Economic effects of automated health monitoring based on sensors versus visual observation for dairy cows in early lactation

Automated health monitoring can translate into measurable economic gains in early lactation. In a study of 1,192 Holstein cows, automated health monitoring (AHM) using rumination, activity, and milk yield alerts was compared with visual observation (VO) for detecting health issues from 3 to 21 DIM. Economic analyses up to 100 DIM showed that AHM generally generated higher cash flow despite increased monitoring costs, mainly through improved herd performance and earlier disease detection. Results indicate that relying on automated alerts to select cows for clinical examination is economically more beneficial than relying solely on visual observation.

By Rial C., Stangaferro M.L., Thomas M.J. et al.