Relying on Monitoring Tech: “Why Didn’t I Do This Earlier?”

All About Comfort

Trevor milks 210 cows and has been using CowManager since 2022.

“The main reason is I don’t like the idea of putting things around a cow’s neck. And I find that ear tags are easier to put in and out,” Trevor says.

For him, it’s all about keeping things simple and comfortable for the cows — and for himself.

“It’s just more ease of management. We like using it and we will continue to use it. And it wasn’t too expensive, I don’t think. I’m 51 now. As we get older, why not make it a little bit easier for yourself?”

Before buying, he asked around. “I got some feedback from other people who use it (CowManager), and it was exactly the same. Once you put it in, you will never regret it. You think, ‘why didn’t I do this earlier?’”

First Thing in the Morning

Trevor says CowManager is now part of his daily routine.

“I check the system first thing in the morning. What cows are cycling, if there’s any health issues. Whether we need to check a cow for mastitis, which is normally the first instance. It tells you exactly what a cow is doing.”

And here’s the real bonus: you don’t even have to be at the farm to be able to keep an eye on the herd.

“If one of us happens to go away, you can still monitor everything, from wherever you happen to be. Whether it’s overseas, or in Australia. We went on a trip to New Zealand, and we could still tell what was going on back on the farm, which was quite nice.”

For Trevor, that’s been huge. “It’s been a game-changer for me.”

No More Tail Painting

One of the big wins for Trevor has been in reproductive management.

“With CowManager, it was a lot easier to pick up empty cows. Any cows that were still cycling when they shouldn’t have been, they should’ve been all in calf.”

He’s also been able to ditch some of the more time-consuming old-school methods.

“I used to tail paint. And that means touching cows up three times a week with paint – I no longer have to do that, which is good. And I always used to jump up and check each individual cow for heat. Whereas now, I just look at the app.”

The app’s Fertility accuracy has even changed how he uses sexed semen.

“CowManager gives you that optimal time of using sexed semen, and I’ve used that a lot. I always used to AI in the morning only, and now – because of that – I AI morning and night, because I can do it myself.”

Trevor has CowManager linked with Easy Dairy.

“We use the system with Easy Dairy, so there’s a touch screen at the front of the pit, which is all linked to CowManager, as well as our phones. Now I can auto draft or just punch them up into the computer and draft them that way.”
This means less running around and more time doing the important stuff.

A Lifesaver

One of the most valuable features for Trevor is CowManager’s health alerts.

“If there is a cow that’s not doing so well, an alert will come up on my phone, and I find that really, really good. When the health alert comes up, one of the things I always do check is what is the temperature doing? Has she got a stomach-ache, or has she got something else wrong with her?”

And when it comes to mastitis, CowManager’s speed is a lifesaver. “It’s definitely saved us. It picks up mastitis a whole lot earlier.”

Trevor’s pretty clear on where he stands: “Once you put it in, you will never regret it.”

Cow monitoring technology like CowManager isn’t just about making farming easier. It’s about keeping your herd healthier, catching problems before they cost you, and freeing up your time. And in Trevor’s case, it’s also about being able to go on family trips while being able to still keep an eye on the cows. For him, the only regret is not getting the system sooner.

Dairy News Australia

This article was previously published by Dairy News Australia.