Sensor data narrows the blind spot around calving and calf losses

Calf survival can become a more precise management and welfare variable when the calving period is no longer a blind spot. A project by Central Queensland University and the Northern Territory Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, supported by Meat & Livestock Australia, combines GPS, ear-mounted accelerometers and direct observation of breeding cows in northern Australia.

In its first stage, 100 pregnancy-tested breeders received GPS collars and accelerometer ear tags; 89 calved successfully. Movement data can locate animals in large paddocks, detect possible calving signals—separation from the herd and reduced movement—and document calf condition, maternal behaviour, body condition, and udder and teat conformation. This narrows a common information gap: losses are usually observed only somewhere between pregnancy testing and weaning.

Initial findings describe patterns rather than a selection formula. Most monitored Brahman cows kept calves close during the first week, while a smaller group used a crèche-like arrangement while grazing. At another station, composite cows showed that behaviour earlier. The team considers breed, climate and available resources possible drivers. It has not yet established that one maternal strategy is superior.

The most applicable signal is methodological: cow movement that remained more restricted than the pre-birth baseline coincided with calf problems, whereas mothers with healthy calves began moving with them the day after birth. The project will now move onto commercial operations. For the meat chain, the advance will matter if it produces early-warning indicators and practical decisions, rather than simply more data.