MSD Animal Health launches new calf monitoring technology for NZ

Youngstock is the latest extension from SenseHub® Dairy, MSD Animal Health’s market-leading technology used by hundreds of Kiwi dairy farmers to monitor cow health and mating management.

Youngstock was launched in 2023 and is already operating on dairy farms in 29 countries outside NZ where calves are typically reared in individual calf enclosures.

Following development of the software over the past year in NZ and testing it on four large dairy farms last spring, Youngstock is now ready for use on Kiwi dairy farms where calves are mostly reared in larger groups.

It will also be launched in Ireland this year where calves are reared and farmed in conditions similar to NZ.

Dairy farms using Youngstock will fit their heifer replacement calves with an ear tag with the same data monitoring capabilities as a SenseHub® Dairy cow collar. The tag constantly collects data on the movement, suckling time and rumination of each calf through the rearing phase and after weaning.

Changes in behaviour outside each calf’s base-line data triggers an alert to a computer and mobile phone application, and to an LED light in each calf’s tag which flashes at specific times to indicate the calf needs attention.

SenseHub® Dairy National Commercial Manager Austin Heffernan says the NZ trial farmers confirmed Youngstock is accurate for detecting calves that are “having a bad day”, so calf rearing staff can intervene quickly to investigate.

He expects the new Youngstock application to appeal to existing SenseHub® Dairy users, particularly those operating larger scale dairy herds where two or more rotations of calves are reared through the same facilities.

“Typically, rearing on those larger operations is done by short term workers who are handling large numbers of calves and they sometimes struggle to pinpoint calves that are having a bad day.”

Heffernan says dairy farmers and staff understandably focus a lot of attention on their milking herd.

“What Youngstock helps them do is to put quality time into making sure all their replacement calves are performing as they should by reducing the time spent identifying calves that need attention and doing it early so the recovery time is usually quicker,” he says.

MSD Animal Health Veterinarian Penny Mehrtens says when calves are compromised during the rearing phase, the knock-on effect on lifetime milk production, mating success and retention in the herd can be massive.

“There is lots of peer-reviewed trial work, including by Congleton in 1988, that confirms heifer calves that are lighter at their first mating calve later at lighter weights, and produce less milk in their first lactation,” she says.

She expects the uptake of Youngstock will lead to a shift in the priority dairy farmers give their replacement heifer calves, when they see the extra lifetime value which can be created by dealing with unwell calves quickly through the rearing and post-weaning phases.

The Youngstock application is available on a monthly subscription and operates on the same SenseHub® Dairy platform used for managing cow data, so existing users can use their same login details. It is also available as a standalone calf-only option.

Heffernan says the development of wearables like SenseHub® Dairy collars highlights the depth of information available on cows and the value it delivers to dairy farms from extra milk production and less stress on owners and staff.

“We often hear dairy farm owners talking about how our SenseHub® Dairy technology is essential for boosting the capability of younger or less experienced staff, particularly on our larger farms,” he says.

“Youngstock now provides the same piece of mind for owners during the calf rearing stage and later, when staff are managing replacement heifers through to their first calving.”

For more information: Visit Monitor Calves – SenseHub Dairy Youngstock or find your local SenseHub Dairy Sales Specialist at Contact Us – SenseHub Dairy

Media contact: Austin Heffernan, 027 563 2282.

About SenseHub® Dairy

Powered by MSD Animal Health, SenseHub® Dairy (previously known as Allflex Collars) is home to integrated monitoring collars, drafting gates, milk monitoring, and cow shed automation. SenseHub® Dairy is a one-stop for monitoring and automation needs, with a cloud-based platform that New Zealand farmers and animal health professionals can trust.

Allflex is the world leader in the design, development, manufacturing and delivery of solutions for animal identification, farm management, and traceability. Its solutions are used by farmers, companies and countries to manage hundreds of millions of animals worldwide. Just like SenseHub® Dairy, Allflex is also powered by MSD Animal Health.

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