Bolus measuring water intake scoops innovation award
3rd February 2023
Dairy innovator smaXtec was named winner of the Royal Dairy Innovation Award this year, for its new product TruDrinking.
(l-r): Michael Halliwell, Cattle Eye; Chris Howarth, SmaXtec; competition judge, Tim Downes; Dr Mark Young from award sponsors CIEL.
Judges crowned smaXtec this year’s award winner at the Dairy-Tech event in Warwickshire on Wednesday (1st February).
smaXtec’s TruDrinking bolus is the first product of its kind to accurately record individual cow water intake, helping farmers to optimise milk production and animal management.
TruDrinking records how often and how many litres of water a cow consumes a day using a bolus in the cows’ reticulum, which measures changes to body temperature after each time they drink. The information is then fed back to the farmer in real-time.
The technology can immediately detect any disruption to normal water consumption, which can be an early indicator of emerging health problems or flag an issue with the water supply.
RABDF council member Tim Downes judged this year’s competition with 2022 winner Michael Halliwell from Cattle Eye, and Dr Mark Young from award sponsors CIEL.
Commenting on the winner, Mr Downes said: “We liked the functionality and behavioural aspect of this novel product which measures water use and volume. Water is so important on dairy farms and often not thought about, making this product incredibly valuable for farmers.”
SmaXtec’s Chris Howarth received a signed framed certificate and will be presented with a trophy from Princess Royal later this year.
The award is presented to a company exhibiting at the show with a practical product or service providing the most significant innovation for the future of dairying.
The two runners-up were:
- UFAC – Envirolac: A palm-free fat supplement for high-yielding dairy cows. The product has been proven to increase milk yields and quality while offering a lower carbon footprint than palm-oil-based fat supplements.
- HerdVision – Auto Mobility & BCS: Provides real-time data on the health and nutrition of a herd. Using a small digital camera positioned above a race, 3D images are captured and fed back live by integrating with an intelligent online monitoring system. Data is delivered directly to the users’ phone or tablet – supporting daily management decisions.
