Smarter Herds, Thanks to Al

Cattleytics brings real-time Al to dairy farms, cutting waste and improving herd care with data-driven task automation and early alerts.

2 May 2025

Dairy farming is not typically associated with artificial intelligence. Yet as margins shrink and labour grows scarce, a quiet technological shift is under way. Cattleytics, a small agricultural-technology firm, is helping farmers apply Al to the less glamorous aspects of herd management with surprisingly practical results.

Unlike many ag-tech offerings, which lean heavily on cameras or sensors, Cattleytics takes a simpler approach. It draws on data farmers already collect, such as health logs, breeding notes and visual observations, and uses machine learning to generate early alerts and recommend task sequences. The aim is not automation for its own sake but better workflow.

"We're taking the guesswork out of herd management," says Dr Shari van de Pol, the firm's chief executive. Rather than track cows by video, the platform proposes Al-guided protocols based on existing practices. The outcome, says Dr van de Pol, is "faster action and smarter planning."

The service starts at $759 per year, low enough to appeal to smaller and mid-sized farms, a demographic often excluded by costly technology. The platform is designed to lighten administrative burdens and free up time for higher-value work. Cattleytics claims it helps boost fertility rates, cut waste and reduce the need for labour devoted to paperwork and monitoring.

Such offerings arrive at a moment of tension. Fertiliser prices remain volatile. Staffing remains difficult. Farmers face growing scrutiny over traceability and emissions. Though Al cannot milk a cow, it can make sure the right one gets inseminated on time.

Critics of Al in agriculture often point to dehumanisation or overreliance on machines. Cattleytics appears to avoid this trap. "We're not replacing workers," says Dr van de Pol. "We're empowering them."

That claim may seem grand. But if Al can turn chaotic schedules and incomplete records into reliable action plans, it may prove quietly transformative. On America's dairy farms, intelligence, unlike milk, is in short supply. Platforms like this may help restore the balance.