Paul Grace & Julie

“smaXtec has given me another level of understanding and it has definitely led to a healthier herd.”

Paul Grace and Julie were looking for a solution to make everyday farming easier and more efficient. However, traditional methods simply weren’t paying off anymore. “We looked at collars, we were doing tail-painting and all that, and just found that it was very time-consuming.” A friend then offered the insight that changed everything: “smaXtec is like having a vet attached to each cow.”

One of the main reasons Paul Grace and Julie rely on smaXtec is the accuracy and depth of information. “We often have vets that come in here and they are astonished by the amount of information we already know about the animals.” Paul remembers the contrast vividly: “Years ago I’d ring the vet and I’d say, well, I don’t know. That’s why I’m ringing you. Now I say the cow’s rumination is down, the internal body temperature’s up and I suspect she actually has ketosis.”

Heat detection that saves time

Breeding season used to be exhausting, but with smaXtec, it has become routine. “Basically, for me, literally every morning the smaXtec app is the first thing I open. There is a notification on it of who is in heat and at what stage they’re in heat. smaXtec tells us the optimum time for conventional semen and optimum time for sexed semen.” And most importantly: “There’s less thinking involved. You just check the phone to see which cows are ready to be AI’ed and away you go.”

Reliable calving alerts for peace of mind

Calving management was another major reason for the farmers for choosing smaXtec. “Once we get a notification the cow’s coming out, she’s calved within 36 hours.” According to them, smaXtec often outperforms human judgement: “Often we are thinking, there is absolutely no way that cow is not going to calve. And there is a calf the next morning.”

The smaXtec digital assistant supports everyday farm management

Paul Grace’s favourite new feature is the digital assistant. For Julie, the value is more personal: “I know every cow in the place. smaXtec has given me another level of understanding and it has definitely led to a healthier herd.”