In the green countryside of Vecauce, Latvia information technologies are empowering the decision making at the dairy farm. Vecauce dairy barn, is a modern, data-driven facility that’s integrating advanced digital tools to transform traditional livestock farming.

As part of the AgriDataValue project, the dairy barn serves as a real-world testbed for smart farming solutions. One of the solutions used are cow pedometers. Cow pedometers are small, wearable sensors that are redefining how farmers monitor and care for their animals.

From Steps to Insights: The Role of Cow Pedometers

Much like fitness trackers for humans, cow pedometers are attached to each animal to continuously measure movement, steps, and activity levels throughout the day. But this data goes far beyond simple step counts. These pedometers provide critical insights into:

• Heat detection: Increased activity often signals the optimal time for breeding, helping farmers improve reproductive success.
• Health monitoring: A sudden drop in movement can indicate illness or lameness, allowing for earlier intervention and improved animal welfare.
• Feeding behavior: Variations in activity patterns can reflect changes in feed intake, alerting farm staff to potential issues in diet or digestion.

By integrating pedometer data into digital dashboards and farm management software, the staff at Vecauce can make real-time, data-informed decisions – ensuring cows receive timely care, optimizing productivity, and reducing operational costs.

The application of cow pedometers is a clear step toward precision livestock farming, where each animal is monitored individually, and decisions are tailored accordingly. This not only boosts efficiency but also aligns with higher standards of animal welfare and sustainability – one of the goals of the AgriDataValue project.

Why It Matters for AgriDataValue

The data collected from cow pedometers doesn’t stay on the farm – it becomes a valuable part of the broader AgriDataValue ecosystem, feeding into models that enhance interoperability, data analytics, and evidence-based policy-making across the EU agri-food chain.

By showcasing success stories like Vecauce, AgriDataValue demonstrates the tangible benefits of digital transformation in agriculture—making farms more resilient, productive, and responsive to both market and societal demands.