Got AI? Merck’s collars for dairy cows predict illness 48 hours before symptoms appear

Dairy farmers are now using high-tech collars equipped with movement sensors, Wi-Fi, and AI to monitor cow health and optimize milk production. These wearable devices, manufactured by Merck, a healthcare company, can predict illness up to 48 hours before symptoms appear, allowing farmers like Tony Louters in California to intervene early and prevent costly milk losses.

What you should know: The collars represent a major evolution in livestock monitoring technology, transforming from basic pedometers in 2013 to sophisticated AI-powered health monitoring systems.

• Each of Louters’s 700 cows wears a collar that continuously tracks biometric data and sends alerts to his computer when health issues are detected.
• When one cow showed early signs of illness at 5:30 a.m., Louters was able to treat it with probiotics and warm water by 6 a.m., preventing the problem before it fully developed.
• The early intervention prevented hundreds of dollars in lost milk production that would have occurred if the illness had gone undetected.

The big picture: These cow collars are part of precision farming, a data-driven approach to agriculture that’s experiencing rapid growth with the integration of AI and advanced sensor technology.

• The livestock-monitoring industry alone was valued at more than $5 billion last year, according to Grand View Research, a market research firm.
• Farmers can now access real-time health data that was previously impossible to detect, fundamentally changing how they manage animal welfare and productivity.

How it works: The collars combine multiple technologies to create a comprehensive health monitoring system for each animal.

• Movement sensors track activity patterns and behavioral changes that can indicate health issues.
• Wi-Fi connectivity enables real-time data transmission to farm management systems.
• AI algorithms process the collected data to identify patterns and predict potential health problems before they become serious.

What they’re saying: Farmers describe the technology as revolutionary for animal communication and care.

• “It’s the closest we can get to talking to the cows,” Louters explained, highlighting how the technology bridges the communication gap between farmers and their livestock.

Why this matters: The technology addresses critical challenges in dairy farming by preventing disease-related milk losses and improving overall animal welfare through early intervention capabilities.