Improve water trough management
Troughs that are too high or too low, contamination or competition can make it harder for cows to drink. smaXtec makes these problems visible.
Water intakeA unique perspective on water intake
smaXtec shows how much your cows drink, providing early indications of health changes, feeding problems, water trough issues, and heat stress.
The key to higher performance.
Water intake has a major influence on health and milk yield. That is why it is important to not only observe drinking behaviour, but to truly understand it.
How much water are your cows drinking?
Only smaXtec records water intake and drinking cycles directly from inside the cow. The smaXtec bolus continuously measures internal body temperature in the reticulum. Every time a cow drinks, the water flushes past the bolus and rapidly cools it. This abrupt drop represents one drinking cycle and is what differentiates water intake from other problems, like ketosis.
smaXtec calculates water intake from the number of drinking cycles, the size of the temperature drop, and the time it takes for the bolus to return to baseline temperature.
Your herd’s performance starts with water.
Understand the reasons behind low water intake.
There can be many reasons behind decreased water intake. smaXtec measures at the individual animal and group level so you can determine if a specific animal is having a problem or if something bigger is happening.
Water intake decreases when issues with the trough occur. Receiving multiple alerts from animals in the same barn or group could indicate problems including poor water supply or quality, insufficient space per animal, or insufficient water flow. It is important to check the water trough if you receive multiple alerts from the same group of animals.
From water intake to herd insight
Identify changes in drinking behaviour, uncover the reasons behind them, and make data-backed decisions for your herd with smaXtec.
Identify water trough problems
Low water intake can have many causes. smaXtec helps you detect changes immediately and investigate why they’re happening.
Monitor heat stress
smaXtec shows whether your herd’s water intake increases as expected during heat stress and shows how well your heat abatement strategies are working.
Protect milk yield
Sufficient water supports milk production. smaXtec helps you ensure each animal has consistent, adequate water intake to maximize herd performance.
Evaluate actions
Use reliable data to assess whether adjustments to water troughs, feeding, the barn climate or workflows are having the desired effect.
Insights that pay off
“The amount of water consumed is closely linked to feed intake and metabolic health. That is what makes smaXtec so valuable for early detection.”
DVM Kerstin Duncker Veterinarian at smaXtec
“You can see that drinking behaviour changes as soon as the water troughs are clean. That’s why we now clean them more often.”
Wim Kwanten Belgium, 400 cows
“It’s surprising how much they drink and then over the winter on a cold day, how little they drink. We also used the water intake data for picking up issues with water troughs. ”
Michael Copland New Zealand, 750 cows
Discover the complete smaXtec system.
Hidden potential
Hidden potential -Understand water intake, feed intake and milk yield, identify possible causes, and discover untapped potential.
Improved health
Improved health -Detect diseases early and proactively strengthen the health of your herd.
How smaXtec works
How smaXtec works -From bolus technology to expert support: learn how the different elements of smaXtec work together.
Optimise feeding
Optimise feeding -Understand rations more clearly, identify feeding problems, and optimise your herd’s performance potential.
Frequently asked questions. Clearly answered.
Here you’ll find concise answers to the most common questions about smaXtec.