A new data sensor from DeLaval promises to help dairy producers identify cows in heat, sick cows, and also pinpoint the location of every cow in the barn.

DeLaval Plus Behavior Analysis, with the help of artificial technology (A.I.), will give producers better decision-making capabilities, the company says.

“By responding to a cow quickly and with the right action, producers can drive the performance of their farm by increasing cow productivity and welfare,” says Joaquín Azocar, solution manager for DeLaval Farm Management Systems.

The tool works with new DeLaval BioSensor ear tags, which automatically communicate with nodes installed throughout the barn. The data is shared with DeLaval DeepBlue, an A.I.-based software that analyzes the information using sophisticated models of cow behaviour. The system provides heat detection, rumination, and eating behaviour calculations and returns this information to farmers in the form of actionable intelligence so they can make better, faster and more accurate decisions, DeLaval says.

Ontario dairy farmer Jaclyn Riddell has been using DeLaval Plus Behavior Analysis to help manage her family’s 90 milking cows. “If the cow is not feeling well, the graph on the computer will tell us before we can see it,” she says. Her husband, Travis, notes that the A.I. component takes herd management to the next level. “It’s looking behind the scenes and can find things quicker than we can,” he says.

The tool is available with or without cow localization and can suit multiple barn layouts and reporting requirements.