On any given day, dairy farmers juggle a hundred moving parts—feeding, milking, herd health, and everything in between. But one area where precision really pays off is reproduction. After all, keeping cows pregnant and calving on schedule is what helps drive milk production and profitability. That’s where technology, like activity monitors, is making a big difference in how producers detect heats, make breeding decisions, and ultimately improve reproductive efficiency.
At a recent Dairy Herd Health and Management meeting hosted by Merck, Dr. Todd Bilby, director of dairy technical services, shared his insights on how activity monitors enhance reproductive efficiency on dairies. Here are his top takeaways:
Smarter Heat Detection
Activity monitoring technology is giving producers a more precise and efficient way to detect heats, taking reproduction management to the next level. By tracking movement, behavior, and even physiological changes, these systems are helping to identify cows in estrus more accurately, leading to improved breeding success.
“Activity monitors do a nice job of being able to catch a cow in estrus,” Bilby explains. “Some farms are better than others at detecting heats, but there are a lot of factors that impact estrus expression—heat stress, cows spending more time on concrete, illness, or lameness. All of these can make it harder to catch cows in heat.”
By using activity systems, producers can track changes in movement and behavior, making it easier to identify cows ready for breeding.
Beyond just detecting heats, these systems provide valuable insights into the intensity and timing of estrus, which can help refine breeding decisions.
“We’re learning more about how activity systems can influence reproductive strategies,” he says. “For example, if a cow shows a strong heat during the voluntary waiting period, she may not need as many reproductive hormones. On the other hand, if she doesn’t show a heat, she might benefit from a more structured synchronization program.”
This approach, known as targeted reproductive management, allows producers to tailor breeding protocols to individual cows rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach.
Enhancing, Not Replacing, Reproductive Programs
Bilby notes that activity monitoring technology isn’t a fix for poor fertility—it’s a tool for farms that already have strong reproductive performance and want to take it to the next level.
“This is not something you do when you’re having problems with fertility,” he says. “It’s more about asking, ‘What’s the next step? How can I be a little more efficient?’ Maybe you want to maintain high fertility but use fewer hormone shots, or improve heat detection to get more cows bred naturally.”
For farms looking to fine-tune their reproductive program, activity systems offer a way to increase efficiency without sacrificing results. That being said, timed AI still plays an important role, even with the best technology.
“Don’t think that you’re going to get rid of timed AI completely,” Bilby adds. “You might reduce the number of shots, but there will always be cows that need a synchronization program. It’s your insurance tool—your safety net for those cows that don’t show a heat.”
By using activity monitors alongside a strategic AI program, producers can be more aggressive with heat detection, re-insemination, and overall reproductive management, helping to ensure more cows get bred in a timely manner while optimizing efficiency.
Heat Stress: A Silent Repro Killer
With summer around the corner, heat stress becomes one of the biggest roadblocks to reproductive success. Farmers in hot climates—like Florida, Texas, and California—already know the struggle. High temperatures reduce estrus expression, shorten estrus duration, increase anestrus periods, and even contribute to ovarian cysts.
“I’ve lived in Florida, California, Arizona, and Texas—pretty much the hottest spots in the U.S.,” Bilby laughs. “No matter how you look at it, heat stress affects the cow negatively. It reduces estrus expression, reduces the duration of estrus, increases the amount of time it takes them to recover and show a heat and increases cystic ovarian disease.”
Cooling strategies like fans, sprinklers, and shade are the best frontline defense, but activity monitors add another layer of insight. These systems can track breathing rates and panting behavior, helping farmers pinpoint problem areas—whether it’s long lock-up times in the parlor or fans being turned off too soon.
“You can look at breathing and panting and actually look by pen, look across your herd, and try to really dial in on where’s the bottleneck, where’s some issues that might be happening,” he explained. “Is it in your parlor? Are your lock-up times too long? Maybe guys are going through the pens and turning fans off while they’re in there or turning soaker lines off. You can start pinpointing when some of these issues occur and do it pretty quickly by using the panting or breathing behavior that’s on this technology system.”
Overcoming Challenges: Trusting the System
Implementing activity monitoring technology comes with a learning curve, and one of the biggest challenges producers face is trusting the system.
“At the beginning, when you’re used to doing things a certain way, and someone comes in and says, ‘I promise, this will be easier,’ it’s hard to make that leap,” Bilby explains.
With so many moving parts on a dairy, adjusting to a new system takes time, and success often starts with blending old methods with new technology until confidence in the system is built.
Beyond trust, proper system maintenance and education are crucial to maximizing the benefits.
“Once you’re relying on the system, small things—like making sure all tags are working, collars are on cows instead of sitting in the office—really matter,” he says. Keeping up with tag maintenance and software updates ensures accurate data collection, which is essential for effective decision-making. Additionally, working closely with product consultants can help producers learn how to interpret and apply the data, helping to unlock the full value of the technology.
Using Technology to Enhance Repro Success
As dairy farms continue to evolve, technology is playing an increasingly vital role in improving reproductive efficiency. Activity monitoring systems can help provide producers with real-time insights that enhance heat detection, optimize breeding strategies, and help mitigate challenges like heat stress. While these tools don’t replace traditional reproductive management, they offer a way to refine and improve existing programs, making reproduction more efficient and effective.
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