A new generation of pedometers launched by Fullwood offers farmers the ability to gather improved levels of cow activity and inactivity data, allowing them to improve herd health and boost milk yields while reducing production costs and limiting veterinary expenses.
The Crysta Act+ pedometer not only provides early warning of heat and potential health disorders, but can also provide early warning of the onset of calving.
By employing an accelerometer to measure rest or lying time, as well as the number of rest or lying periods, the new Crysta Act+ system builds a much more accurate picture of animal behaviour than traditional activity-triggered pedometers.
“A well-fed, healthy cow should spend a minimum of 12 to 14 hours lying down and ruminating each day,” Fullwood’s technical director, John Baines, said. “Crysta Act+ not only monitors activity levels through step counting, but also measures periods of cow inactivity.
“By detecting and monitoring activity levels including cow restlessness, Crysta Act+ can provide early warning of a number of key cow conditions including oestrus and the onset of calving, and can identify cows suffering discomfort due to poor cubicle design or lameness.”
Oestrus (heat) can be identified by increased standing time, while restlessness in dry, pregnant cows can indicate the onset of parturition. Cows suffering discomfort due to poor cubicle design can also be identified by unusual levels of restlessness, while increased lying time and an increased incidence in periods of rest can highlight lameness.
“With the average herd size in the UK continuing to grow, dairy farmers and herd managers need all the help they can get to monitor the performance of individual cows and the herd as a whole,” Mr Baines added. “Having early warning of these potential issues enables appropriate preventative measures to be taken to ensure increased milk yields, improved milk quality and reduced costs of production through lower veterinary bills. At the same time, more accurate data can also result in better herd health and higher standards of animal welfare.”
Research has shown that animals experiencing pain will often deviate from their normal behavioural patterns and alter their activity levels. This could be through decreased pedometric activity and increased lying times, which would indicate clinical lameness, or through increased standing time which could identify bulling cows.
“Fullwood’s Crysta Act+ system uses a highly sensitive accelerometer which provides a more accurate and complete set of data for each individual cow than any other pedometer currently available,” Mr Baines added.
“Modern dairy production is becoming ever more reliant on improved levels of cow management and this new technology is a simple and easy-to-use way of keeping a close eye on whole-herd and individual cow key performance indicators.”
For more information visit: www.fullwood.com.
