How many apps do you currently have on your smartphone? The answer is probably more than you think. The average person has 80 apps downloaded on their mobile device and uses approximately 20 of them each month, according to a 2019 study conducted by Statista. To date, there are more than 1.96 million apps available on the Apple App Store and more than 2.87 million apps up for grabs on Google Play. According to BuildFire, 49% of people open an app 11 plus times each day and the average smartphone owner uses 10 apps per day and 30 apps each month.
Apps are no stranger to managing a business and even a dairy farm. In fact, Shawn Miller with Pagel’s Ponderosa in Kewaunee, Wis., has been utilizing technology with his calf manager role for several years.
“Technology makes you think differently and teaches you to approach situations differently,” he adds. “A once difficult task now is simple as just a few keystrokes.”
Miller’s iPad has become one of the most important tools he uses in raising calves. The following are five apps he wouldn’t give up:
WeatherBug
This app tracks the daily weather and future forecast. I use it to prepare for the weather and know how to adjust the curtains in the calf barns.
Secure Guard
The Secure Guard app provides a live feed from the maternity area cameras to my iPad or computer. I use it to monitor calves in the warming pens so I know how many calves I’ll have coming to our calf facilities the following day.
TeamViewer
With this app, I can look at DairyComp and other programs on the farm’s main computer from offsite locations. That means I can look up individual animals anywhere.
Notes
This is a standard app on Apple devices. I use it to track any changes that happen at the calf site, such as starting a trial, changing a product or anything of significance. I will also make notes of any noticeable trends and monitor employee activities to reference in future performance reviews.
Camera
Nothing says it better than a picture. When I walk through a calf barn and calves don’t look good, I will take a picture, edit it to write down the information (number, site, etc.) and then text the photo to the herd manager, so the calf doesn’t get overlooked.
