Test Cases

Feeding robot/ Heat detector/ Calving detectors for cows in continental region

Leader
IDELE

Country
France

Sector
Meat

Biogeographical region
Continental

Range of digital technologies
Farm Management Information Systems (FMIS) and applications (inc. DSS), Recording or Mapping technologies

Target stakeholders
Farmers with herd size equal to 100.

Short description
In this TC a heat box collar, that is a collar that is worn by a stock or a teaser / vasectomised cowl. It will be attached to all cows and heifers and then using cow/bull proximity, mounting behaviour and bull activity levels will determine to an extremely high level of accuracy when a cow or a heifer is in heat. This stick will detect the exact time cows or heifers are in heat, whether a cow or a heifer repeats, assume the dates, and predict when a cow or heifer is pregnant, as well as the cow fertility over time.

Major goals
The goal of this TC is to monitor cow activity by identifying neck movements, such as sniffing and chin resting that indicate if a cow is in heat. With this real-time data, cows in heat can be properly identified, allowing for improved insemination results, higher pregnancy rates, shorter calving intervals and reduced insemination costs – all with lower labour inputs.