James & Richard Barr

“It’s been a real game-changer for both herd management and work-life balance.”

The day-to-day work of the brothers James and Richard Barr on their dairy farm in Ballymoney, Northern Ireland, has fundamentally changed since installing the smaXtec system: “Since using smaXtec, our daily work has become a lot easier and less stressful. First thing in the morning, we just check the smaXtec app, and it tells us exactly which cows need attention – whether it’s health, heat, or calving. No more guessing or walking through the shed hoping to spot something.” The two brothers have been using smaXtec since 2023, and the system has not only transformed their working life, but also their entire herd management.

Proactive treatment

A change in body temperature is the first sign of the most common diseases in dairy cows, and smaXtec’s continuous monitoring of internal body temperature with an accuracy of ±0.01 °C gives the farmers a head start: “The system allows us to detect issues like fever, reduced rumination, or metabolic disorders before clinical signs appear. This has helped us act faster, treat earlier, and reduce both the severity of sickness and recovery time for sick cows.”

For James and Richard Barr, it was precisely this early detection that was the main reason for choosing the health management system: “The main reason is the early detection of health issues – it helps me act before a cow shows visible symptoms, which prevents serious illness, reduces treatment costs, and keeps production stable.” They add: “We have fewer antibiotic treatments because we’re catching problems earlier and avoiding complications, and we have improved fresh cow performance, as we can monitor their recovery post-calving very closely.”

Optimal insemination window

In addition to health monitoring, they are particularly impressed by the system’s reliable heat detection. Thanks to smaXtec’s precise analysis of the behaviour of the cows, the farmers even receive an insemination window in which the chances of a successful insemination are particularly high. The brothers explain: “With smaXtec, we now get highly accurate heat alerts based on activity and temperature shifts. This has drastically improved our conception rates, reduced the number of open days, and allowed us to tighten our calving interval. It’s made breeding much more efficient and less stressful for both the cows and us.”

Smoother calving with smaXtec

“We get timely notifications that a cow is close to calving, which means we’re not constantly doing night checks ‘just in case’,” say James and Richard Barr. Around 15 hours before calving, smaXtec sends a calving notification, giving the farmers enough time to calmly prepare everything: “This has made our working day much smoother. It’s been a real game-changer for both herd management and work-life balance.”

“It’s like having an extra pair of eyes”

The highly precise data enable the farmers to coordinate their daily work more effectively and take herd management to the next level: “Overall, smaXtec just makes the day run more smoothly. We’ve more confidence in the decisions we’re making, and we feel like we’re more in control of the herd.”

Why James and Richard Barr would definitely recommend smaXtec to other farmers? “It helps you spot sick cows early, catch heats properly, and know exactly when calving’s coming. That saves time, money, and stress. It’s like having an extra pair of eyes on the herd 24/7, even when you’re not around. For any farmer wanting to work smarter and keep their cows healthier, it’s well worth it.”