Ali Jackson

For over a year, Ali Jackson has been using the smaXtec system on his suckler cow farm in Dumfriesshire, southern Scotland. Installing the health management system has provided numerous benefits for his approximately 200 suckler cows. If colleagues ask him why he uses smaXtec, he says: “It’s worth the money in the long run. We use it to support cow fertility and calving – these are the two main areas where it has helped us massively.”

Reliable calving detection

Based on measuring internal body temperature, the calving detection informs you approximately 15 hours before calving. For Ali Jackson, this is a huge advantage: “smaXtec gives us peace of mind when we’re away at shows or sales, as the system ensures no cows will calve while we’re gone. If it indicates nothing is calving, I can also happily go away for the night without worry.”

This not only gives the farmer sufficient time for birth preparation, it also means less stress for both the animal and the farmer: “Since installing smaXtec, we no longer have to check cows through the night because we trust the calving detection 100%. And yes, I don’t eat as much chocolate as I did before smaXtec – when I was up during the night checking the cows!“

“Our cows now get in calf quicker!“

“Our reproduction rates have improved significantly since installing the system,” Ali Jackson explains. According to him, heat detection plays a crucial role in this. “The main benefit with smaXtec is that we are now getting cows back in calf quicker, with better hold rates.” This also brings a big relief to his daily work: “The system allows us to focus on other farm tasks instead of searching for heats all day.”

Identifying early stages

In addition, smaXtec has been a major advancement in Ali Jackson’s health management. The system provides timely alerts when potential health issues arise, long before clinical symptoms become visible. Thanks to this, the suckler cow farmer is able to detect potential diseases, as he explains: “smaXtec is really helpful in identifying the early stages when a cow begins to develop mastitis.”

“A no-brainer for an intensive pedigree business”

One thing Ali Jackson also really appreciates is the excellent support from the experienced smaXtec team: “The customer support has been second to none; the team is always there to help, no matter the time of day. It’s never been a problem for them to pop in and check how things are going.”

Why would he recommend smaXtec to other farmers? “It’s modern-day farming and a no-brainer for an intensive pedigree business,” Ali Jackson concludes.