Use of a proactive herd management system in a dairy farm of northern italy: technical and economic results

Abstract

Reproductive and economic data were recorded before and one year after the installation of Herd Navigator™ in a dairy farm with AMS (Automatic Milking System) located in a mountain area of Northern Italy. Number of days open reduced from 166 to 103 days, number of days between the first and second insemination decreased from 45 to 28 days, and days for identifying an abortion were 80 % less, from 31 to 6 days. The preliminary results highlight the usefulness of the proactive herd management system installed for the reproduction management. A basic economic model is proposed to evaluate the potential economic benefits coming from the introduction of this technology. The model considers the benefits deriving from the reduction of reproduction problems and, consequently, of days open. Considering the effects related to the above mentioned aspects in a case study involving 60 dairy cows, a return on investment over 5 years has been calculated.

Recent Advancement in Biosensors Technology for Animal and Livestock Health Management

“…Oestrus detection rates of 95-97% have been reported in the farms in Denmark, with significantly higher pregnancy rates (up to 42-50%) than the conventional techniques (Blom and Ridder, 2010; Vreeburg, 2010b). There are also reports indicating cost savings of €250 and €350/cow per year, as farmers do not have to spend money on expensive pregnancy tests (Mazeris, 2010; Leonardi et al, 2013).…”