William Condon

William Condon manages a herd of 80 cows, mostly Friesian crosses, grazing in the lush pastures of Tipperary. He first implemented the system around three years ago to enhance breeding, and since then, he has successfully completed several artificial insemination (AI) seasons. “For me, the breeding season no longer feels like a demanding season of work. I now simply wake up in the morning, make a cup of coffee, and check my phone to see which cows I need to serve – and that’s it,“ he states.

“It feels like having a labour unit available 24/7“

Now in his third AI season, the system has become indispensable particularly for its calving alerts during springtime. They have led to a significant reduction in his workload: “The calving alerts are unbelievable. As long as I accurately track the expected calving dates in the system, I haven’t had to touch a single cow myself in years.“

William Condon describes the system as feeling “like having a labour unit available 24/7.“ He explains: “When the cows are about to calve, I can check on them using smaXtec to see their condition. I no longer need to walk through the pens in the morning or monitor the cameras in the shed just to ensure that nothing unexpected is happening. With smaXtec, I have complete confidence that when I arrive at the shed, I will know which animal is going to calve.“

Preventing diseases through temperature alerts

The general health of his herd as well as the cell count, has significantly improved with smaXtec. Thanks to the system, William Condon can react early to health issues, reduce antibiotic use and enable his cows to build stronger resistance to diseases.

He shares his experience: “When I receive a temperature alert for a cow, I know it’s important, even though I might not see any symptoms. To help her, I give her a non-withdrawal anti-inflammatory. This helps reduce her temperature and inflammation, allowing her to manage the mastitis on her own. In future instances of mastitis, I probably won’t receive these temperature alerts because she will have developed a better ability to cope with it.“

Relief in everyday farm life

William Condon highlights how the app is truly brilliant, making both work and life on the farm much easier: “Every animal here, whether it is in for calving or not, is monitored through the smaXtec app. I receive alerts, and if a cow catches my eye in the shed, I can simply open her profile on my phone and view the alerts.“ This not only simplifies his daily tasks but also allows him to stay connected to his farm no matter where he is.

Additionally, the notifications are particularly crucial during the busy spring months: “I need to be present during the peak breeding season in May, when I might have five to seven cows coming into heat daily. With smaXtec, I can easily manage that. If I need someone to milk the cows for me, I can check my phone at 5 AM and, with complete confidence, instruct them on which cows to turn out.“

Knowledge transfer and sharing experience

“Most guys I know who use smaXtec are always happy to chat for half an hour or longer, exchanging insights and experiences with others using the system, whether they are friends or neighbours,“ William Condon tells about his interactions with other customers. This shows the strong community among smaXtec users, where sharing knowledge is key. To foster this, smaXtec encourages farmers through the smaXtec Academy, offering trainings that cover topics such as dairy cow diseases and modern health management technologies.

In conclusion, William Condon sums it up well: “Everything is there for you, as long as you are willing to learn. The longer you have smaXtec in place, the more confident you become with it. It does take some time to get used to, but with each passing year, I find myself even more impressed with smaXtec.“