Precision Dairy – From Monitoring to Insights

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The 4th International Precision Dairy Farming Conference was held in Christchurch this December, bringing together almost 400 researchers, farmers and tech developers from 22 countries. The clear message? We’re moving beyond simply monitoring cows toward systems that combine multiple data sources, use AI, and deliver practical advice. The concept of ‘digital twins’ – virtual farm models that simulate decisions before you make them – featured prominently. Here are some technologies making waves right now.

Automated Calf Feeders

Early calf nutrition has lifetime production consequences – but intensive milk feeding is labour-heavy. Automated feeders let you push growth rates without the workload, and the data they generate is proving just as valuable as the milk they deliver:

  • Individual calf ID with customised milk allocation

  • Automated step-down weaning programs

  • Health insights from drinking speed, visit frequency and intake patterns

Calf Health Monitoring

What if you could treat sick calves before they looked sick? Wearable tags combined with feeder data are now detecting illness before clinical signs appear:

  • Scours flagged 24 hours early through changes in drinking speed and intake

  • Detecting early rumination to help with weaning decisions (when are the calves eating grass??)

  • SenseHub calf tags for rumination and health monitoring are available in NZ now.

FLOW – The AI Backing Gate

Inconsistent backing gate use is a hidden cost on most farms – stressed cows, longer milkings, and more lameness. With changing staff and growing herds, the problem is getting worse. Christchurch company Livestock Visibility Solutions has built an AI system that standardises gate movement using cameras – in a trial use showed:

  • 18.5% reduction in milking times across 9 farms

  • 15-20% reduction in lameness

  • $47,500 average annual savings (labour, lameness, power)

Camera-Based Monitoring

A single BCS tells you where a cow is – daily scoring tells you where she’s heading. Cameras that automatically score BCS have been around for a few years now, but are markedly improving (see the NZ company Herd-i as an example). Teamed with the ability to detect locomotion changes, we can now follow daily trends in BCS and lameness:

  • Track BCS changes over time – not just snapshots, allowing early action on nutrition

  • Act on individual cow trends (rather than just mob level data) – preferentially feed cows, matched to in-shed feeding technology

  • Treat lame cows earlier - improving cure rates and reducing milk / repro losses

Satellite & Smartphone

Pasture Tools

We all know regular pasture measurement pays – but compliance with actually doing this is relatively low across the industry. Satellite technology’s are improving at pace (no longer plagued by inconsistent readings!), but can be improved markedly by the addition of on-ground readings i.e with manual reading adjustments or photos. AIMER and Halter (both NZ companies) have grass measurement + AI assisted feed wedge analysis tools on the market now to offer not just cover prediction, but also insights on feed planning.

What’s Next?

The common thread is integration. The future isn’t more gadgets – it’s smarter systems turning data into actionable advice.