The unmatched combination of milking robots and smaXtec
An automatic milking system offers immense relief in terms of workload, saves time, and is a great help for many dairy farms. However, when it comes to preventive health management, the combination with the smaXtec system is unmatched.
Learn more about the additional benefits of our health management system alongside the use of a milking robot, and why using both systems make your farm future-proof!
Streamlined Milking through Automation
With the help of a milking robot, many routine tasks are eliminated: manual milking, monitoring the milking parlour, and cleaning the milking equipment are things of the past with an AMS (automatic milking system). Additionally, you are more flexible with your time, as you don’t have to be in the barn at fixed milking times. Aside from saving time and labour, the robot can identify sick cows by detecting a drop in milk production, and frequent milking also helps to flush out bacteria more effectively.
Depending on the milking system, values such as the conductivity and temperature of the milk are measured. This allows farmers to detect diseases - though often it's already too late, and the cow’s performance is already compromised. To engage in proactive health management, other systems are needed to detect early stages of illness. With smaXtec, you can detect and treat diseases earlier compared to using only a milking robot, enabling you to prevent many illnesses before they even break out!
Preventive Health Management with smaXtec
The smaXtec system is based on unique bolus technology, where precise data is collected directly from your cows’ reticulum. This gives you insights you can’t get anywhere else!
Genuine Early Detection
The combination of a milking robot and the smaXtec health management system is particularly beneficial for early disease detection. By continuously measuring valuable parameters, such as inner body temperature, water intake and drinking cycles, rumination activity, and overall movement directly from inside the cow, illnesses can be identified at the earliest possible stage - before any changes in milk temperature or conductivity occur!
With the continuous measurement of inner body temperature, smaXtec has developed a revolutionary approach that enables reliable early detection of numerous diseases. For example, udder infections (mastitis) can be detected up to four days before clinical symptoms appear. Our TruAdvice® technology combines highly precise measurements using unique bolus technology within the cow, allowing for specific alerts in suspected mastitis cases. By treating these conditions in their early stages, their progression can often be completely prevented, even before typical visible symptoms emerge.
Koen van Steen, Terheijden, Netherlands, 162 cowsWe already had some data from the milking robots, but we often reacted only when the cow was already ill or if something was already wrong. And in my opinion that was not preventive enough.
Keeping an Eye on All Animals
Milking systems are limited to lactating cows only, which means the monitoring of other groups of animals is often neglected on many farms. This is where smaXtec comes in: with our health management system, you can always keep track of your entire herd - including dry cows and heifers. No detail goes unnoticed, and you can ensure that all animals are optimally cared for! Each cow receives its own bolus, which adapts individually to "its" cow and monitors the health status of each animal.
Thanks to precise health monitoring, smaXtec helps you benefit from healthier animals, while also boosting the profitability of your farm due to increased milk production, less discarded milk, and reduced treatment costs.
