Farmers are being urged to utilise bolus technology during one of the most important stages in a dairy cow’s production cycle, the transition period.
Supporting cows more effectively from drying off through to the first days in milk can unlock significant health, labour and performance gains, says SmaXtec, which produces a bolus-based health management system,
By using continuous internal monitoring technology, farmers can highlight disease concerns earlier, intervene sooner and streamline herd management, says SmaxTec customer success team leader Loretta Holder.
Bigger benefits
For block-calving herds, she says the benefits are magnified. Calving alerts and health notifications reduce the need for constant visual observation, easing pressure during peak workload periods and enabling calving space to be used more efficiently.
“The cow is going through huge physiological changes, there are feeding adjustments, group moves and management tasks all happening at once. It is a high-stress time for the cow and a very busy period for the farm team.”
SmaXtec’s rumen bolus technology continuously monitors internal body temperature and rumination. This enables farmers to detect subclinical issues before outward signs appear, says the company.
Changes in rumination can flag reduced or variable feed intake, which in turn may signal the early stages of metabolic disorders. Conditions such as ketosis and milk fever are often associated with freshly calved cows, says Ms Holder.
“Quite often, those metabolic instabilities begin before calving,” she explains. “By identifying temperature changes and rumination drops early, farmers can step in with nutritional or management support before the problem escalates.”
After calving, close monitoring of rumination and temperature can help cows return to normal quickly. Early detection of retained placentas, metritis, mastitis or subclinical milk fever reduces the risk of long-term impacts on fertility and peak yield.
“This technology is not a replacement for good stockmanship, it is a tool to help make the best use of skilled labour. Instead of checking every fresh cow as routine, farmers can concentrate on the individuals that data shows need support.”