Calf monitoring is next dairy tech frontier [Video]

Dairy calf monitoring options are exploding as companies develop smaller, wearable sensors and new algorithms.

Artificial intelligence that can learn has been critical to this development. Compared to monitoring the steady state of adult cows, growing calves change rapidly and the sensors have to accommodate that.

The goal is to give farmers greater ability to diagnose calf problems before they become clinical.

Why it matters: Replacement heifers are a large expense for dairy farmers and if they contract a disease as calves, it can have major effects on milking cow productivity.

Numerous companies touted their calf monitoring solutions at the recent World Dairy Expo and several of the 25 innovation winners at Eurotier this fall are calf monitoring …