“Without this technology, it’s almost like stepping back in time.”
David Craven
Dairy Manager
Chester, United Kingdom
Grosvenor Farms thrives with Nedap CowControl™
At Grosvenor Farms Ltd., located on the historic Eaton Estate, David Craven oversees a large-scale operation with 2,600 dairy cows and 2,000 youngstock spread across 6,000 acres. Managing such a vast herd requires precision and efficiency; challenges that Nedap CowControl™ has helped them meet.
“The introduction to Nedap collars allowed us to have in-time information,” David shares. “It gives us also collective information across what the herd were doing at any one point in time, and that allows us to do multiple functional things.” By accessing real-time data, the team can monitor the herd’s behavior, optimize feeding schedules, and fine-tune daily routines to maintain top productivity and animal welfare.
A key advantage of the technology is its ability to treat cows individually while maintaining a holistic view of the entire herd. “It’s just really important to see every step of the journey that she takes, from lactation into a dry period and calving, so we can monitor that cow as effectively as we possibly can,” explains David. Early detection of health issues allows for prompt treatment, supporting cows through successive lactations and directly contributing to a reduced carbon footprint.
By keeping cows healthy and productive for longer, Grosvenor Farms not only improves their sustainability metrics but also ensures consistently high standards of animal care and farm output. “We’re trying to reduce our impact on the environment, but make sure the productivity remains high and the cows remain very healthy,” says David.
"We're trying to reduce our impact on the environment, but make sure the productivity remains high and the cows remain very healthy,"
The location feature within the Nedap system has become essential to daily operations. “Without it now, it’s almost like stepping back in time,” David admits. The ability to pinpoint an animal’s location to within a few meters using a mobile phone has saved significant labor hours and eliminated guesswork during critical tasks like bovine tuberculosis testing.
“I would certainly recommend having the cow locating feature on your farm, especially if you’ve got herd sizes over 500 cows,” he says. “It can take an awful lot of time to try and find them without this type of equipment.” For Grosvenor Farms, withdrawing the system now would be unthinkable. “I think if I’d said to the guys on the farm now we’re going to withdraw it, I think we’d have a lot of upset people.”
"I would certainly recommend having the cow locating feature on your farm, especially if you've got herd sizes over 500 cows."
With a large team managing the farm, maintaining consistent protocols is critical. Before the adoption of collars and technology, reliance on individual stockmanship led to variability. Now, “everybody is on the same page because we have a lot of people that run this farm,” David notes. The system provides objective data points for everyone, allowing even new or less experienced staff to make informed decisions confidently.
Monitor cows effectively and early detection of health issues
Improved sustainability metrics by keeping cows healthy and productive for longer
Being able to pinpoint an animals location to within a few meter has saved a significant amount of labor hours
Real-time data insights for top productivity and animal welfare
