Discover how wearable technology for cows, often described as "Fitbits for cows," is revolutionizing herd management and health monitoring. These tools, which include collars, tags, and rumen boluses, capture vital information to assist with routine tasks like heat detection, identifying sick animals, detecting non-cycling cows, and timing insemination. The ideal setup integrates seamlessly with existing farm technology and comes with expert support and training. However, some farmers struggle to interpret health alerts, leading to missed benefits. Learn how systems trigger alerts based on factors like reduced activity, rumination, temperature, lying/eating time, and rumen pH. This podcast will explore the invaluable uses of this technology for both seasonal and year-round calving herds and emphasize the importance of doing your homework before investing and making full use of your technology partners and local veterinarians to maximize benefits.

Join us to delve into the fascinating science of exhalomics, the study of metabolites and compounds found in exhaled breath. Dr. Mutian Niu, an assistant professor of animal nutrition at ETH Zurich, Switzerland, explains this innovative and non-invasive technology that offers a new way to potentially monitor the digestive activity, environmental impact, and health of dairy cows. Discover how studying exhaled breath can provide a window into rumen fermentation activity, acting as a proxy for rumen volatile fatty acids and predicting changes in rumen pH. Learn about its potential for early warning of conditions like subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA), and its broader applications in pinpointing biomarkers for early detection of diseases such as respiratory disease, ketosis, mastitis, metritis, and displaced abomasum.