From Entry to Insights: Unleashing the Power of Your Dairy Data

Running a profitable dairy farm requires more than just hard work – it demands smart decisions backed by solid data. Having the right tools at your fingertips can be the difference between success and setbacks.

Meagan Young and Ryan Dreyer, experts from VAS’ support team, share their top recommendations for helping producers unlock the full potential of their dairy data in this VAS webinar.

Adopt the right tools for the job

The first move in maximizing the potential of your dairy data is selecting the most effective tools. VAS’ herd management solutions offer an arsenal of tools – from seamless data entry to in-depth analysis – to boost the value of your data while streamlining workflows.

Meagan and Ryan recommend mobile herd solutions like VAS Pocket CowCard and DC on Mobile for on-the-go data entry. Team members can make updates cowside directly from their handheld or mobile device, saving valuable time during herd health checks and breeding day, for example.

Pro Tip: Integrating RFID tags further expedites the process, allowing for faster and more convenient animal identification compared to paper lists. With the wave of an RFID wand, the animal is identified and their CowCard is automatically brought up on your mobile device. This not only puts more time back in your team’s day, but also prioritizes cow comfort by reducing the amount of time spent in the headlocks and verifying you’re handling the right animals.

Good data is the backbone of success

Think of your herd data as a goldmine. It holds valuable insights waiting to be uncovered, but to strike it rich, clean data is a must.

This starts at birth. Collecting and entering accurate, high-quality information begins the moment a calf enters the herd management system. Every event added to her CowCard from birth contributes to the overall picture. It gives you complete visibility, allowing you to look back on health and management events throughout her lifetime.

Tools like VAS PULSE Platform help ensure accurate data is captured consistently, flagging potential entry mistakes before they turn into bigger problems down the road. For instance, say you need to mark a cow DRY, but the most recent entry on her CowCard shows a FRESH event. VAS PULSE Platform steps in with a helpful pop-up message. This alert flags that this cow hasn’t been marked PREG within the system yet, prompting your team to fix the mistake immediately. The result? A complete and accurate CowCard for each cow.

Clean data isn’t just about avoiding errors; it simplifies your life. DairyComp reports like EGRAPH, BREDSUM, EVENTS and GUIDE let you analyze trends and protocol usage within your herd. PULSE Platform takes it a step further with customizable dashboards. These visual tools show a clear snapshot of your herd’s performance across health, reproduction, inventory, cost analysis and more.

Accurate, high-quality information is the first step for turning your data into actionable insights. This information empowers you to make profitable, data-driven decisions for your herd.

Pro Tip: Not sure where to start? VAS Support can help tailor your PULSE Platform dashboard to fit your unique herd goals. Reach out and let us help customize your setup for maximum impact on your dairy.

Automate workflows to free up everyone’s time

Consider how automation has become a part of your daily life. Maybe you use automatic bill pay to avoid late fees, or your family schedules grocery pickups to save time at the store. Even something as simple as setting a coffee pot to brew before you wake up – it’s all about automation making life easier.

The same can be done to streamline your dairy’s daily tasks, putting your team’s focus back on what they do best – working with the cows.

We’ve already discussed the convenience of mobile data entry, but automation adds another layer of efficiency. Here’s how you can pair DairyComp with mobile solutions and RFID technology to automate routine tasks:

1. Identify a task: Think about a chore or task that needs to be done regularly. For this example, we’ll use the task of collecting blood samples to confirm pregnant animals sooner.
2. Automate: Create the automation in DairyComp to prompt the system to send you a list of cows due for samples. Need help setting it up? VAS support is just a call, text, email or chat away.
3. Locate and record cowside: The system will automatically send a list of cows to sample to your Pocket CowCard mobile app based on days since last heat data in DairyComp. Find the animals using an RFID scanner and record the sample tube number cowside on the mobile app.
4. Data automatically updates: The information collected gets sent back to DairyComp and uploaded to the lab for processing. Once results are processed at the lab, they are seamlessly updated in DairyComp based on your predefined settings. For example, cows that are confirmed pregnant will automatically receive a PREG event.

Similarly, PULSE Platform’s Process Scheduler tool streamlines list generation in the cloud, saving you even more time. You can set it to automatically generate specific lists on designated days, including report history, weekly milk production, a list of close-up cows and more.

Take advantage of the resources available to you

Every data point collected on your farm matters. But to truly tap into its power, you need the right tools, the know-how to use them effectively and dependable data.

Dive deeper into maximizing your herd data with DairyComp and PULSE Platform in our recent webinar with Meagan Young and Ryan Dreyer. Tune in here to discover more ways you can leverage these tools to unlock the full potential of your data.

Ready to get started? In addition to online training courses and helpful guides, VAS offers free, unlimited support to all DairyComp and MyDC on PULSE users Monday through Friday 8 AM – 8 PM CT. Reach out today!