A new technology that monitors pregnant cows and alerts ranchers when their animals are in labour is receiving praise in the pasturelands of Alberta, with many saying it lightens their workload during the busy calving season.
For Riley Stormoen in Water Valley, Alta., the new device -- aptly named the Moocall Calving Sensor -- is a second set of eyes for a rancher unwilling to leave vulnerable cows alone during labour.
“The calf could be too big,” Stormoen explained. “It could be facing the wrong direction, (there) could be lots of complications.”
Strapped to a pregnant cow’s tail, the sensor monitors a cow’s contractions to let ranchers know when it is about to deliver a calf.
“It’s connected to the cellular data and it will notify me with a text message,” Stormoen said.
Stormoen has two Moocalls, which he attaches to cows that are giving birth for the first time.
“It’s nice to have a notification if I do need to be watching a certain cow,” he said.
CCWG Livestock Supplies in Lethbridge, Alta., is one of several Canadian retailers that sell the device.
Speaking to CTV News, salesperson Angela Bucklaschuk explained how it works.
“As she's getting closer to labour, she’ll have contractions,” Bucklaschuk said. “She'll swish her tail, the tail will lift and the device just monitors those contractions.”
Developed in Ireland and commercially available since 2015, Moocall is now available in 30 countries, including Canada. Each sensor sells for more than $400, but Bucklaschuk said the cost is well worth it.
“If we can get these devices into the hands of farmers and even if it saves one calf, the device has already paid for itself,” Bucklaschuk said.
With a report from CTV News Alberta bureau chief Janet Dirks
