SenseHub Milk Monitoring Technology: Answering Key Questions for Dairy Farmers
Published July 18, 2025 by Agriland Team
In the evolving landscape of Irish dairy farming, technology advancements are increasingly pivotal in enhancing productivity, animal welfare, and overall farm profitability. One such innovation, MSD Animal Health’s SenseHub Dairy Ecosystem, offers cutting-edge tools to support farmers in managing their herds more efficiently. Central to this system is the SenseHub Milk Monitoring Technology, which provides real-time insights into milk production and quality at the individual cow level.
What is SenseHub Milk Monitoring Technology?
At its core, SenseHub Milk Monitoring Technology integrates two sophisticated sensors:
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Inline MilkPlus Sensor: This device measures six important milk constituents—yield, fat, protein, lactose, blood, and conductivity—giving a comprehensive overview of milk quality and cow performance during each milking.
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Inline Somatic Cell Count (SCC) Sensor: Operating as an automated California milk test, this sensor provides somatic cell count readings for each cow within two minutes of milking, crucial for early detection of mastitis and other udder health issues.
How Can SenseHub Improve Farm Management?
SenseHub offers valuable, data-driven insights to farmers by continuously monitoring the herd and highlighting weekly trends. Key functionalities include:
- Identification of low-yielding cows or those with imbalanced fat-to-protein ratios.
- Early detection of cows with elevated somatic cell counts signaling potential health concerns.
- Timely notifications that alert farmers to issues, enabling prompt intervention.
Such targeted management helps farmers optimize herd health and productivity on a per-cow basis.
Impact on Profitability
Milk solids are a major driver of dairy farm income, with the average Irish cow producing about 450 kg of milk solids annually. As 1 kg of milk solids is valued at approximately €6, increasing solids yield by just 25 kg per cow in a 100-cow herd can boost profitability by €15,000 per lactation.
The MilkPlus sensor’s daily milk solid reports empower farmers to make informed decisions on nutrition and management to maximize solids production. Additionally, high somatic cell counts (SCCs) negatively affect milk yield and farm profit. Research from Teagasc reveals that better mastitis control can improve net profitability by at least 1 cent per litre of milk.
Animal Health Ireland’s cost calculator further illustrates the financial impact: a 100-cow herd with SCC levels between 100,000 and 200,000 cells/ml may incur losses around €17,500 due to milk production deficits alone, excluding treatment and replacement costs.
Role of Nutrition Monitoring
Nutrition plays an essential role in maintaining peak milk yield and quality. Since fat and protein levels directly reflect dietary inputs, monitoring these metrics lets farmers adjust feeding strategies to enhance performance. For example:
- A drop in milk protein may signal the need for improved feed quality or quantity.
- Variations in butterfat levels can prompt balancing of fibre sources in the diet.
Stable or improving milk fat and protein percentages while managing peak lactation declines are key nutritional goals supported by SenseHub data.
Health Monitoring and Early Issue Detection
By recording daily measurements of milk constituents and SCC, SenseHub helps identify subtle changes that may indicate metabolic disorders, mastitis, or other health challenges. Timely alerts permit early intervention, reducing severity and treatment costs.
For instance, second-round grazing often leads to suppressed butterfat levels due to subacute rumen acidosis risks. SenseHub flags such trends, allowing farmers to adjust management promptly.
Enhancing Breeding Decisions
Continuous milk quality data allows farmers to distinguish cows consistently producing high-quality milk. These top-performing animals can be prioritized in breeding programs to accelerate genetic gains and narrow performance gaps within the herd.
Accessing and Using the Data
All SenseHub milk data is conveniently accessible via the SenseHub Dairy App, compatible with smartphones and computers. The app features:
- Pre-made reports detailing each cow’s milk yield, solids, and SCC.
- Customizable reporting options tailored to farm-specific needs.
- Integration with SenseHub Drafting Gates for automatic sorting and management of flagged cows.
Also, the Inline SCC Sensor has a visual optical warning light in the milking pit displaying three colors based on SCC levels, alerting farmers instantly to potential issues during milking.
Standalone Technology – No Prior SenseHub Required
Importantly, farmers do not need to be existing SenseHub customers to utilize this milk monitoring technology. It can operate as a standalone system, making it accessible to a wide range of dairy farms.
For Irish dairy farmers seeking to harness technology for smarter herd management, SenseHub Milk Monitoring Technology offers a powerful toolset to drive productivity, health, and profitability. To learn more about SenseHub, visit MSD Animal Health’s SenseHub page.
Published by Agriland Media Ltd., supporting Irish agriculture with the latest news and technical insights.
