Gone are the days of low-tech livestock operations. From parlor monitoring systems to detection of hidden mastitis in your herd, companies are introducing technology that improves not only herd health but also your bottom line.
SCR Heatime Pro System
Power up your cow-monitoring capabilities with SCR Heatime Pro System (shown above). The PC-based system for real-time heat detection and health monitoring eliminates the guesswork and inconsistency of evaluating reproductive health, nutrition, and well-being of every cow.
Gain advanced cow-monitoring capabilities for data-driven decision-making by visiting scrdairy.com.
MilkMaven
Combining advanced hardware and software, MilkMaven uses sensors to continuously check pulsator health, milk, wash, glycol temperature, and the vacuum pump. If MilkMaven detects any issues, a notification is sent to a computer or mobile device with a Web browser, offering suggestions on the possible source of the problem. The cloud-based application, which is a division of FarmMaven, also lets you perform diagnostics of the milking phase ratios with the click of a button.
Cost is dependent upon size of parlor. Visit milkmaven.com for more details.
RT10 SCC
With the RT10 SCC and iPhone app, you can easily identify high SCC or subclinical mastitis cows and make better decisions to lower your overall SCC.
Using patent-pending technology and an iPhone, accurate SCC readings can be determined in seconds – without the expense and time of sending samples off to the lab.
The device not only provides a cow’s SCC but also indicates the type of bacteria most likely to have caused the high SCC, which can help in determining proper treatment.
This tool allows you to export data into a spreadsheet or email a file to share with trusted advisers.
Cost for the RT10 device is around $2,300. The app can be downloaded for free from the App store. For more information, visit calfstar.com.
QScout Farm Lab
Undetectable to the naked eye, sub-clinical mastitis is often missed. Yet, it diminishes milk production and threatens herd health. Annually, mastitis costs the U.S. dairy industry $2 billion, or about $200 per cow.
It’s time to challenge mastitis with a new breed of on-farm diagnostics: QScout Farm Lab (shown left). This portable diagnostic analyzer identifies and differentiates leukocytes (white blood cells) in milk. Each of the three blood cell types – macrophage, neutrophil, and lymphocyte – plays a role in fighting infection and each has a different function.
Understanding their roles and ratios allows for more accurate detection of subclinical mastitis.
Cost is about $15,000. Learn more at QScoutLab.com.
Source: Agriculture.com
