and MultiView functionality, you gain the insights to make smart, fact-based feeding and growth decisions.
Improve calf growth and build your future herd with CowManager’s smart insights. Download the Calf Guide to discover how CowManager sensors can detect illness sooner, reduce antibiotic use, and promote faster recovery, ultimately protecting your future milk production.
Download Calf GuideHamilton, New Zealand – August 14, 2025 – CowManager, a global leader in smart cow monitoring solutions, is excited to announce the establishment of its own office in Hamilton, New Zealand. This strategic move marks a significant milestone in CowManager’s journey, bringing us closer to our New Zealand customers and enhancing the service, support, and innovation that our farmers rely on. The official transition to CowManager NZ will take place on Saturday, August 16.
Since tagging our first cow in New Zealand in 2014, CowManager has steadily grown to support hundreds of forward-thinking farms across the country. Over the past 10 years, our presence has built a solid foundation, and now, with a direct presence in New Zealand, CowManager is accelerating its efforts and continuing to help farmers thrive with enhanced support and capabilities.
“We’ve seen tremendous growth and success over the years, and now it’s time to take the next step,” says Jared Bekhuis, Managing Director of CowManager NZ.
“By adding specialists and establishing our direct presence in New Zealand, we’re enhancing our capabilities to deliver faster, more expert service exactly where it’s needed. At the same time, we are expanding our portfolio with exciting innovations like Draft my Cow, the Youngstock Monitor, and Find my Cow Flash. These new solutions will provide our farmers with even more powerful tools to optimize their operations and improve herd management. And we’re just getting started-keep an eye out for even more cutting-edge advancements that will further transform the way we support our farmers.”
This transition opens an exciting new chapter for CowManager. With more resources and local expertise, we’re better positioned to offer tailored solutions and increased responsiveness, helping farmers achieve even greater success with our innovative solutions.
“New Zealand’s dairy sector is world-renowned for its excellence,” Bekhuis adds. “We’re proud to contribute to its ongoing success and invest in the future of every farmer we serve.”
The contracts between CowManager and our valued customers will remain unchanged. Your terms, support, and service remain intact, with no alterations to your agreement.
With a stronger local presence, CowManager NZ will work even harder to deliver the best possible experience for our farmers. As always, we are here to ensure that you’re well-supported and prepared for whatever comes next in your dairy operation.
We look forward to continuing our journey together and working with you to achieve even greater success.
At CowManager, we are committed to providing dairy farmers with the tools they need to succeed. Our revolutionary cow monitoring ear sensors help farmers stay ahead with actionable insights on herd health, nutrition, fertility, and more. Whether you have 20 or 125,000 cows, CowManager ensures that farmers always have eyes on their herd.
Before you know it, mating season is just around the corner. A crucial time, as it sets the stage for the next generation of healthy and productive cows in your herd. Good preparation is essential in getting the best results possible for your business. These 10 tips make the perfect pre-mating season checklist.
Going into mating while using the CowManager system? Download our CowManager Pre-Mating Checklist to make sure you’ve prepped your system settings for this season.
Download ChecklistBefore you kick off mating season, take a minute to decide what your main mating goals are. Are you looking to improve genetics, improve milk production or replacement heifers? Narrowing your goals down in advance will help you make informed decisions for breeding and mating.
Make sure potentially underperforming cows are on your radar early on so you can still make the adjustments needed to ensure they’ll do well during mating. Unsure? Have your vet or breeding specialist analyse your cows’ performance by adding them in MultiView. CowManager’s Nutrition Module helps you identify at-risk cows up to 50 days before calving.
Fertility testing your cows can help identify any reproductive issues that may affect their performance during mating season, such as infections or hormonal imbalances. Identifying and addressing these issues beforehand could save you a lot of stress and pain down the road.
Take time to set the mood and make sure your cows will be comfortable. Ensure that your mating paddocks are in good condition and provide adequate shelter and clean water for your cows.
A well-thought-out breeding plan is key to achieve your goals. Consider factors such as timing, synchronization protocols, available staff, and the selection of appropriate sires. Have plan Bs at the ready in case of any contingencies, such as weather disruptions.
Keep detailed records of everything leading up to, during, and after mating season. Record mating dates, sire information, and any fertility testing results. This will help you analyse results and help identify risks, and your future self will be eternally grateful to you for being so thorough. CowManager’s Fertility Insights helps you keep detailed records of all your cows’ cycles.
Go for success: Rely on CowManager’s Fertility Module and never miss a heat. Make sure all cows are tagged with the ear sensor so you can recognise peak heats, pregnancies, non-cycling cows and potential abortions. Make sure your entire staff knows which alerts to look out for and give them access to the system by simply adding their email addresses in MultiView.
“We’ve increased our six week in calf rate by about 15%, so we’ve gone up to 78% in our six week in calf rate. Our empty rate has dropped from about 24% down to 13%. It’s quite substantial, yeah. We’re also picking up those silent heats that we weren’t able to pick up beforehand.” – Mike Marshall, Otago farmer. Watch his full story.
A healthy herd equals a healthy base to build your breeding season upon. Work closely with your vet and team to make sure your cows are as healthy as possible before breeding season begins and throughout, and make sure your cows are getting the nutrition they need to be successful. CowManager’s Health Module can help you monitor health as well as discovery.
Make sure the systems you use are updated to the newest version available before the season starts. This goes for your cow monitoring system, your herd management system, as well as your drafting gate. Good to know: If you’re using CowManager and some ear sensors are close to underperforming, the system will alert you of this months in advance.
“Basically, CowManager finds a cow on heat and the gate drafts them out after the morning milkings. With the two systems we’re saving a labour unit over mating, that’s for sure. Nobody needs to think about anything, really.” – Ruurd Dijkstra, Waikato farmer. Discover the full story.
A prepared farmer is a successful farmer, but sometimes life throws us curveballs. Be prepared to make last-minute adjustments to your plan if any unforeseen weather or health conditions pop up. Just make sure to keep monitoring closely and keep detailed records.
In New Zealand, CowManager is distributed and supported by CowManager NZ. No one knows the system better than them. 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 TeamKetosis in dairy cows is a common metabolic disorder that can severely impact milk production and overall herd health. The condition occurs when a cow doesn’t get enough energy from her feed, so her body starts breaking down fat stores. This leads to a buildup of ketones in her blood. To maintain a productive and healthy herd, it’s crucial to recognise ketosis symptoms in cows early plus implement effective prevention strategies.
Ketosis in cows typically occurs during the early lactation period, when the cow needs more energy for milk production than she gets from her feed. To make up for the demand, she starts using her body fat for energy. This causes a rise in ketone levels in her blood. If not treated, ketosis in cattle can lead to reduced milk yield, weight loss, and a higher risk of other metabolic disorders.
CowManager is a valuable tool for improving herd health. Download the Health Brochure to find out what data you’ll receive when tracking herd health with the system, and what insights you’ll gain into your cows’ well-being.
Download the Brochure
Detecting ketosis symptoms in cows early is essential to minimise production losses and prevent severe health complications. Common signs of ketosis in dairy cows include:
Monitoring cows closely during the transition period and using diagnostic tools can help detect ketosis in cows before it significantly affects their performance.
Preventing ketosis in cattle requires a proactive approach to herd management, focusing on proper nutrition and metabolic health. Here are key strategies to reduce the risk of ketosis in cows:
Implementing a cow monitoring system can help detect ketosis symptoms in cows before they become severe. Technologies like CowManager track changes in cow behaviour, activity, and feed intake, providing early warnings of metabolic disorders. By identifying subclinical ketosis in dairy cows, producers can take preventive measures and ensure optimal herd health and productivity.
Ketosis in cows is a significant concern for dairy producers, but with early detection and proper prevention strategies, its impact can be minimised. Monitoring ketosis symptoms in cows, optimising nutrition, and leveraging technology can help maintain healthy and high-performing dairy cattle. By prioritising metabolic health, dairy producers can reduce ketosis-related losses and improve overall herd productivity.
Patrick Oostveen, like many dairy farmers, is a busy man. He runs two farms in Southland, has a contract milking job, takes care of 950 cows, and has a family of his own. And still, even during mating, he’s able to be off-farm while having full control over his herd. His secret? CowManager ear sensors. “It’s just really remarkable technology. It’s different, it’s innovative, and it works”, he says.
For Patrick Oostveen, running a dairy operation without wearable technology nowadays just isn’t an option. It was high on his priority list when he took on a second farm.
“When we took this (farm) on, it was one of the first things to do: put a wearable in. Because I can’t be at two places at once, it’s impossible. To just really take the pressure off at those key times, like during mating.”
The choice for an ear tag was an easy one.
“I really like the ear tag concept – we’ve got it on the other farm as well. There’s no collars, no cows getting hung up on stuff, there’s no banging in the shed. It’s just easy to slam a tag in when you tag the heifers.”
Getting started was a piece of cake, he says. “Installation was a piece of cake, really. Like with the heifers; you’ve gotta tag the heifers. They’ve got a copper bullet at the same time, got the yellow tag as well. And then we just put in the CowManager in.”
They haven’t looked back since. The whole team relies on the ear tag system every day. “It’s different. It’s just remarkable they can fit a collar-worth of technology into something this tiny. It’s innovative, and it works.”
Dive into the data the system collects and discover how it translates to actionable alerts. Read interviews with CowManager users in New Zealand: what have they gained from the system so far? Discover all the benefits.
Download BrochurePatrick and his team have a fixed way of working, greatly depending on what the system tells them.
“From day to day, I get up for milking in the morning and have a flick through the app, see if anything has come up over the night. We have some drafts scheduled for the team to investigate, check on sick cows and if they’ve got a procedure to follow through. We check for mastitis, does she look good, maybe give a bolus, what category of sickness they are.”
They monitor the health, fertility, nutrition and transition period of the herd with CowManager. Which, according to Patrick, is very simple to do.
“You look up a graph of when a cow calves; what was her rumination before and after? Way easy to see with CowManager. And just the sensitivity of the health alerts. Normally, with the temperature alert or a very sick cow alert, there will be something going on.”
He’s particularly pleased with the Health Module. Not only does the module monitor activity, eating and rumination time, it also monitors ear temperature. Which makes all the difference.
“It’s just really remarkable technology. From ear movements they know like all the chewing and that sort of stuff. When a cow is sick and the system alerts you, you’re like ‘what’s going on’. Picking up those temperature alerts if she’s got a bad case of mastitis or something metabolic – the ear blood flow changes. If that happens, I know she’s crook.”
“Initially I thought I would do the tail painting as well,” Patrick says. “But then I thought if you do it, you just have to trust the process and make sure you do your checks and stuff, and go full in.”
Tail painting is something of the past now, as is being stressed all the time about being at two places at once – which is impossible. Thanks to the system, Patrick and his team can keep an eye on both farms and the entire herd, wherever and whenever.
“If we didn’t have the cow wearables, we’d have to be at two places at once, which isn’t possible. Another option would be if I pick up cows from one shed in the morning and the other one at night. So I’d just be in the shed all day. I’ve got a couple of kids now too, so got all the family stuff to do. It frees you up.”
The Transition Monitor identifies cows at risk up to 50 days before calving, ensuring proactive intervention and reducing transition diseases.
Get alerted immediately when a cow isn't ruminating or eating, and intervene proactively. Pick up on diseases like mastitis and ketosis at an early stage.
Your cow's ears are full of vital information. Monitor their rumination, eating, inactivity, activity, ear temperature, and high active behaviour.
Mastitis in dairy cows is one of the most common and costly diseases in dairy farming. This udder infection significantly impacts cow health, increases veterinary costs, reduces milk yield, and can lead to increased cull rates. Early detection of mastitis in dairy cows is critical in minimising the effects of the disease, reducing the need for antibiotics, maintaining overall herd health and profits, and preventing the spread of the infection.
Mastitis in cows can lead to several issues beyond just milk production. Infected cows often experience pain and inflammation, which can affect their general well-being. Additionally, mastitis causes an increase in somatic cell counts (SCC) in the milk, which can result in milk being unfit for sale. The disease may also lead to a permanent reduction in a cow’s productivity, and treatments can result in significant milk losses, increased veterinary costs, and milk discards.
By detecting mastitis early, dairy farmers can intervene before the infection escalates, preventing severe health consequences for the cow and avoiding the spread of the infection throughout the herd.
CowManager is a valuable tool for improving herd health. Download the Health Brochure to find out what data you’ll receive when tracking herd health with the system, and what insights you’ll gain into your cows’ well-being.
Download Health GuideMastitis in dairy cows can present in different forms, including clinical and subclinical cases. Clinical mastitis symptoms include swelling, redness, and heat stemming from the infected area of the udder, along with visual changes in milk, such as clots, discolouration, or a watery consistency. Affected cows may show signs of pain, reduced appetite, fever, and a drop in milk production. Subclinical mastitis, which does not show visible symptoms, can still negatively impact milk yield and quality due to increasing somatic cell counts. Monitoring cow behaviour, temperature, and milk consistency is essential for identifying mastitis early and taking appropriate action before the infection gets worse.
Early detection is key to effectively managing mastitis in dairy cows. Subclinical mastitis, where no visible symptoms are apparent, can silently harm cow health while spreading infection. Traditional detection methods, such as visual checks and hand-stripping, may not identify these early-stage infections.
Modern monitoring technologies, such as real-time tracking systems, can help producers spot subtle signs of mastitis, including changes in cow behaviour, body temperature, and rumination patterns. These are all critical indicators before visible symptoms appear.
Continuous health monitoring plays a vital role in preventing and treating mastitis in cows. Technologies that offer 24/7 insights into cow activity, rumination, and temperature allow producers to identify abnormalities before an infection becomes severe. These systems also help detect environmental or management factors contributing to mastitis, such as overcrowding, poor hygiene, and stress.
Early detection enables targeted mastitis treatment, reducing antibiotic reliance and promoting better udder health. Addressing the issue early helps lower treatment costs and minimises penalties for high SCC levels, ultimately improving milk quality.
Mastitis is one of the many health challenges dairy cows face throughout their lifetime. Heifers can become infected. By monitoring health risks at every stage of development from birth to first calving, dairy producers can build a healthier, more productive herd. Keeping a close eye on youngstock helps raise healthy heifers, ultimately reducing the risk of mastitis during lactation.
Early disease detection is essential for maintaining overall cow health and ensuring a profitable dairy operation. By investing in monitoring technology, producers can take swift action, reducing the disease’s impact and preventing serious health issues for their cows.
To learn more about how health monitoring at every life stage supports milk production, read our related blog: How to Increase Cow Milk Production. This blog explores the impact of proactive health management and real-time monitoring on improving herd performance and dairy farm profitability.
Want to know how to keep your dairy cows in top condition? Read our 5 tips to improve overall herd health.