Separate myth from fact about internal health management technology
In dairy farming, the difference between a good year and a difficult one often comes down to how soon you can identify and address a potential problem before it becomes reality. Internal health management technology such as the smaXtec bolus is gaining the interest of U.S. dairy farmers because it can alert herd managers to changes within the cow days before they can be seen or measured externally.
Is herd health your top priority?
The smaXtec system functions from a bolus placed in a cow’s reticulum, where it continuously measures data and delivers health alerts based on your protocols for internal body temperature, water intake and drinking cycles, rumination, activity and, optionally, pH.
“The ability to continuously monitor internal body temperature and other parameters is game-changing for producers who prioritize herd health as the foundation of long-term dairy profitability,” says Wayne Worden, smaXtec customer success team lead for the Eastern U.S. “Early identification of subclinical responses empowers proactive management and disease prevention rather than responsive treatment that wastes time and money.”
In addition to health management, internal body temperature measurement can save time and improve outcomes by accurately predicting calving times.
Wayne Worden, customer consultant at smaXtecContinuous measurement of internal body temperature before calving allows herd managers to save time and resources by focusing on cows that need attention. In addition to working more efficiently, this technology supports improved reproductive performance.
Common myths about internal health management technology
Like with any technology, myths and misinformation have cropped up around internal health management for dairy cows. Here are some basic facts you can use as you evaluate herd management systems.
Myth: We already identify subclinical issues early, and technology can’t replace good herdsmanship.
Wayne Worden, customer consultant at smaXtecIt’s true that technology can’t ‘replace’ good herdsmanship. Experienced farmers have the best insights to make decisions about cow care. Internal herd health management technology can provide continuous information good herd managers can use to address problems before they cost money or milk production – including signals that happen overnight or are so short they might otherwise be missed
Myth: Only large farms benefit from internal monitoring technology.
"Every undetected heat cycle is a missed breeding opportunity and a delay in a cow’s lifetime productivity. Every health challenge caught late means more treatment costs and more intense labor. Those misses chip away at profitability on operations of any size," says Worden.
Myth: My team and I aren’t tech savvy enough for this kind of technology.
Wayne Worden, customer consultant at smaXtecYour team only needs to respond to alerts, not analyze the raw data used to identify potential challenges. The right person gets notified at the right time to care for the cow that needs it. Later, if you want, you can review the data with your nutritionist or dairy management advisor to identify trends or strengthen your management protocols.
Myth: Cows are resilient. They will usually self-cure.
"Yes, cows are resilient. So are people, who also self-cure many diseases, such as the common cold," says Worden. "But, the energy required to respond makes individuals feel drained and lethargic. Just like we don’t work to our best potential when we’re ill, cows don’t produce to their potential when they are fighting the onset of a disease. Each disease event continues to impact milk production throughout a lactation and potentially the next. Managing disease challenges proactively maintains milk production compared to letting an immune response happen."
If you strive for continuous improvement on your dairy operation, you prioritize facts over assumptions. Bolus-based internal health management technology can give you facts sooner than other types of monitoring technology and help you proactively identify sub-clinical challenges before symptoms become visible. Using this technology can help you support profitability by focusing labor on cows that need attention and by minimizing antibiotic use and treatment costs with proactive disease prevention.
Not convinced internal health management can help you improve your dairy operation? Neither was Michigan farmer Nathan Brearly. Read here how pleased he was to find room for improvement.
