Noel Willis

In Portadown, Northern Ireland, Noel Willis runs a dairy farm with around 270 cows. Two and a half years ago, he installed the smaXtec health management system. The results since then, according to Noel Willis, are: “More accurate AI timing, no missed heats, and early detection of health problems.”

Early detection and preventive action

Since Noel Willis started using smaXtec, he has seen significant improvements in cow health on his farm. The system provides timely alerts whenever potential health issues arise. The advantages? “Early diagnosis of mastitis and other diseases, and less use of antibiotics, as we can treat earlier with anti-inflammatory medication instead,” says Noel Willis.

A big relief before, during and after calving

Another game-changer has been smaXtec’s reliable calving detection, as Noel Willis explains: “We now have more cows pregnant than at any stage before, and calving intervals have reduced.” The system sends a calving alert up to 15 hours in advance, allowing farmers to make all necessary preparations and ensure a smooth start for both cow and calf. “We get a calving indicator message when a cow is close to calving, and they normally calve within 12 hours.”

Thanks to the additional health data, Noel Willis immediately knows if any diseases occur during the critical post-calving period: “The milk fever indicator is very useful, as we can treat the cow before she goes down.”

Positive change in daily work

smaXtec has truly transformed Noel Willis’ daily work routine: “Less time walking cows to check for heats, less sick cows as we can treat them before they get too bad.” It has also improved his quality of life, giving him greater peace of mind: “I have more opportunities to take a break away from the farm, as I can rely on the smaXtec system to send notifications to the app on my phone about heats and health problems. I can pass this information on to relief workers, or they can access it directly on their own phones.”

State-of-the-art system

Noel Willis highlights the position of the bolus directly in the cow’s reticulum as a major benefit: “The bolus is great because, once inside the cow, it can’t be pulled off or get stuck in a headlock. And because of that it’s a very accurate indicator for heat detection and health issues.”

Would Noel recommend smaXtec to others? Absolutely: “It’s a state-of-the-art system that delivers highly accurate and reliable data, with loads of information on all aspects of cow reproduction and health”, he summarises.