Gallagher and Midwest MicroSystems L.L.C. announced today additional automation compatibility between Midwest’s Cow Sense® herd management software and the Gallagher 700 indicator. These features offer tremendous benefits to Gallagher customers who are also Cow Sense users. These individuals can now use their Gallagher 700 indicator to record data in the field and then download directly into their Cow Sense herd file.
“This new capability is inline with our ‘Smart Technology Made Simple’ theme,” says Todd Mach, Products Manager for Gallagher USA of North Kansas City, Missouri. “We have had a good working relationship with the people at Cow Sense. Through that relationship we realized that we are both working toward the same goal of simplifying record keeping for today’s progressive producers,” explains Mach. “It just made sense that we raise the bar to the next level and deliver a product to our joint customers that would further simplify their data collection needs, be durable enough to stand up to inclement weather and working conditions, as well as automate the process of delivering data between our two systems. You can use the Gallagher 700 indicator for any type of data collection and you don’t have to use it with loadbars. Just collect data with it!” Mach continued. “In addition to weight, the Gallagher 700 is compatible with RFID readers to record the EID with the animal’s visual identification or tag number. Furthermore the 700 has customizable features to collect additional information on a particular animal’s record. Our customers can configure this indicator to provide fields to capture additional data such as calving, weaning, or yearling information in what we term ‘Trait Tables’. The developers at Cow Sense created standardized trait tables that can be loaded on our 700 indicator and deliver the information back to Cow Sense in a common language, streamlining and simplifying the process for a producer-user to load into their Cow Sense herd” concludes Mach.
“Data entry is often the biggest hurdle to successful record keeping. Tools like the Gallagher 700 that simplify data collection and automate data exchange are a great asset to producers” adds Tim Davis, Vice President of Midwest Microsystems, developers of Cow Sense herd management software. “We have long had automated systems for delivering weight data from the Gallagher Scale indicators and RFID readers into Cow Sense on a chute-side computer. The preformatted ‘Cow Sense Trait Tables’ provide a convenient means of capturing data in the Gallagher 700, then upon return to the home or office computer import it to Cow Sense with a few mouse clicks.
The Cow Sense Trait Forms allow users to capture critical data points tied to events including: adding cow, bull and calf records to a herd or updating existing records with birth, weaning, yearling, breeding or preg check data. The built-in checks and balances in the verification process help to make sure all the necessary data has been entered before the data is added to records in Cow Sense With the data successfully stored in Cow Sense, you can immediately begin to use the powerful analysis and reporting features for management decisions”.
Both Cow Sense and the Gallagher 700 interface with electronic RFID tags and readers. This allows the user to key in the animals visual ID tag or identification and scan the EID. Once this information has been downloaded into Cow Sense those two numbers are linked. Once the animals EID is in Cow Sense, the user only has to scan the EID when collecting subsequent data. When the additional data is downloaded Cow Sense adds it to the animal record linking to that EID number.
“No two ranches or farms are the same, and their data collection needs are no exception. We strive to provide our customers with simple solutions from which they can choose to meet their record keeping needs,” added Davis. “We emphasize to our customers not to let any software dictate their management, but allow their management to dictate how they use the software. The Cow Sense Trait Forms are an example of that solutions simplified focus. Our joint customers of Cow Sense and Gallagher are the beneficiaries.”
About Cow Sense® herd management software
Cow Sense Software is the flagship product of Midwest Microsystems L.L.C. The company deploys superior quality, integrated information management systems in the global market. Cow Sense is a prime example, as it was the first Windows based commercially produced and sold software on the market in 1994. Today Cow Sense has evolved into a suite of products with the original herd management software at the core. Advanced technology, flexibility, functionality for user customization yet Cowboy friendly features have made Cow Sense the dominant herd management program on the market.
About Gallagher
Gallagher’s global Research and Product Development department employs 70- people, including 18 engineers, and owns more than 100 international patents. This has enabled Gallagher to develop state-of-the-art products to meet the present and future needs of livestock producers and consumers.
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