Wagner Farms adds new Youngstock Monitor to enhance calf health and well-being

The motto at Wagner Farms is: People. Animals. Environment. Laura Raatz, 5^th generation co-owner and herd manager, says caring for their animals isn’t just a priority – it’s a pillar for everything they do. 

To help care for their calves and identify which ones need extra attention, the Wisconsin dairy producer recently installed CowManager’s Youngstock Monitor. According to Raatz, this new comprehensive calf monitoring solution provides real-time health alerts 24/7 for early disease detection. Each morning, Raatz reviews the health alerts before she begins feeding calves, allowing her to physically check on the calves during chores and determine the level of care each calf needs.

“By pinpointing and finding those calves that are not feeling well sooner, we’re able to get them feeling better faster, before they become truly sick or chronic,” says Raatz. “This technology ensures that our calves stay healthy, happy and thriving.”

With years of calf care experience, Raatz trusts her instincts and is confident in her skills to find sick calves, but now with Youngstock Monitor, she knows the system detects health issues early, even before a calf shows any signs of illness. She likes that extra peace of mind and believes it has really taken calf health at Wagner Farms to a new level. “The ROI really ties into that,” adds Raatz.

Powered by artificial intelligence with ever-evolving algorithms, Youngstock Monitor adapts to a specific operation and the behavioral development of each calf, allowing Wagner Farms to make farm-specific predictions on the health of their individual calves and focus treatment in a targeted way.

The calf health alerts come in three levels: suspicious, sick and very sick, and detect subtle behavioral changes associated with illness often missed through visual observation. These alerts help facilitate quicker interventions, lower treatment intensity, reduce reliance on antibiotics and decrease mortality rates. Raatz likes the extra layer of security, knowing that effective calf health management leads to increased future milk production and a healthier, more productive herd.

For more information on the award-winning CowManager Youngstock Monitor, visit CowManager.com. There, producers can also watch a video to see how Youngstock Monitor has helped Wagner Farms take calf health to the next level.