Get smart to check cow health

Dairy farmer Henry Bevan from Queensland said the system gave him peace of mind, as well as better results.

“For me personally, I don’t have to worry any more about catching heats or cows getting sick,” Bevan said.

“I get an alert on my mobile wherever I am, and I can attend to it immediately.”

CowManager’s ear tags track key health indicators, allowing farmers to identify potential issues before they escalate.

This is particularly useful during the transition period, when cows are most susceptible to conditions like ketosis, mastitis and metabolic disorders.

By detecting health problems early, farmers can take preventive action, reducing the need for costly treatments and improving overall herd health.

The system also excels at heat detection, helping farmers identify optimal breeding windows. This leads to better conception rates and more efficient breeding programs, ultimately improving farm productivity.

“We got an extra 14 cows in calf with CowManager, which at $2000 each adds up to $28,000,” dairy fitter Isaac Korpershoek from Tasmania said.

“We can trust the system. Tail paint or scratchies we could never trust completely.”

With CowManager, farmers gain access to continuous data on each cow’s behaviour and health.

Monitoring movement patterns, rumination rates, ear temperature and other key metrics helps farmers spot early signs of distress, ensuring they can take action before problems develop.

This proactive approach supports smarter decisions around feed, care and veterinary interventions.

Gippsland dairy farmer Scott Browne said the cost of things like CowManager “always threw me a little”.

“But there’s no comparison from no system to what we’re using now; it’s like chalk and cheese,” he said.

“Once you get it all set up and going you think ‘why didn’t I do this earlier?’.”

– From CowManager.