Services

Cow Coach is an independent consultancy firm that makes technology & automation profitable for dairy farmers, suppliers and veterinarians.

Icoontje voor opstartbegelding.

Start-up support for robotic milking

Are you switching to robotic milking soon? f so, you may be facing some important choices that will determine the future direction of your farm. Cow Coach can help you prepare in terms of barn design, cow traffic, work organisation, animal health and robot performance. We formulate clear objectives and monitor the most important key performance indicators until the milking robots are up and running smoothly.

Benefits

You receive independent advice so you can make informed decisions

Problems and pitfalls are recognized and tackled ahead of time

Changes in management (e.G. nutrition, labour, …) are discussed in advance

Practical

You can choose from a limited, standard, or extended start-up package, ranging from 1 to multiple farm visits. Tailor-made solutions can be discussed.

For whom

Dairy farmers thinking of switching to automatic milking (new robot barns or retrofits)

Price

The price depends on the farm size (current number of cows/future number of milking robots) and the type of support package (limited/standard/extended)

Kristine van Cow Coach houdt tablet vast. Ze staat in een koeiestal.
Icoontje voor doorlichting bedrijf.

Farm audit

Are things not going as planned? Is the number of milkings going down? Cow Coach can help you get back on track with a farm audit in which we take a closer look at the milking process, robot settings, animal health, general management and housing. We do a targeted problem analysis in consultation with trusted partners on the farm (feed advisor, veterinarian, ...). A dynamic milking test can be carried out to examine the performance of the milking machine.

Benefits

An independent, external perspective of your problem

Open dialogue with all involved parties 

Problem-solving and analytical approach

Practical

A single farm visit, preferably with all involved parties (e.g. nutritionist, veterinarian, ….). A few days or weeks later, we discuss the results of the intervention in a virtual meeting (Whatsapp, Teams, …)

For whom

Dairy farms (with automatic or conventional milking systems) that encounter problems in terms of milk production, milk quality, udder health, …

Price

We charge a fixed price per farm visit (no hourly rate). Reduced rates can be applied for business wishing to enter a long-term partnership with Cow Coach.

Icoontje voor opvolging uiergezondheid.

Monitoring udder health

Mastitis is a costly problem: it leads to involuntary culling, increased use of antibiotics, milk losses and a lot of frustration. Prevention is better than cure. That is why Cow Coach routinely monitors udders health through available farm data: bulk milk somatic cell counts, dairy herd improvement records, robotic milking data, … In addition, we also offer milk culturing to obtain rapid bacteriological results for selective treatment of cows.

Benefits

Systematic prevention and control of udder problems

Selective treatment of mastitis cows and dry cows

Lower somatic cell count and fewer mastitis cases benefits the farmer & the cows!

Practical

The udder health is discussed on-site every 4 to 6 weeks. This can be preceded by a general farm audit in which we review the milking process, housing, nutrition, general cow health and possible sources of infection. A dynamic milking test can be carried out to examine the performance of the milking machine.

For whom

Dairy farmers striving for a lower somatic cell count, fewer mastitis cases, and fewer treatments

Price

We charge a fixed price per cow per visit for routine monitoring.

Een koe in de stal. Focus op de uier.
Icoontje voor coaching en ondersteuning.

Work organisation coaching

Do you want to improve the efficiency of your farm, reduce the workload and strengthen your cooperation with staff and family members? In this coaching process, we analyse the farm’s current work organisation and protocols, and we create an action plan with all involved partners based on proven lean management techniques. To maximize the results, we will coach you and your employees for a period of 6-8 weeks.

Benefits

Prevent all kinds of waste (energy, time and costs)

Develop clear protocols and key performance indicators

Create a culture change among employees

Practical

You can request a free (virtual) introduction meeting (30 minutes) to discuss your specific needs and requirements in detail. Afterwards, you decide whether you want to start the coaching process, which lasts 6-8 weeks and included 3-4 farm visits.

For whom

Agricultural businesses looking to optimize their work processes, for example:

Growing farms dealing with external employees, high workload, …

Farms with diversification activities (e.g. agro-tourism, artisanal dairy products, …)

Family farms with multiple generations working together

Price

The introduction meeting is free of charge. A fixed price is applied for the coaching process price (no hourly rates).

Project & innovation management

We help agri-food companies develop their technology-driven innovation projects, from idea to marketing testing. Thanks to our experience in setting up and managing (inter)national projects, we have a wide network to bring your concept to life. Cow Coach can help in the search for appropriate grants and partners, writing out project ideas, managing projects, setting up field studies and conducting market research.

Benefits

We offer extensive expertise in (inter)national project management

You gain access to a broad network and specific sector knowledge

Outsourcing tasks gives you more time to focus on the actual subject matter

Practical

Project and innovation support is a custom-made process. That is why we always start with a free online introductory meeting in which we go over your wishes and needs.

For whom

SME’s based in Flanders looking to translate their ideas into an agricultural product

International consortia looking for partnerships

Companies looking to outsource specialized (project-related) tasks

Example

Cow Coach handled the project management for W. Govaerts & co within the imec.icon project named “Bolucap”. A digital rumen bolus was developed in 2,5 years to monitor the health and welfare of dairy goats.

Kristine van Cow Coach geeft een bespreking voor een klas vol boeren.