CowView Enables Farmers To Monitor Individual Cow Behavior

Once upon a time, a farmer was able to easily monitor each of its cows and give them individual attention when needed. Now, as cattle herds grow larger to meet food demands, farmers find it harder to give each cow the attention and care it needs. With CowView, a technological solution that enables farmers to monitor individual cow behavior, every cow in the herd can get the attention it needs.

CowView allows farmers to track the health of each cow and alerts them to specific behavior patterns including how long they lie down, how many hours they sleep, and when they are ready to milk. A tag that is placed around a cow's neck transmits data to an application that can be accessed on a PC, tablet, or smartphone. With this application, a cow can be tracked within 30 seconds.

CowView makes it possible for farmers to manage a smaller workforce and save time and money. GEA Farm Technologies, the company that created the technology, is working to improve it so that more behaviors can be tracked in cows, according to Jill Stelfox, Vice President of Zebra Location Solutions, which has partnered with GEA Technologies.

CowView is currently used in farms in Denmark, Germany, and the U.K. and will soon be introduced to farms in the United States. Although this technology doesn't work for other animals, Stelfox says a similar technology will be designed for pigs next.