Thomas Sawyer, Farm Manager
Waterford, California, USA
At Diamond S Ranch in Waterford, California, dairy farming is a long tradition. The Sawyer family has been milking cows since the early 1960s. Today, Farm Manager Thomas Sawyer oversees just under 1,000 Holstein cows. To keep the farm strong for the future, he knows change is necessary.
“We’ve been milking cows here since the early 1960s and we know that if we want to keep milking cows here we’re gonna have to constantly adapt and improve our operation, find ways to be more efficient,” Thomas explains.
That mindset led Diamond S Ranch to install Alta Cow Watch, powered by Nedap.
One of the main reasons Thomas chose Alta Cow Watch was to improve reproduction. Heat detection was especially important.
“The most impressive feature of the Alta Cow Watch is definitely the heat detection,” he says.
The results came quickly. Since installing the system, the farm has seen clear improvements in both conception rate and pregnancy rate.
“Since installing the Alta Cow Watch system we’ve had higher preg rates, higher conception rates and more cows pregnant on the farm than ever before.”
According to Anthony Reis, Dairy Business Manager at Alta Genetics, the numbers confirm this success. In the first nine weeks, conception rate increased by 13.4%, and pregnancy rate went up by eight points. That resulted in 62 extra pregnancies compared to the same period last year, almost one extra pregnancy per day.
For Thomas, these results mean more than just numbers. More pregnancies lead to better milk production and stronger profitability for the farm.
Learn how Diamond S Ranch improved reproduction & cow health with Alta Cow Watch
Beyond reproduction, Alta Cow Watch has improved herd health management. The system provides detailed data on each cow, helping the team act earlier when problems appear.
“Having Alta Cow Watch as a manager has been really helpful,” Thomas says. “It makes me feel like I have an extra tool that’s looking out and giving data on each one of our cows down to the individual cow level.”
The collars monitor activity and temperature changes. This helps the team detect sick cows, even before visible signs appear.
“We’d have a cow that didn’t even look like she was sick… and find out that she actually does have a temperature, even though she’s not showing any physical signs, because the collar had picked up on that inactivity.”
By identifying health issues earlier, the farm can treat cows sooner and prevent more serious problems.
“So we’re diagnosing and treating problems sooner, before problems get more severe,” Thomas explains. As a result, they use less medication and reduce monthly drug costs.
Thomas admits he was concerned at first about how the system would integrate with their existing software.
“I was a little worried about the integration in the system and just how the data would be able to talk to each other, but it was pretty seamless.”
The Alta Cow Watch system communicates smoothly with DHI-Plus. By pairing the collar sensor with the ear tag sensor, the farm now gets more accurate milk weight readings in the parlor. This was an unexpected bonus.
The installation process was also simple and well supported.
“They brought a whole team out to help us get the system set up and going. It only took about a day. And we were up and running, we were getting data from the very first few hours.”
Thomas also appreciates the ongoing support. “Anytime I have a question or an issue, it’s real easy to get in touch with somebody and get an answer.”
Looking ahead, Diamond S Ranch plans to add a sort gate connected to Alta Cow Watch. This will automatically sort cows for breeding or health checks, saving time and reducing stress for both cows and staff.
For Thomas Sawyer, Alta Cow Watch is more than just technology. It is a tool that helps his team work smarter, improve cow health, and increase profitability.
By continuing to adapt and invest in innovation, Diamond S Ranch is ready to keep milking cows for many years to come.
In the first nine weeks, conception rate increased by 13.4%, and the pregnancy rate went up by eight points
The farm is able to diagnose and treat health issues sooner, resulting in less use of medication and a reduce in monthly drug costs
The farm already used the DHI-Plus software, which communicated smoothly with the Alta Cow Watch. By pairing the collar sensor with the ear tag sensor, the farm now gets more accurate milk weight readings in the parlor.
