Without hard data, it’s challenging to truly evaluate ration changes with your nutritionist, review trends in rumination data with your veterinarian or plan management adjustments with confidence.

Instead of ignoring low rumination alerts, understanding what may be causing them is key before taking action. Establishing management practices to support individual animals and prevent rumination drops on herd and group levels can make a big difference.

In 2021, Hornstead Dairy took a step toward smarter data-driven care by implementing smaXtec, a health monitoring system initially aimed to improve their reproduction program. What started as a tool for reproduction soon uncovered a hidden culprit.

Although it has become commonplace in our standard daily routines, we don’t think about all the ways AI tools are and can be utilized on dairy operations. These powerful tools can not only simplify day-to-day tasks, but they can also help drive decision-making and profitability.

We often don’t realize that like the football team, the microbes in the rumen have their own “positions” and responsibilities. The success of the ruminant digestive system is dependent on each microbial team member performing its function.

If cows could just tell us when they get an upset tummy, maybe we could help them get through the episode without a hitch. Before we can discuss rumen dysfunction, we need to understand what normal rumen function looks like.

We are all well versed in understanding acidosis, but do we truly understand the cost of a leaky gut? What was once a topic of pH has now transitioned into the wider impacts of microbiology, endocrinology, physiology and immunology.