Hi Sandra, Thanks for your thoughtful question! When a cow appears on the health list (like 12/23) with a sign such as increased conductivity, the first step is always closely reviewing the associated data, including other indicators like milk yield, rumination, and temperature if available. Increased conductivity alone isn't always conclusive, so context is key. Whether to wait or act immediately depends on the cow’s history and the presence of additional symptoms. If the cow has a record of mastitis or other issues, or if multiple signs are showing, a prophylactic approach like administering a bolus or supportive treatment may be justified. Otherwise, it may be enough to monitor closely, increase hygiene measures, and adjust the milking routine. As for early detection, the key is to use trends, not just spikes—the power of these systems lies in their ability to reveal subtle changes early. By regularly reviewing reports and responding to minor deviations, we can often prevent acute illness entirely. This includes maintaining clean equipment, reducing stressors, and ensuring proper nutrition and rest. Ultimately, it's about balancing data insights with animal observation and experience. Would love to hear how others are managing this in their herds!

Hi Juli!

Danke für deine ausführliche Antwort! Ich bin absolut deiner Meinung!

Aber mich würde es eben auch interessieren, wie andere Betriebe damit umgehen/arbeiten und reagieren. Vielleicht kann ich ja noch den ein oder anderen Tipp in meinen Arbeitsalltag integrieren!

Hi Sandra! Based on my experience with a small herd (both without milking robot as with a single A5), knowing your herd and the single cows can make quite a difference in the way to act: if I know a specific cow (or as general trend of any cow appearing on the reports) tends to have a record of isolated spikes in SCC or conductivity without any other major symptoms, then I usually don't pay too much attention to it since I know it's just an hiccup which usually solves itself in short time without the need to (over)react. The other way around, if I see unusual trends, unusual cows or an unusual amount of cows appearing on the reports, then I give a closer look to the data and keep an eye more on what happens in the barn. Of course, the more advanced data and tools you have available, the easier it gets to recognize patterns/outliers and taking informed decisions, even more with larger herds.
This is just my experience and having anyway feedback from your vet is important to be sure on what the best is to avoid both overreacting, wasting time and money, but also acting too late or too lightly, with suboptimal recover or even a worsening of the condition as result

That is a good point i think. One thing I’ve been wondering: have you ever tried using any kind of automatic follow-up filters or reminders in Horizon for cows that tend to show up with those “hiccups”? Like setting a tag or soft alert just to keep an eye without having to manually check each time? I’m curious if that’s something you’ve found helpful, or if it’s easier for you to just track it mentally since your herd’s smaller.

That is a good point i think. One thing I’ve been wondering: have you ever tried using any kind of automatic follow-up filters or reminders in Horizon for cows that tend to show up with those “hiccups”? Like setting a tag or soft alert just to keep an eye without having to manually check each time? I’m curious if that’s something you’ve found helpful, or if it’s easier for you to just track it mentally since your herd’s smaller.