FAQs sensehub dairy
Your SenseHub® Dairy questions, answered here
We know it can be overwhelming when it comes to agri-tech and researching which solution is right for your farm. To make it easier we have collated a bunch of frequently asked questions (FAQs) to help answer your burning questions. But if we have missed anything and you need answers now, we would love to hear from you. Please reach out to one of our friendly SenseHub Dairy Sales Specialists.
About the system
The SenseHub Dairy automated modular product suite gives you the flexibility to build a system according to your current and future farming needs. With many additional and exciting new features and solutions under development, this will ensure your investment today leaves you ready for the future.
SenseHub Dairy is the control centre for monitoring and automation products, including monitoring collars or ear tags, MilkPlus sensors, SCC sensors, Intelligate and Protrack drafting gates. Please refer to below diagram.
This evolving SenseHub Dairy solution gives you insightful information at your fingertips empowering you to make more informed decisions, quickly.
Recent research confirmed that SenseHub Dairy is the most popular monitoring solution in NZ. We have over 750 New Zealand farms’ cows with our collars. Our customers have put us in this position because we have over 20 years’ history as market leaders, meaning we are trusted to know what we are doing and have a deep understanding of NZ farmer’s needs.
The Software
The most important requirement from you is to keep up with data entry: calvings, matings, pregnancy test results, and dry off events need to be entered into the SenseHub Dairy database as they occur. Animal entry and exit from the herd also needs to be kept up-to-date.
We have customers with all levels of technology proficiency. The system is easy to use, if you are able to use emails and do internet banking, then you’re likely to be able to learn how to use the system quickly. Our wonderful training team will help you get started and support you as needed.
Yes, if you have SenseHub Dairy, we can link your collar software to MINDA either through your Protrack 3G gate or using an API pathway for other types of draft gates (or no draft gate). The integration with MINDA removes much of the data entry requirements into SenseHub Dairy.
No, SenseHub Dairy is cloud-based. That means if you have access to the internet, you can stay connected to the farm from your mobile device from anywhere, at any time.
The Starter Plan application is Heat Detection only, and includes the below reports:
- Cows Ready for AI report including breeding windows, Heat Index scores to assist with selection of cows for high value straws
- Anoestrus Cows Report
- Irregular Heat Report
- Pregnancy Probability Report
Please note with the Starter plan you will not be able to customise these reports
- Reduce reliance on skilled labour
- Removes costs of consumables for heat detection
- Removes labour cost for tail-painting or applying heat patches
- Removes the cost of labour for observing heats
- Reduce labour for manual drafting (if getting an automatic drafting gate)
- Known insemination window allowing for more confident use of targeted AI ensuring that straws only go into cows on heat
- Improve your chances of picking up non-cyclers and silent heats
- Opportunity to increase in-calf rate, particularly 3-week
- Opportunity to reduce calving spread
- Opportunity to go all AI, eliminating the need to lease bulls and manage them without increasing workload on farm
- Heat Index Score including optimal breeding window
- Health Index Score out of 100
- Heat Stress Information Score
- Activity
- Eating minutes
- Distress Alert
- Rumination values at individual and group level
- Maintenance alerts and reports
- Group routine activity alert, to identify sudden significant changes in routine, eg. herd breaking out
- Group routine rumination, is useful to assess feeding and operation efficiency
- SCC (if you choose to purchase SenseHub SCC sensors for your shed)
- Milk production data (if you choose to purchase SenseHub SCC and MilkPlus Sensors for your shed)
- Identify non-cycling cows and cows that are cycling irregularly earlier than ever before
- Fresh Cow report, to monitor cows during transition after calving
- Health alerts for early intervention
- Distress alerts can indicate issues or extended calvings in real-time
- Many of our customers tell us they typically achieve a 1-2% reduction in death rates in the first 12 months
- Assistance with transition management from OAD to TAD following calving
- Customers report strong benefits in production through effective transition and recovery management
- Daily rumination data to assist with monitoring nutrition and feed efficiency before physical signs or production are impacted
- Behavioural data improves understanding of stress, feed efficiency and milking intensity
SenseHub Dairy Behaviour Monitoring
A measuring device sits in the blue tag on the left side of the cow’s collar or in the ear tag. It detects three-dimensional movement of the head and neck, as well as motion of the muscles near the oesophagus. Together, these patterns of movement classify the cow as performing one of several behaviours, such as grazing, ruminating, etc.
This information is stored in the tag for up to 24 hours. When the tag is within range of the readers (usually located on the dairy shed or other locations around the farm) the information will update every 20 minutes in your software. If there is internet at the shed, this means your app will be giving you up-to-date information in almost real-time.
Most farms start out with three or four readers on the shed roof, pointing down the exit races, and then can add additional farm coverage if required. For the majority of our farms the readers (antennas) on the dairy shed are all you need.
Patterns of each cow’s behaviour are continuously compared to her own 10-day baseline of behaviour and some generic expectations of cows at different stages of lactation. If significant changes are detected, the system will flag the cow as being on heat, sick, or in distress. The information is stored for the life of the cow plus 2 years. The historicial data can be accessed via reports and dashboards on the desktop or mobile version of the monitoring software.
The collar weighs less than 1 kg (0.2% of the weight of an average cow) and is designed for both safety and comfort. The yellow strip in the middle of the strap is designed for the buckle to tear through under high tension, meaning if a cow gets the collar stuck on something, she should be able to escape unharmed.
The weight at the bottom is covered in a plastic coating, so if it hits a metal feed bin or railing in the cow shed, the sound is dampened. Typically, cows get used to wearing the collars by the time they are back in the paddock after being collared. Then they don’t seem to notice the collar.
Yes, we do. However, the majority on NZ farmers opt for the collar monitoring tag for a variety of reasons. It’s completely up to you and we would recommend you discuss this with your local SenseHub Dairy Sales Specialists.
In most cases never, unless there is a significant change in the cow’s body condition then there may be an adjustment required.
Collar batteries last approximately 5 – 7 years. Plan pricing includes a warranty for the manufacturing defects in the collar and shed hardware for the length of your contract. Then an easy renewal process follows. Warranty only refers to SenseHub Dairy hardware and equipment*. Exclusions apply.
Our monitoring solutions are scalable to any operation. You receive timely behavioural insights that allow you to take action to improve reproduction, nutrition and quality of life for both you and your herd. We have a full range of herd sizes operating SenseHub Dairy in New Zealand, from 10 – 5,000.
Some SenseHub Dairy farmers are moving to full 9-12 weeks of AI, thus completely removing the need to have bulls on farm. However, others use the system for the first 6 -9 weeks, then put bulls out.
No, absolutely not. The system automatically looks for the behavioural changes in your cows that indicates a heat. Therefore, giving you the precise timing to inseminate in order to give your cow the best chance of conception.
Yes, SenseHub Dairy farmers are finding the biggest gains in their 3-week submission and 3 week in-calf rates due to accurate heat detection and insemination timing from optimal breeding window countdown.
Yes, SenseHub Dairy collars can assist with nutrition and feed management by monitoring rumination levels in real-time when herds are winter grazing on concentrated low fibre feeds such as fodder beet. Herds have to be monitored closely to avoid acidosis (rapid increase in acid in rumen). Alerting the farmer to rapid decreases in rumination levels can provide confidence in managing fodder beet feed grazing the software can be monitoring the herd 24/7. SenseHub Dairy farmers who feed fodder beet have saved animals who have broken out on crop and prevented ongoing issues with health and reproduction, by using the data to intervene, resulting in identification of sub-clinical acidosis in the herd.
Yes, SenseHub Dairy can assist you to identify and automate movement of animals in the post calving period, with the use of reports to quickly identify animals whose rumination rates indicate they are recovered enough to transition to the next mob (i.e once a day to twice a day) without her health and recovery declining in the following days. This proactive approach gives your animals the best chance of recovering in time to have a pre-mating heat, which will help to improve conception rates to first insemination and reduce animals returning to the sick mob in the first 30 days of lactation.
Yes, SenseHub Dairy monitoring can assist you with condensing your calving spread, by picking up silent or low heat cows which otherwise may have been missed as they wouldn’t show visual signs.
Yes, in fact SenseHub Dairy gives you an accurate breeding window to give the cow the best chance of conception if using conventional or frozen sexed semen. You just need to let your trainer know at least three weeks prior to your Planned Start of Mating (PSM).
The system does NOT diagnose. However, if you look at the graphs you can find useful information to guide you (and your veterinarian) through to identify how much her rumination or activity has dropped and when the change started, which may be a useful indicator for your decision making.
Farm set up
Our collars store data for 24 hours. So, as long as the cows come within range of a reader once every 24 hours your data will be up-to-date in the system. We usually set up the main reader system at the dairy shed and this is all you need for heat detection (Starter Plan). If you are going with a Premium Plan, you may benefit from additional readers around your farm, to get immediate health alerts and rumination data. Remote readers are also available for off-farm grazing. These are available on 24-month interest-free, 0% deposit, payment plan, just ask your SenseHub Dairy Sales Specialist.
Yes, you need internet coverage at your cow shed. This needs to be arranged by you prior to install. We recommend an unlimited plan if your team will likely use it for other tasks.
No, you don’t need full farm coverage if your cows come within range of a reader every 24hrs, so the data can be uploaded to the server. If during dry off periods, your herd is grazing outside of the reader range for example at a runoff, you can purchase a remote solar station which you can move with the cows. Please speak with your local SenseHub Dairy Sales Specialist about this.
Yes, but to varying degrees.
Gate integration means drafts you schedule in your SenseHub Dairy system will be automatically sent to your drafting gate.
If you require a drafting gate, we recommend our SenseHub Intelligate draft gate as it is fully integrated. If you have a Protrack gate, we can convert it to integrate with SenseHub Dairy collars.
Some other drafting systems we integrate with are Delpro, Jantec, and MilkHub (now MilkTech). We do recommend you discuss integration with your gate manufacturer to understand what support and costs, if any, will be incurred from their end.
There is no additional integration costs incurred if you install one of our SenseHub Intelligate gates.
Automation
If you are thinking of investing in SenseHub Dairy monitoring then we highly recommend our SenseHub Intelligate-P drafting gate.
Discuss this with your SenseHub Sales Specialist as a number of different factors may influence your decision. These may include available shed and yard space for a drafting gate, current in-shed software, and future technology investment plans. Rest assured we have a comprehensive suite of draft gate solutions suitable for all shed types and farming operations.
We offer three drafting gates: Intelligate®-P, Intelligate®-S and Protrack®.
Designed and built especially for New Zealand farmers, all our drafting solutions offer accurate, reliable and cow-friendly automatic drafting either via SenseHub Dairy Collars or EID tags.
The Protrack® fully automated modular product suite gives you the flexibility to build a system according to your farming needs.
Protrack Hub is the control centre for your Protrack products, connecting them together to form an integrated system. Your Protrack products provide you with insightful information at your fingertips empowering you to make more informed decisions quickly and enhance your profitability.
Questions about costs
Considerably less than you might think if paying by monthly subscription.
We have two plans available on full subscription: Visit our Plans and Pricing page.
Click here to read about our Draft Gate options and pricing.
Visit our Plans and Pricing page to view payment options available.
Installation of your monitoring system is included in your plan. This includes your hub, computer, dairy shed readers and your local SenseHub® Sales Specialist will show your team how to collar your herd. You are responsible for ensuring there is a reliable internet connection at the dairy shed.
No, not if you purchase SenseHub Dairy on subscription. Just like when your phone requires a software update, the same happens for SenseHub®Dairy. Software updates which apply to your application plan will roll out throughout the year, they are automatic and free. If it involves any changes to what you see or do your trainer will reach out to ensure everyone knows what to expect.
Please note: Our SenseHub Dairy ecosystem is constantly evolving, and new features are being delivered on an annual basis. The most resent SenseHub Dairy 8 release included feature enhancements as well as new milk monitoring capabilities. To capture the milk data, additional hardware sensors are required to be installed in shed to capture milk related data. Therefore, hardware and install would require separate quote and be purchased separately.
Yes. Just reach out to your local SenseHub® Sales Specialist to arrange this. After one season of heat monitoring, we encourage Starter Plan customers to consider the Premium Plan. Many of our customers report immediate and significant value in the rumination and health data to improve on farm decision-making.
Get a 2% discount when you charge your collar subscription to your Farm Source account. Please note this 2% Farm Source discount is only available for collar subscription purchases. However, you can put your automation purchases through Farm Source for ease of billing and to benefit from Farm Source reward dollars but the 2% discount is excluded from non-subscription purchases. You just need to inform your local SenseHub® Sales Specialist you would like to do this and sign an authority form.
Training and Support
Training is included in your plan. This includes onboarding sessions and ongoing support from your local Trainer, the Service Desk and the Tech support team. We have an experienced, knowledgeable, and extensive Aftersales support team, including dedicated Service Desk, Training and Technical teams located throughout NZ.
Our training includes
- Printed user manuals and online resources which are easy to access and use, specifically written for NZ pastoral farming systems
- Dedicated Service Desk operating during business hours and an afterhours emergency on-call schedule for weekends and public holidays
- Face-to-face customised training with your local SenseHub Dairy Training Specialist post-installation
- Additional support with initial herd data load, annual updates to herd data
- Access to MSD Animal Health’s trained and supported Authorised Dealer Network for installation and servicing
- Invitations to Monitoring Summit and or seasonal regional discussion group training sessions
Yes, you likely do, as we have 10 dedicated SenseHub Sales Specialists located across the country, to find your local contact visit meet the team.
Our nationwide network of Authorised Dealers help us uphold our customer service reputation, by supporting your local farming community.
As our customer base continues to grow, we have partnered with carefully selected local companies for their technical expertise, relationships, and standing within the rural sector to create a nationwide network of Authorised Dealers. These dealers help us install and service our range of cow monitoring and milking automation solutions. This means we can scale up our support to all our farmers and continue to deliver the same level of customer service you have come to expect.
Just like our SenseHub Dairy ecosystem is evolving, so too are our Authorised Dealers. Find your local MSD Animal Health Authorised Dealer.
As part of our wrap around aftersales support, we have a great e-learning platform called SenseHub Academy, which has been designed specifically for our NZ farmers and our veterinarian partners. Short, informative and interactive training courses, to ensure you and your team can access the answers to your questions any time of day.
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