UK agricultural supplier Kiwikit has launched a new heat detection product, FlashMate, which aims to improve the timing of inseminations, leading to an increase in conception rates.FlashMate, which is attached to the back of the cow, is a heat detection aid that flashes red when a cow is in heat. Developed in New Zealand, it is designed to identify heats that are otherwise undetectable by conventional means and to ignore false bulling.
UK agricultural supplier Kiwikit has launched a new heat detection product, FlashMate, which aims to improve the timing of inseminations, leading to an increase in conception rates.
FlashMate, which is attached to the back of the cow, is a heat detection aid that flashes red when a cow is in heat. Developed in New Zealand, it is designed to identify heats that are otherwise undetectable by conventional means and to ignore false bulling.
FlashMate uses touch sensing technology and responds to direct contact from other cows. It measures spikes in bulling, head resting and nudging.
Touch sensing is a new approach to detecting heat because, for the first time, inert objects such as fences, trees, rain or hail will not affect the reading. FlashMate only alerts farmers when it has seen a spike of contacts over a period of several hours. False bulling lacks the frequency of contacts of true heat and is ignored.
FlashMate contains a microchip, linked to an algorithm designed for beef animals at pasture, and identifies a clear pattern of heat. It then flashes for 26 hours, which is the viable window for insemination. After this time, the light will turn off. If the cow returns to heat, a new alert will be triggered.
“FlashMate measures the most reliable primary signs of heat so does not rely on pedometry, temperature or any other less reliable secondary signs,” says KiwiKit's Justin Rees.
“It provides expert eyes that detect patterns 24/7 and gives reliable information on activity correlated with true heat – it offers greater confidence in your heat detection rates.
“A common and costly mistake of conventional methods is inseminating pregnant cows because of false bulling. This carries a high risk of causing pregnancy losses and may explain higher than expected empty rates on some farms.
“Reproductive success is about the net gain across the herd. In a healthy, well-managed herd, increasing the quality of submissions and therefore increasing conception rates, will make a valuable contribution to the financial performance of that business.”
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