Can cows talk to farmers? Not exactly… But thanks to some new technology being used in the dairy industry cows are telling us quite a bit of information. Monitoring collars and ear tags are being used to improve management on dairy farms. The collars and ear tags collect information from the cows (activity, movement, etc) and use it to tell the farmers some important management information.

Cows can “tell” the farmers information such as; when it is time to be bred, if they are eating normally, if they are sick, etc. This information can be used to maximize the efficiency of employees on the farm. One farm estimates that monitoring technology has saved them about $40,000 per year in labor alone. Not only does it save the farm money, it also helps the cows. The monitoring system is capable of alerting the farmer to a sick cow before she actually looks sick. Early diagnosis of a problem means the farmer has a better chance of helping the cow fully recover. The dairy industry has embraced multiple technologies that help them save money and take care of their land and animals.

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