Eamonn Mooney

“It’s like having a labour unit standing in the field 24/7, keeping an eye on your cows.”

Eamonn Mooney operates a dairy farm in North Kilkenny with his son, where he milks around 150 cows, producing approximately 6,500 litres of milk. His herd primarily consists of British Friesian and Holstein Cross breeds. Four years ago, he implemented the smaXtec health management system on his farm, primarily to enhance heat detection and improve calving rates.

Detecting diseases thanks to temperature alerts

According to Eamonn Mooney, “one of the key benefits of the smaXtec system is its temperature notifications. In cases of mastitis and E. coli, the system immediately shows you an alert for a possible infection on the graph. That would not really work winging it.”

Reflecting on a particularly challenging spring, he states, “Between February and March, we had to bring the cows back indoors from the pasture several times due to not ideal conditions. Unfortunately, we ended up with two or three potential cases of E. coli mastitis. Two of the affected cows had smaXtec boluses, but one did not.” With the smaXtec health management system Eamonn Mooney was able to identify and address the disease before it fully developed. Not so with the cow without the bolus: “The cow without the bolus had to be dried off, and sadly, we couldn’t save her from the disease. After two or three days of treatment, we were able to save the quarters and she returned to normal milking.”

Improved calving intervals

Eamonn Mooney has successfully used the smaXtec health management system to shorten the calving interval on his farm. He illustrates, “Compared to last year, we’ve reduced it to 99 weeks, with approximately 85% of the cows calving within the first four to five weeks.”

The farmer also highlights the system’s calving alerts as a major advantage, especially during the busy spring months: “We are no longer running around the shed looking through 150 cows to find the ones about to calve. Instead, you just check your phone and the list of the next ones to calve is right in front of you – and it’s accurate 90 to 95% of the time.”

Tailored support and individual advice

For Eamonn Mooney, the close, personal consultation provided by the smaXtec team is very important in his daily work on the farm. “After the installation, you’re connected with a team of three or four technicians. If you have any questions, you can simply reach out and receive a response within a couple of hours”, he points out. This comprehensive customer support ensures that the farmers are not left alone with the system – quite the opposite is the case: Quick help is available for any issues or questions that may arise.

“You can still keep an eye on your cows remotely.”

“With smaXtec it’s like having a labour unit standing in the field 24/7, keeping an eye on your cows,” Eamonn Mooney describes the operational benefits of the health management system evident in his daily farm routines. “Even if you go to a match or you are away for a night or two, you can still keep an eye on your cows remotely. If a cow has a high temperature or needs attention, you can easily inform the milker. The system gives you peace of mind, knowing that your cows are still looked after at home, even when you’re not there.”