Northern Ag Network Note: We starting seeing the sponsored posts for this product on Facebook and thought we better check it out. However at $350 per monitor, we aren't sure you want to replace the night calving shift just yet. While we could see the value in certain instances like a small intensively managed herd of cows or maybe where a rancher also worked a second job, we weren't so sure about range cows. The process of attaching the monitor to a very pregnant range cow out in the pasture might be a bit labor intensive although we would be interested in seeing a video of someone attempting it!
Other issues that have been mentioned:
- What happens if the cow wearing the device wanders down a coulee where there is no cell service?
- It's three in the morning and the device sends you a notice your cow is calving. She's in a 1000 acre pasture…does the device come with a GPS locator?
- Once the cow gives birth, how do you get close enough to take it off a mad momma cow?
Favorite comment so far by RealRanchers.com: “Our first reaction in the office was that maybe this should be added as a new event to ranch rodeo. Possibly an event before the wild cow milking? Regardless, new technology that could be used in specific cases. We like reading all the comments on this. Keep them coming!”
So check out the Moocall and let us know what you think!
According to their website, the Moocall device monitors your cow so you don't have to. It will send alerts right to your smart phone when she is about to calve.
The sensor was launched in 2014 by a European farmer. The inspiration behind Moocall, farmer Niall Austin from Co. Offaly said, “I have lost heifers and calves on my own farm simply because I was not there to help and after the last tragic incident in 2010, I wanted to try and find a way to prevent it happening again. Moocall has been 3 years in the making and I am delighted it is finally ready for launch. Losing a cow and calf during birthing process is heart-breaking and very often completely preventable. Like humans, labour can be sudden, quick, late or unexpected at times making it difficult for the farmer to predict. Pedigree calves in particular are often big and require Caesarean sections meaning both vet and farmer need to be on hand to make sure nothing goes wrong. I believe Moocall Sensors will be invaluable to farmers, giving them certainty and peace of mind as their cows near the end of their gestational period. The sensors are easy to use, inexpensive and can be easily transferred between cows – one device is more than adequate to service a small herd of 40 – 50 cattle.”
Moocall's Calving Alert Sensor is not much bigger than a large wristwatch which you attach to your cow's tail. The sensor constantly monitors the cow's activity using patent pending motion sensor technology. It picks up information over 600 times per second, including pelvic movements, contractions and muscle spasms to determine the most likely time the cow is due to calf. The sensor predicts to a very high accuracy when a cow is due to calf (over 95{f2533179b7c7e7cbdbc11018732de14c82f3d44c9f1e829e9a046cc47141a2e6}). Moocall will then automatically send a text message to the your cellular phone (SMS text) with an alert approximately one hour before a calf is due to be born.
The website recommends one device per 35 – 40 head of cattle. Attach the Moocall device to the cow you think is most likely to calve next. Once that cow calves, move the device to the next cow. Per the website, a well moved device can easily capture 6-7 calvings a week.
CLICK HERE for more information
Source: MooCall, GimmiDigital
