eCow pH Bolus User Guide
Contents
1. ccccccecccsececeeeeeeeeceeeeseeeseueeseeesaeesaeesseeeseuesseeeteeeseeeseeseeseeeseeeeeges 10 Uploading Dala Reena meen er aaa ee ean ee ee ee eee eee eee eee 11 VICI LINC DiI e E E A E 11 Getting to GPS WIT CeMo E ee uerueceandeucececnct 12 The Farm and Bolus Selection BOX ccccccccccssececseeeceeeeceeeecsegeeseaceseeeesueessasessegeeseneessueseeeeeetes 12 The Analysis and Events BOX ecdstasecancedacenaroasiviewqesdecosaecceatcedacumeneiastacatcentideacuiiwadivediessiucecqansenssadeees 12 AE ADI SC MON A T E E AE A E E E A EE E EET 13 The NOS a A E E EE 14 Temperature SUMMAN sereen orero eE E EEEE AERE EE EREEREER EET 14 BT UII U N E EEE P E EE E AEA EE AAS 14 BENA i 2100 eee ee E ene E E E E ee ee eee 15 PONAT O MA cs ctocsc stresses E A E E A E E E E sueneees tease 15 From saved files on your COMPUTED ccccceecccceseeceeeeceeeeceneeceacesseaeeseaeeceeseeseueessaeeseeeaeeseeaeesaes 15 From Ne Wep SEVE eeaeee E O E cade ceenmetoup neediest tesenguaseaccan 15 ON VS RAD EO eoo E E E E E A baen see 16 EXPONO DA ee T E A EE ee ee EE E A eee 16 SWE PNO eee E E E E E se aseeencosmnder 16 P eae araea E A E E E EE E EE EEOAE ATEA AEE 16 TOF OR assoc A E E 17 SU AU FAY E E EE A E O EE E E 18 Use inside other ANN AIS csessoeacs oss cbse ses enenaswwiinqicane a a a N aa aada aaa Da aad aaa aa 18 DV A O a R E E E saasie 18 Accidental Damage of the HandSe tvisc ceseiccsccrsusxseevectvwerevesacteiecsseusiwasauandeetataan2. page 13 of 18 Electronic Cow Management LIMITED eCow The Graphs There are three different graphs available for each bolus pH gt Plot raw C Summary Temperature Summary and the Daily pH profile To switch Plot raw pH between these graphs use the buttons shown to the right These are in the analysis tab of the Analysis and Events Box 9 Plot daly pH profile Daily pH mean Temperature Summary Acidosis index 42 41 4 40 4 gt 7 a 31 14 15 71 14 15 31 14 16 i4 16 71 14 17 01 14 17 i 1 ha 18 P 18 1 14 19 P 19 i aa 20 01 14 20 1 14 31 01 14 21 71 14 Date The Temperature Summary graph plots the temperature of your cow s rumen over a date range that may be customised The graph shown above is from a typical cow over a period of a week The sharp dips visible are the drops in temperature when a cow takes a drink a typical cow may have anywhere between 3 and 7 drinks per day Noticeable increases in temperature or lack of drinking events may signal an infection consult your vet 6 75 3 a M T aA SA 5 V J j u y i 14 01 14 15 01 14 15 01 14 16 01 14 16 01 14 17 01 14 17 01 14 18 01 14 18 01 14 19 01 14 19 01 14 20 01 14 20 01 14 21 01 14 Date The pH summary graph is a very powerful diagnostic tool Shown above is a pH summary graph for a cow fed each morning this is seen as a peak in pH which then falls after eating The patterns seen in the pH summary graph
3. able to choose what Bolus List Farm and what Bolus data you wish to view If you only have access to data from one farm then the Farm list may not be necessary for you Selecting a Bolus from the bolus list will display that bolus s data on the graph The Analysis and Events Box Analysis Event Diary Daily Mean Plot raw C Group All Plot raw pH 560 Plot daily pH profile 477 461 530 ACIGOSIS Index 610 535 Daily pH mean 0 00 387 612 Date This section has two tabs at the top one marked Analysis and another marked Events By default the software opens with the analysis tab selected In this view you can change between different types of graphs and analysis To switch between pH temperature or daily pH profile mean click the circle beside your desired graph on the left Groups may also be created here this is useful for grouping together certain cows who may all be on the same type of feed or housed in the same place To create a group click the button with a cow and a plus on in Once you have created a group you can select it from the group drop down menu to view only those cows Towards the right you have the Daily Mean graph which shows a plot of the pH averaged over each successive 24 hour period in the data you are viewing page 12 of 18 LIMITED eCow 3 Electronic Cow Management Analysis Event Diary Event List Event Description 13 10 201 MAS Click on the diary
4. side rule mentioned above is not universal and best positioning will vary from cow to cow Remember closer is not always better There is a sweet spot between 1 and 2 meters from the cow in page 10 of 18 Electronic Cow Management LIMITED eCow which signal strength will be the strongest The download has frozen halfway through A This is most likely due to a sudden loss of signal during the download Cancel the download by pressing the back button to the left of the home button and start again To prevent this from happening ensure you maintain proximity to the cow Uploading Data When you unplug the antenna after having downloaded new data the software will ask you whether you would like to upload the data now or postpone the upload This feature was included since at most farms there will be no internet connection around the cows On the screen shown to the right selecting OK will cause Bif 7 Dongle Disconnected the handset to try an upload immediately only do this if you know you have a reliable internet connection Once you have pressed OK you will see a progress bar for the upload to the server followed by a message telling you it is uploading to an email address as well Selecting postpone will postpone the data upload until the _ Postpone OK phone is next connected to WiFi at which time it will perform the upload automatically Press OK to Start data upload By default the data is sent to our eC
5. this will start the Hathor software 2 Choose the bolus you wish to download from by scrolling to its number Connecting to Bolus 3 Tap the download button 4 The software will now attempt to establish a connection with the bolus Please maintain proximity to cow 5 Once a connection has been established the handset will begin downloading data 6 Once the download is complete the handset will set the time and date settings on the bolus to ensure accuracy Please ensure you maintain proximity to the cow even once the progress bar has reached 100 to allow the handset to set the bolus time Cow Handling The practicalities of getting close enough to the cow to perform a full download may slightly complicate the process Although methods used can vary from cow to cow due to differing temperaments the fundamentals remain the same What follows are some suggestions for successful downloading e f possible do the download when the cows are being fed and are locked in yokes This eliminates the possibility of them walking away e Depending on the type of parlour used it may be easier to perform the downloads during milking e tis usually best to perform the download on the cow s left hand side standing near the front of the cow placing the antenna close to the left armpit of the cow e Best results are achieved by holding the handset between 1 and 2 metres from the COW e Some users report better downloads with the
6. MITED L eCow z Electronic Cow Management eCow pH Bolus User Guide pAIRY HERD FINALIST page 1 of 18 LIMITED Electronic Cow Management eCow Table of Contents MAE OCG UO Wx giounaraciananiite enum tounsnae nasumnewanwert cavavutamansnacepuoupa ncebesvananutescunutesnmeccuecrein boweedecwnustenas 3 Sy OH DOU eor A vale ne camnas E E E EEE E 3 ECOW Rands O Eoee eee a ee ee ee eee E E 3 MENCO ONI O cs ree E E E E E E EE EE 4 VACT 1 idl ale fo g O Deane ae eee EE E eee eee eee eee 5 Using the Hands bsan wach rece see SENE EEE E serach EENEN EE E Ea ences E EE 5 Connecting tO VIF Misc setcarrcicsronecccecnctat een sommemetanaes gat aaceahuubenbeeachwienevselaceeuscelass O AE S 5 PADO erona E E E EE E sss eassese cee esede sce aut s1 esananoasatenascesneeeetaessoqecee 6 Setting the Date ANd TimMe eccceccccsecccsececeeeecee cesses eeceaeeceaeeeseueessacesseeeseeeseeeeseeeessueeaeeeeeeaeesees 6 Setting the radio Time WINKOW cccccccecccececeeeceeeaeeeseeceeeceueceeeceeecseeceuesseeseeseeseeeeeseeeeseeaeeaeeaes T 2 System CC ALON cR a E 8 BOUS DEHIOYME M orris ens renkan EP E A EAE ETa E e a aaa O EEEN 8 Downloading and Uploading Datta ccccccccccccceccneeceeeeeeeeeceeese eee eeseeeeeeseeseeeseeseeeseeseesseeseeseeeges 8 Using Hathor 10 OWING AG essesi RERET OaE E Ea KONENE EEE EEEE OROAR EEEE 9 CON FA A ING stesso zane E E E E aepaaesecsuieseraants 9 Troubleshooting DOWNIOAS
7. abigeerexenseesanseaecesetewedce 18 Overheating the DeviCe nn1nnnannoennsennnnrnrrnnorrrnnrrrrnrrerrrsrrrrnrronrrsrrrsnrrrrrrenrrrnrrrrrennrrrsrrnrnrrnrnrrnnne 18 Immersing the sensor in very NOt Watel cccccceeeceeeeeeeeeseeeceeeeseeesaeeeseeeseeeeseeseeseeseeseeseeseeseeeaees 18 REUT roe EE A E E E E A E etanienareneatimestceneese 18 page 2 of 18 Electronic Cow Management LIMITED eCow 1 Introduction eCow pH Bolus The eCow pH bolus is the market leader for longevity size and stability of results in the area of dairy cow rumen monitoring The pH and temperature sensors reside in the punctured metal end cap The bolus is uniquely weighted such that it stands upright in the rumen thereby allowing for full immersion of the sensors and improved data readings At the top of the bolus there is a metal loop This is included for the convenience of our research customers allowing for easy retrieval of the bolus eCow farmBolus The inner workings of the bolus are securely encased in resin to protect them from the rumen liquor inside the cow By default the bolus logs pH and temperature in 15 minute intervals which allows for 28 days of data to be stored on the bolus Thanks to years of research and innovation the eCow bolus has a lifespan of 5 6 months of continuous use when used correctly eCow Handset Downloading data from the bolus is very simple with the use of our bespoke sof
8. age 6 of 18 Electronic Cow Management LIMITED eCow find them If it cannot find them then you may input them manually by following these steps 1 Press the home button to return to the home screen 2 Tap Settings 3 Scroll to the bottom of the list and tap Date and Time fourth up from the bottom 4 By default the phone will have the Automatic date and time option ticked Underneath this option it displays what it thinks the correct date and time are If the displayed date and time are correct then proceed no further if not go on to step 5 ol Untick the Automatic date and time box by tapping the tick 6 Tap on Set date and Set time and change them to the correct values for your region setting the radio Time Window This is an important step in ensuring the long battery life of the bolus The time window defines the period in which you will be able to communicate with the bolus during the day All boluses are shipped with a 24hr time window by default A time window of 9am 5pm is typical with our existing nutritionist customers and this means that they are able to download from the boluses at any time within the hours of 9am to 5pm With an 8 hour time window you can expect about 6 months battery life When outside of the time window it is not possible to communicate with the bolus at all This means that it is crucial you do not accidentally set the wrong time window For example if one were t
9. covered by the warranty Overheating the Device Long periods of time spent over 45 C will damage the device s internal electronics Similarly at temperatures above 30 C the device will deplete battery at an accelerated rate For storing the boluses the recommended temperature range is between 5 C and 20 C Immersing the sensor in very hot water As previously mentioned immersing the sensor in boiling or near boiling water will break the sensor This is not covered by the warranty Returns To make a warranty claim please phone eCow to receive further instructions page 18 of 18
10. d ee Your handset should now be connected to the internet s page 5 of 18 Electronic Cow Management eCow por Hathor To start the download software named Hathor plug the micro usb wire that protrudes from the bottom into the socket at the bottom of the phone Upon plugging the wire in you will be see the Hathor main page At the top of this page there is a scrolling list of all the Boluses installed on the phone and underneath this there are 4 buttons D a FAE The down arrow is the download button AE Pressing this button will start a download from Hathor the bolus highlighted at the top of the screen Note the boluses must be above 32 C for a Bolus ID download to be possible e The set of scales is the calibration button 6 s Pressing this will take you to the bolus calibration screen e The gear is the configuration button This button brings up the configuration screen e The graph axes represent the data viewer Pressing this takes you to the data viewer function which allows you to preview your downloaded data on the phone The first step to take upon receipt of new boluses is to reconfigure the time window unless you requested a specific time window when ordering Before doing this it is important to ensure that the handset has the correct time settings Setting the Date and Time The handset will download the local date and time settings from the internet if it is able to p
11. e Window Duration brings up a list of possible time window durations Select your desired duration then tap OK 6 Tap Set at the bottom left of the screen to send these new settings to the bolus and wait for the handset to say it has completed the process 3 System Operation Once the time windows have been configured your boluses are ready to be deployed and to start collecting data Bolus Deployment The eCow pH bolus is deployed in the same manner as any other standard bolus That is orally with the use of a balling gun available on the eCow store Bolus deployment should be performed by someone with experience a vet for example Once the bolus has been properly inserted it will take a few hours to settle into its resting place in the reticulum eCow does not warrant or encourage the use of its bolus in any animal other than cows Downloading and Uploading Data Boluses must be downloaded from at least once every 28 days to prevent data loss If left for longer than 28 days the bolus will overwrite the older values to accommodate the new data The following sections will first describe how to download data from a software point of view then how best to handle the cow when downloading and finally an overview of the upload process page 8 of 18 Electronic Cow Management LIMITED Using Hathor to Download To make the software download from the bolus 1 Plug the antenna into the bottom of the handset
12. entry to Cow 980 558 had Mastitis on 20 10 see the event description Press to add Press to remove selecting the Events Diary tab brings up the events view In this view you can add and remove events to be plotted on your data graphs This can be used to add events such as calving or illness to a graph which can help identify anomalous pH or temperature readings The Graph Section Bolus b Cow c Farm f el OW Recorded on dd mm yyyy pH plot from dd mm yyyy to dd mm yyyy 8 00 gt pH 5 00 4 0 1 0 1 70 Date Time under 5 8pH Hrs Data View Day Week All ShowEvents ResetZoom This is the section in which you will see your data displayed Starting at the top you have the Graph title which is shown as Bolus c Cow c Farm f in this is example On the graph there is a red line which indicates the acidosis threshold pH 5 8 below which the cow may be at risk of acidosis In the bottom left there are two boxes which show how many hours the cow has spent underneath pH 5 8 as well as a percentage of time spent under the threshold Towards the bottom right there are the options to change between Day Week and All data views Finally on the bottom right you have the buttons Show Events and Reset Zoom Pressing the show events button toggles weather the events are shown on the graph and pressing Reset Zoom returns you to the full overview of the data
13. erest this must be a file ew downloaded from an eCow bolus Open Data File 3 Select this file and click Open Import Bolus Data Save PAG From the Web Server Print 1 Click File gt Connect to Server Connect to server 2 This will bring up the Client Login box Please use the username and password supplied to you by eCow to connect Properties Disconnect 3 Once connected you will be able to select Farms from the drop down farm list After selecting a farm the software will take a few moments to download the page 15 of 18 Electronic Cow Management LIMITED eCow required data 5 You will now see a list of boluses in the bolus selection box Click on a bolus number to see the data plotted on the graph From the Handset 1 Plug your handset into your computer using the included USB cable 2 Click the Start icon and then click Computer 3 You should see the Handset listed under the heading Portable Devices as a GT 19100 Double click this icon then double click on phone on the following screen 4 In this next screen you will see a number of folders locate the one named eCow 5 Copy and paste the eCow folder to somewhere appropriate on your computer perhaps create a new folder dedicated to eCow data 6 Go back to the Hathor Client software and click File gt Import Bolus Data 7 Navigate to where you saved the eCow folder Double click eCow then double click Bolus 8 You s
14. handset near the ground angled upwards towards the cow for safety reasons this should only be done when the cow Is restrained page 9 of 18 e Downloading may take longer when the cow is laying down due to the bolus being engulfed by the stomach contents However standing the cow up may stress her and cause her to walk away As such it is usually best to leave the cow undisturbed during downloads Downloading is made easier when the cow is locked in a yoke Here a student performs a download using a handset positioned by the cow s left point of elbow Troubleshooting Downloads can t get the handset to connect to the bolus what should do A Has the cow calved recently After calving the rumen expands to refill the space left by the calf which causes a lot of internal movement Users have reported not being able to connect to the bolus for a couple of days after calving Wait for 3 to 5 days after calving to perform the next download and you should be able to connect B Check that the antenna is correctly plugged into the handset as it may have been knocked loose To do this exit Hathor by pressing the back button located to the right of the home button at the bottom of the handset 3 times until you reach the home screen Unplug the antenna and then plug it back in firmly but also gently and the Hathor software will restart automatically Retry the download wN C Try repositioning the handset antenna The left hand
15. hould now see a file called bolus D dat Select this and then click the Open button 9 The software will now import all the data for viewing Exporting Data The Client software offers two easy methods of exporting your data to share with others Save PNG A PNG Portable Network Graphics is a picture file that can be used for a wide range of applications It is an easy way to export your eCow graphs in a format that can be used in presentations documents and emails To export a PNG 1 Click File gt Save PNG 2 Choose a suitable name and location for your file 3 Click Save Printing To print your graph 1 Click File gt Print 2 This will bring up the Page Setup dialogue It is recommended you leave the orientation in Landscape mode as portrait makes the graphs look squashed page 16 of 18 Electronic Cow Management LIMITED eCow 3 Click OK to bring up the Printer options 4 Select the correct printer from the drop down list and click OK to start printing To PDF To export a graph to pdf you will need to download and install the free tool Bullzip PDF Printer Once you have that installed follow these steps 1 Click File gt Print 2 Click OK HPC323AB HP Officeiet Pro 86 3 Click on the drop down list of printers and ullzin PDF Printer select Bullzip PDF Printer ee 4 You will then see a screen where YOU Cane ee eee te oeron name your file and choose where to save it l Once yo
16. o set a time window of 2am 4am it would only be possible to reconfigure a more feasible time window between these hours As previously mentioned the boluses automatically shut down when under 32 C Therefore to communicate new configuration data to the boluses they must first be warmed To achieve this 1 Place your boluses into the storage box in which they were shipped Then place this into an empty bucket 2 Fill the bucket with boiling water up to the fill line on the bolus storage box 3 Wait for 5 10 minutes for the boluses to warm up Warning Never immerse an unprotected bolus in boiling water The extreme temperature change will cause the glass of the pH sensor to crack rendering the bolus useless Alternatively you may use your cows as a heat source ae and change the Time windows whilst the boluses are in the cows Please not that the page 7 of 18 Electronic Cow Management LIMITED eCow boluses will take up to an hour to warm up after being placed in a cow Once the boluses have warmed to set the time window 1 Press the configuration button 2 You will now see a list of all the boluses installed on your handset Tick the boxes next to the bolus numbers you wish to configure 3 Tap OK 4 Tapping Set Time Window Start Time will bring up the time selection box Swipe the time values up or down until they reach your desired time then tap Set 5 Tapping Set Tim
17. ow server and an eCow email address This is for the purpose of archiving and analysis so the results may be presented to you through the Client Software It is however possible to change where the data is being sent to For example if you wanted a copy of the raw data sent to your personal email this would be possible If you request the raw data to be sent to your own email address you will receive a csv comma separated values file This is the format in which the handset downloads data from the bolus and is simply a large list containing all the readings along with relevant timestamps 4 Viewing the Data The eCow Client software named HathorHB Client has been designed to allow you easy access to your data With it you can either download your results from our web server or import them directly from the handset In order to run the Client software you must have a recent version of the Java Runtime Environment which may be obtained from here All versions of the client software are supplied with install instructions please refer to them page 11 of 18 Electronic Cow Management LIMITED eCow to get the software up and running Getting to Grips with Client When you open the Client software you will see that it may be divided into roughly 3 main sections These are The Farm and Bolus Selection Box Farm This is at the bottom left of your screen Once you have imported data from your handset or server you will be
18. perature and the cow s average daily pH profile page 4 of 18 Electronic Cow Management LIMITED eCow 2 Getting Started You will receive your boluses in our customised protective packaging There will be a small amount of water in the bottom of this box this is to keep the sensor head hydrated As such it is recommended that you keep this box upright If you need to store the boluses please keep them in this box By default the boluses are shipped with a 24 hour radio on time window unless you specify otherwise when you order To maximise battery life it is recommended that you change this to a shorter time window to match when you will typically be performing downloads more detail to follow Using the Handset Your handset will be shipped ready for use but will be off to conserve battery To turn the handset on apply pressure to the top right of the black case eles shown until the you see the Samsung Galaxy logo r Connecting to WiFi k For full functionality the handset requires an ia internet connection a Starting at the home screen Press the home button at the bottom centre 1 Tap Settings 2 Tap Wi Fi 3 You should now see a list of available networks If not ensure that WiFi is turned on slide the switch at the top right of the Wi Fi page 4 Select your network and enter your network passphrase when prompted E Press here to turn device on SRE UAE ra y
19. s will vary depending on diet regularity of feeding and the general health of the cows The red line on this graph is dubbed the acidosis threshold and is at pH 5 8 Beneath this threshold a cow is at an increased risk of falling sick with acidosis To assess the acidosis risk check the amount of time your cow has spent under pH 5 8 which is given towards the bottom left of the graph in hours and as a percentage page 14 of 18 LIMITED Electronic Cow Management eCow Please note that the threshold value of pH 5 8 is Time under 5 8pH 9 5 Hrs 5 6 given as an indicator only Having a cow with a rumen pH that is below 5 8 does not necessarily mean that she has acidosis Daily pH profile 6 75 00 01 01 01 02 01 03 01 04 01 05 01 06 01 07 01 08 01 09 01 10 01 11 01 12 01 13 01 14 01 15 01 16 01 17 01 18 01 19 01 20 01 21 01 22 01 23 01 Date The Daily pH profile is useful for analysing pH patterns over a long period of time Each blue line represents 24hrs of data and the red line represents the average of all the blue lines The graph shown above represents about 80 days of data you can see that the cows are fed at roughly 6am every day Importing Data From saved files on your computer The software enables you to view particular data files of interest that you may have saved on your computer To do this 1 Click File gt Open Data File Ef HathorHB Client V1 4 3 2 Navigate to the file of int
20. tware The device consists of a Samsung SII phone and antenna which plugs in to the bottom of the phone A data download typically takes between 1 to 3 minutes and once a completed the data is automatically uploaded to the eCow servers ace na di8 0847 where it is checked analysed and made available to view through alii our new client software 001 The handset may also be used to change bolus settings such as star radio on time and calibration values Vv ae eCow Handset page 3 of 18 el ow Electronic Cow Management Client Software HathorHB Client V1 4 Same File Edit Help Bolus 535 Cow el OW Recorded on 30 10 2013 pH plot from 01 10 2013 to 30 10 2013 TCF_B_0535_30102013_XxXX csv 6 7 4 4 s 02 10 13 04 10 13 06 10 13 08 10 13 10 10 13 12 10 13 14 10 13 16 10 13 18 10 13 20 10 13 22 10 13 24 10 13 26 10 13 28 10 13 30 10 13 Date Time under 5 8pH 10 0 Hrs 0 1 Data View Day Week All Farm Analysis Event Diary Bolus List Plot raw C Daily Mean Plot raw pH Plot daily pH profile Daily pH mean Acidosis index 07 10 13 14 10 13 21 10 13 28 10 13 Date The eCow client software gives you easy access to your data Available for Windows and Mac this software allows you to import data you have stored locally or login to view uploaded and archived data Shown above is the raw pH data however you can also view tem
21. u are satified with the name and location click Save page 17 of 18 D Electronic Cow Management eCow LIMIT 5 Warranty All eCow products come with a 30 day no quibble warranty covering manufacturing faults The warranty does not cover fair wear and tear or accidental damage If an eCow product appears to have broken down outside the 30 day warranty please contact eCow for advice Use inside other Animals The warranty only covers use inside cows use of the bolus inside any non bovine animal will invalidate your warranty The bolus should only be inserted into an animal by a trained technician no liability is accepted for incorrect usage Please ensure the animal technician has undertaken the correct training and certification process Dry Sensor Do not let the sensor dry out this is not fair wear and tear The bolus should be kept in its six pack until used The sensor should always be immersed in liquid of near neutral pH tap water will do The eCow boluses should be left in the plastic box in which they are shipped for periods of storage They must be stored with the sensor head pointing downwards Storing the boluses incorrectly invalidates the warranty Accidental Damage of the Handset The handset must be treated with care Whilst it is protected with by its large black cover it will not survive being manhandled and dropped on a regular basis If the handset breaks down due to accidental or water damage this is not
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