Farmtec has received an award in the Smart Farming category for its Vitalimetr FA25 at AGRISHOW 2026 - Trade Fair for Crop and Animal Production.
Vitalimetr is a special collar for cattle that monitors the animals’ physical activity and makes it possible to assess their health status and welfare in real time. Data on movement, feed intake and rumination give farmers a detailed overview of every cow in the herd.
“By monitoring movement, it is possible to determine the current health status of each cow. The animal’s activity is compared every hour against its own average, including movement, eating and rumination,” says Bohumil Belada, Director of Farmtec.
Rumination as an Important Indicator
Monitoring rumination time and feed intake is one of the key tools in herd management. Both activities have a major impact on the performance and health of dairy cows.
Practical experience, as well as the results of expert studies, show that changes in rumination can provide an early warning of the onset of disease, metabolic disorders or the effects of stress factors.
For example, it has been found that rumination time decreases as early as 48 hours before other symptoms of stress or illness appear. Possible causes include not only health complications, but also improper handling, heat stress, overcrowded pens or frequent animal movements.
A reduction in rumination time has also been recorded up to 10 days before hoof disease is diagnosed, allowing farmers to respond in time.
Another advantage of the solution is its practical use: the collars have a long range, so they can also be used in distant paddocks or on pastures. Their service life ranges from 8 to 10 years, and data can be stored throughout the animal’s lifetime.
Data Evaluation Using Artificial Intelligence
The collected data is continuously processed and evaluated using artificial intelligence, enabling precise monitoring of changes in animal behaviour. Users can view this information on a mobile device, where they can also enter animal husbandry events to help the AI interpret the animal’s current life stage.
In addition, users can now view charts of eating, rumination and physical activity for individual groups both in the Vitalimetr.com application and in the FARMSOFT program. This functionality makes it possible to identify problems in nutrition and feeding management at an early stage and thereby minimise the negative impact of low feed intake during critical periods, such as the time around calving.