AI and cow health
Labor shortages are squeezing dairy operations of every size. Preventing health challenges before they become time-consuming health emergencies is a practical way to minimize labor costs while keeping cows comfortable and productive.
Using technology to manage herd health and adopting artificial intelligence to help with herd management decisions are efficient ways to save time and re-allocate labor. Technology doesn’t replace people, but it can help people save time by focusing only on cows that need attention.
No matter the system, the results will only be as good as the information it’s built on, says Charlie Sheppy, CEO of smaXtec.
“Artificial intelligence becomes valuable in dairy farming when it improves the timing and quality of decisions,” says Sheppy. “With reliable health data and relevant information delivered at the right time, farms can identify relevant changes earlier, focus attention where it matters most and create better outcomes for animals, teams and the business.”
An ideal first step in the successful use of artificial intelligence for good on-farm decision-making is to measure and record internal body temperature. Internal body temperature is a highly accurate predictor of animal health, so it creates a strong foundation for an artificial intelligence model.
For example, the smaXtec system is designed to support earlier detection of conditions such as mastitis and milk fever, helping farmers intervene before clinical symptoms become visible. Field studies show that the smaXtec system detected 93% of mastitis cases before symptoms were visible. Earlier detection of health issues can influence treatment costs, labor efficiency, milk yield stability and long-term herd performance.
“Using high-quality data, artificial intelligence models can identify patterns and create alerts and recommendations based on individual farm protocols so dairy teams can work more effectively, saving time and minimizing input costs,” says Sheppy.
Today’s dairy business is more specialized and complex than in past decades. Decisions around animal health, reproduction, feeding and labor increasingly need to be made earlier to reduce losses and improve performance. At the same time, producers are facing mounting pressure to improve efficiency, maintain animal health standards and operate in a volatile cost environment.
This complexity is the reason the foundational data used to generate results through artificial intelligence are as important as the features of the system. In addition to quality of data, the size of the database adds reliability and consistency to the recommendations made by artificial intelligence systems.
“The smaXtec system draws on one of the world's largest continuously measured biological datasets in dairy farming,” says Sheppy. “The company was a pioneer in the field of continuous health monitoring based on data measured directly from inside the cow.”
That difference delivers real results, says dairy farmer Amber Horn-Leiterman, who milks 2,100 cows in Wisconsin. Horn-Leiterman has measured a 37.5% reduction in culling rate, and her operation saved more than $500,000 in replacement costs in 2023, demonstrating the value of proactive health management.
Data quality and practical adoption are the difference between technology that supports a business and one that only adds a layer of software.
“In milk production, that value starts with the cow, the data and the people responsible for making the right decisions at the right time,” says Sheppy. “Artificial intelligence will gain value and effectiveness across the industry as more operations adopt the tool and work with their supplier partners to continuously improve input data to achieve greater results.”
