Wayne & Sarah Neilson

Sarah and Wayne Neilson, dairy farmers from South Taranaki, are milking 340 cows. Their Waverley farm, located on the west coast of the North Island, includes a 100-hectare effective milking block and a 700-hectare dry stock block.

With smaXtec, they’ve implemented a new system to manage their cows’ health, making the farm more efficient and productive. Wayne Neilson shares, “We first heard about smaXtec through a feed company rep who asked, ‘Have you looked into boluses?’ We had no idea what they were. One phone call to a local farmer already using the system, and we were hooked. From that moment, we didn’t want to consider any other wearables – the difference was just amazing, especially with temperature monitoring. For us, health was the key driver.”

“Prevention rather than the cure”

“It’s really been about prevention rather than cure, which is exactly what we were looking for,” says Sarah Neilson. “We’d had some issues with high-production cows leading to subclinical metabolic issues and temperature fluctuations. With smaXtec, we’ve been able to identify and treat issues such as milk fever, ketosis and acidosis quickly. Early mastitis intervention has been invaluable. We approximate that we identify subclinical cows around five days earlier using smaXtec temperature alerts when they potentially would have been clinical cases prior to boluses. It’s been very preemptive.”

Even the vet is impressed: “When we had a case of twisted bowel, we caught it early. It had just started when we were able to get the vet to remedy it. He had the thermometer in the cow and said, ‘I will never have to deal with that ever again – this is such reliable data.’ That really impressed us.” Wayne Neilson adds, “The vet now looks at the information on the computer before examining the cow. Previously, he always went straight to the cow, but now, he checks the data first because the health information is always spot-on.”

Mating success: Boosting conception rates & genetics

There have also been significant improvements in mating: “It’s been amazing to have precise windows for insemination, so we’ve gone to twice a day insemination. In-calf and conception rates improved by 4% each year since we’ve had it. We’re now down to 10% empty, which is very good for this farm.”

According to Sarah Neilson, it’s also about accurate heat detection: “We’ve gone from having 57% of normal heats identified to now correctly identifying 74%. So effectively, heat detection accuracy has improved by 17%, including girls that have had silent heats that we may have missed previously. That’s been exceptional. We’ve gained more control over the use of sexed semen and we are using it to improve our top genetics. We have optimal timings for sexed semen use and have been able to identify conception windows for the cows.”

Ensuring healthy transitions during pre-mating

Monitoring body condition during pre-mating is key. Sarah Neilson shares, “We use smaXtec to track how transition groups adapt from pregnancy to calving. In the colostrum group, we ensure they return to pre-calving rumination levels and that there are no suppressed appetite issues. We also check their glucose levels and watch for signs of post-calving infections. If their temperature is normal and their milk is clear, we know they’re on track.”

This approach leads to better recovery, says Sarah Neilson: “We don’t rush them straight from calving to milking mobs without clear data to ensure healthy progression. With smaXtec, we can determine when they’re ready for the milking herd, ensuring a smoother transition to mating.”

Beating heat stress: Optimising water intake for herd health

Another big benefit is that they can track their cows’ water intake and drinking cycles, which is especially crucial during the summer months. Sarah Neilson states, “The variation in water intake is incredible. Some cows drink 115 litres, while others only consume 60 litres – the difference is huge. This highlights the need to have enough water readily available, particularly during heat stress. With smaXtec, we can track the entire herd’s data and break it down into subgroups. For example, we monitor our heifers separately, checking rumination levels, feeding patterns, and using that data alongside their weights.”

“Progressive partner along our dairy journey”

With smaXtec, Wayne and Sarah Neilson have also improved staff health treatment protocols, utilising the smaXtec decision tree so everyone is on the same page: “Twice a day, our staff check the data, identify cows, draft them, perform rapid tests, and is able to follow the decision tree to determine the next steps.” It has made their daily operations much easier. “One key benefit we’ve found with smaXtec is the ability to leave the farm while the cows are monitored 24/7 remotely. It works all year round amazingly. We don’t just turn it on for mating; we even have a base station at the dairy support farm, so that information is continuously used, whether it’s monitoring transition cows over the dry period or bolusing our yearling heifers to monitor their health and utilise information for mating.”

Finally, the two of them say, “What has impressed us most is the on-the-ground support we’ve received from the smaXtec team. We’ve also been amazed at how they take feedback on the app and desktop, provide proactive support, and implement changes. There aren’t many progressive companies like this that we encounter along our dairy journey.”