A nifty buckled device to help you better manage health and productivity sounds like a slick watch you'd see on a busy person's wrist.
But thanks to a state government grant, more of Queensland's dairy cows will be sporting the modern look.
'Smart collars' are being rolled out by the Queensland Dairyfarmers' Organisation under a $200,000 digital transformation grant by the Palaszczuk government.
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The Semex Ai24 collars use real-time data for whole herd management - informing farmers of vital information on their herd health and nutrition.
Semex Australia's national dairy manager Vaughn Johnston said the collars completely change how cow health is managed and allow for greater reproduction performance.
"With the collars, we can identify illness up to 48 hours before a we would usually see a clinical case," Mr Johnston said.
"We can analyse the outliers from a health perspective.
"This technology means farmers can opt for a preventative treatment rather than a responsive treatment."
Mr Johnston said the collars are designed to be practical rather than just looking good.
A transitioning industry
QDO president Brian Tessmann said the government grant will support a $646,880 digital herd monitoring project that will provide financial assistance and support for 10 producers to implement the technology and establish producer demonstration sites where farmers can share learning and see the technology in action.
The project will also deliver regional industry training workshops in the Darling Downs, Scenic Rim, Sunshine Coast, Burnett and Tablelands Region.
"This is a great advance in animal health and welfare for the dairy industry and a valuable tool for farmers as the technology monitors individual cows and the herd to provide health and reproduction alerts, allowing for the early detection of anything that may be making the animal uncomfortable," Mr Tessmann said.
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