Walton Farm Cows
Functionality
Weighing cows with the Dairy Scale (click to enlarge)
DTS cellular vat monitor (click to enlarge)
At the Walton Farm a number of data gathering and recording technologies have been integrated to automatically identify animals, collect data, and process it into instantly accessible information. Each cow bears an ear tag containing a RFID (radio frequency identification) chip, which allows animals to be identified automatically by chip readers. Information gathered about an animal can be labelled with the animal's code and stored in a central computer.
Liveweight is a key piece of information needed to effectively manage livestock.
Agritech company Gallagher have installed its automatic DairyScale system on the farm. Positioned at the exit of the milking shed, the scales seamlessly integrate animal weighing into the milking process. Weighing cows helps monitor animal health and production. Potentially, by calculating average herd weight, the system would allow the Bennetts to adjust feed regimes to match grass growth with nutritional demand.
In the near future, electronic meters will record milk production from individual cows - an essential component of any breeding/genetic improvement program. At present, daily milk production from the herd is calculated and posted on the FencePost website.
These high tech improvements are helpful by themselves but if they are integrated they work synergistically, creating even greater efficiencies. By integrating the DairyScale system with Protrack animal identification and management package, animal weight can be used to monitor animal health. Animals that have lost significant weight over a designated period can be readily identified and drafted-off automatically. Identifying sick animals this way, allows for timely treatment and a speedy return to full production. Correlating individual animal weights with their milk production allows farmers to select cows that produce the most milk for their weight, and cull less productive cattle.
