We all know that the first few weeks after calving set the tone for the whole season. Cows that transition well go on to milk strongly, cycle earlier, and hit repro targets. Whereas cows that struggle early often stay behind the 8 ball.
Wearable technology is giving us a clear window into how cows recover after calving – and when combined with good veterinary support, it’s a very powerful tool.
VetSouth has partnered with CowSmart to offer their farmers a step further, for even more powerful insights. We’re a vet-led wearable tech data reporting service.
A real-farm example from this season
On the day a cow calves, a dip in rumination is completely normal. What really matters is how quickly she climbs back up.
One of VetSouth’s dairy farming clients signed up to CowSmart ahead of spring. We monitored rumination recovery in newly-calved cows on their farm in Southland.
As shown in Graph 1, initially rumination stayed low for too long after Day 0. This pattern is often associated with underlying issues like milk fever, retained membranes, subclinical ketosis, or cows not adapting.
By monitoring what was happening through the wearable tech, our CowSmart team provided the farmer and their KeyVet from VetSouth with detailed findings. With guidance and advice from the KeyVet, the farmer was able to make timely and effective changes to their transition management.
After adjusting colostrum nutrition and early-lactation processes, Graph 2 shows that just two weeks later rumination recovery had improved dramatically. Small tweaks can result in a big difference!
Why tracking the transition period matters
Good post-calving recovery:
More milk production
Earlier return to cycling
Better reproductive performance
Slow post-calving recovery:
Early warning something isn’t right
A chance to act before little issues become big ones
Technology gives the data. Farm experience gives the context. CowSmart gives the insights so you can make fast, informed decisions with your vet team that keep cows healthy and productive.
If you'd like help interpreting rumination data or reviewing transition performance on your farm, ask VetSouth about CowSmart. We're here to support you and your cows through the season.
