The 2023 season has begun with a rush, as it always does. The primary focus, as it should be, remains on herd health and production.

This year, changes are happening faster than ever before, and growing concern over the carbon footprint, reducing greenhouse gases in the livestock and food production industry is becoming more critical.

This shift is changing our perspectives on the environment.

As farmers, we must find ways to manage our land, crops, and livestock in the most efficient and sustainable manner. With rising costs of production, it's important for farm production, especially in the livestock sector, to focus on efficiency.

Active monitoring of livestock and smart farming techniques will improve farm efficiency and profitability in the future.

In Ireland's grass-based dairy and beef production systems, the workload during the first four months of the production cycle is heavy for both farmers and animals.

Research suggests that the key to maximising profit during lactation is for the animal to recover full rumination within 72 hours of calving and to reach a dry matter intake of 20kg as soon as possible post-birth.

Systems like the Tru-Test Active Tag from Datamars Livestock provide farmers with regular updates on their herd's performance by tracking their movements, much like a smartwatch or Fitbit.

Ideally, the herd should spend eight hours eating, 12 hours resting, and the remaining four hours between milking and management tasks. This information is instantly available, allowing farmers to intervene and provide treatment to underperforming animals if needed.

The system also highlights bottlenecks in livestock management. By reviewing reports, farmers can identify areas where their herd is struggling, such as a lack of feeding space, which will show up as a flat line in the animal's activity during feeding hours. Keeping an eye on animal resting time is also important.

In grass-based systems that are expanding over the winter months, particularly at calving time, there may not be enough cubicles to match the group size.

This will show up on the resting report as cows not resting for the required amount of time, which can negatively impact rumination, milk production, and fertility later in the season.

Active monitoring of livestock is a valuable tool that can improve animal welfare, feed conversion efficiency, and reduce the herd's carbon footprint. Ultimately, farm profitability is a combination of all these factors.

For more information on Tru-Test Active Tag from Datamars Livestock, click here.