TURNER, Maine — Brigeen Farms has been owned and operated by one family for almost 250 years. Owner Betsy Bullard, 10th generation farmer, said while not a whole lot has changed on the farm, innovative technology has.
More than 500 cows at Brigeen Farms wear a Fitbit-like collar to constantly monitor their health, tracking things like the number of minutes they chew per day.
"[It] helps us be more efficient... and responsive for how we take care of them," she said.
The data, which is collected over a seven-day average to create a cow's baseline health report, enters a customizable system Bullard checks every morning.
"It's kind of like going to the doctor's office where you have that file on everything," Bullard said. "If my veterinarian's going to be here to look at a particular group of cows, I can just make a list."
The data helps farmers manage the cows more carefully as it allows them to work more efficiently and be more responsive when it comes to their cattle's health.
"We can look at a list right out of the gate and say, 'Well maybe these three cows, their activity or their chewing is pretty different than it was yesterday. We should go take a look at those first,'" she said.
The farm's vet, Meghan Flanagan, said this record is especially helpful when it comes to making changes in their diets.
"We're really trying to dial it down to a nitty-gritty detail level on a farm that's already well managed," Flanagan said. "You're also looking at a pool of data that's collected ongoing that can show you subtle changes."
Prior to this technology, Bullard said they had to rely on personal observation to notice a cow's activity, visually observing something may be wrong with a cow's health.
Bullard said cows at her farm have worn these rumination collars for about 10 years, but over time, the technology has advanced, making them more accurate and specific.