In my last two blog posts about Me+Moo – what happened at MWC and launching our connected farm experience – I’ve talked about all the fantastic tech on the farm that powers the app.
But this farm isn’t just about technology – it’s also about creating a better environment for the cows and improving their welfare, with technology as one of the enablers.
One of the biggest factors is choice. These cows have the freedom to move around the space however they want, doing whatever they want, whenever they want, all on their terms.
But there are a few other surprising additions to the farm that make life that little bit sweeter for its residents…
- Keeping them cool
In a place like the UK you might think cows need a hand keeping warm, but actually it’s quite the opposite: what they really need is the ability to stay cool.
The whole building on the Me+Moo farm is built with this in mind.
It’s open-sided to allow plenty of air flow, and on one side there’s a special curtain controlled by sensors that opens or closes depending on the weather.
The roof of the building is made of fabric, too. And it’s translucent, so it lets light in evenly throughout the building rather than creating dangerous hot spots through a skylight.
- Grooming on demand
Of course, keeping cool isn’t the only route to cow comfort. They also happen to love a good scratch!
Lucky for them, at the Me+Moo farm there are not one but three cow-sized brushing machines in the building.
Like much of the tech on this farm the brushes are automated. They start to rotate when a cow rubs up against them, giving her a lovely soothing massage that also keeps her coat nice and clean and glossy.
And it’s good news for our farmers, too, because the Journal of Dairy Science found using cow brushes like these can actually improve the cows overall wellbeing in multiple ways:
- Walking to the brushes encourages cows to exercise more
- More time on the brush means less time lying down, which decreases the udder’s exposure to bacteria
- Brushing increases blood circulation to the udder
Best of all, though, the brushes enhance the cows’ natural grooming behaviour, resulting in stress-free, happy cows.
- Providing a place to rest their heads
After getting their environment just right our cows are going to be feeling relaxed and sleepy.
Thankfully the beds on the Me+Moo farm are specially designed to help the cows have a good night’s sleep (or a good day’s sleep – it’s up to them!).
In fact, they get a choice of two different types of bed, both of which come complete with a comfy cow-sized mattress.
And to make things even easier for the cows, the whole building is designed to make the journey from milking or feeding to bed as quick and hassle-free as possible.
No moos is good news
These are just some of the little touches that help improve the welfare of cows on the Me+Moo farm.
And if you were there you could see for yourself (or hear for yourself, I should say). If the connected collars couldn’t tell us how the cows were feeling, the peace and quiet on the farm would do that for us.
Why? Because cows tend to moo when they’re unhappy, but the Me+Moo cows barely moo at all.
And that’s one of the most exciting things about bringing 5G connectivity to the farming industry: a path to healthier, happier animals.
Download the Me+Moo app to get a tour of the home of our Me+Moo cows, and get glimpse of the cow brushes in action!
