Monil, a leader in virtual fencing and livestock monitoring, has announced the launch of its new outdoor Calving Detection feature. Designed to help cattle farmers identify calvings sooner and locate newborn calves more quickly, the feature delivers push notifications and estimated calving locations directly to the farmer's phone.
For any cattle farmer, calving season means keeping a close eye on the herd. Whether cows are grazing over large areas of grassland or managed through rotational paddock systems, knowing when a cow is calving, and where she is located, can make all the difference for both the calf and the cow.
When it comes to calf survival and early development, timing matters
Calving can be a high-risk period, and being in the right place at the right time can have a significant impact on the outcome.
Whether it's a difficult calving, locating a newborn calf quickly to check it is healthy and feeding, or recognising when veterinary assistance may be required, having timely information can help farmers make better decisions and improve outcomes for both cow and calf.
Many Monil users already rely on the system during calving season. Farmers use location data and heatmaps to monitor cows showing signs that they may be close to calving, find calves hidden away in long grass or sheltered areas, and keep records using the Notes feature.
Now, Monil can do even more by helping identify likely calvings automatically while keeping an accurate record of each animal's status within the app.
Understanding the Calving Alert
To help identify these important events, Monil developed its new calving detection feature around a behaviour cattle farmers have observed for generations: cows often separate themselves from the rest of the herd shortly before calving.
As calving approaches, cows will frequently seek out a quieter area away from other animals to give birth and bond with their newborn calf.
Using the location data already collected by the collar, Monil continuously monitors where each cow is in relation to the rest of the herd. When the system detects behaviour consistent with calving, it can send an alert directly to the farmer and indicate where the cow, and potentially her calf, may be found.
"Providing farmers with a calving alert helps solve a genuine day-to-day challenge," explains Lars Bjaalie, Head of Data Science at Monil.
"We realised that by comparing a cow's position with that of the rest of the herd, we could reliably detect outdoor calvings across large grazing areas using an isolation algorithm. It gives farmers an early indication that a cow may be calving while also helping them locate her more quickly."
How the alert works
The system evaluates position data every 20 minutes. When it detects behaviour associated with calving, a push notification is sent directly to the farmer through the Monil app.
Depending on the size of the grazing area and how early the cow seeks out a secluded location, the alert may be triggered up to 12 hours before calving, or as the calving process is beginning.
Once an alert is received, the app helps farmers pinpoint where to look. The model also estimates the most likely calving location, helping direct farmers straight to the animal.
This can enable quicker intervention where assistance is required and significantly reduce the time spent searching for hidden newborn calves.
Getting the best from the feature
For the feature to work effectively, a few simple conditions need to be met:
- The animal must be marked as "In Calf" within the Health section of the app, with an expected calving date recorded.
- The cattle must be outdoors and assigned to a virtual fence large enough to allow an individual animal to separate herself from the herd.
- The cow must be running with a group of herd mates so the system can detect changes in her position relative to the rest of the group.
Technology that supports good stockmanship
Technology in agriculture works best when it supports a farmer's expertise rather than attempting to replace it.
Monil is not a substitute for stockmanship, experience or regular checks. Instead, it acts as an extra pair of eyes on the farm, drawing attention to animals that may need closer inspection.
Because the Monil system works through standard mobile networks and does not require base stations or on-farm infrastructure, farmers can benefit from live location tracking, virtual fencing and animal health alerts without significant additional equipment.
When you can identify a calving cow sooner, respond more quickly and locate newborn calves without spending hours searching, the collar becomes more than a fencing tool. It becomes another way to support animal welfare, improve efficiency and make the day-to-day management of the herd easier.
Availability
The Calving Detection feature will be made available to Monil customers with active collar subscriptions at no additional cost. Customers simply need to update their Monil app through the App Store or Google Play.
Existing customers with questions can contact the Farmer Success Team on +44 7455 712020 or by email at support@monil.com.
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Happy calving!
