Silent Heats Are No Longer a Problem – MooHero Detects What I Can't See with the Naked Eye

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At Turk Farm, they raise around 70 head of cattle, including 40 dairy cows – mostly black-and-white breed, with a few brown ones. The cows are kept in tie-stall housing, which presents a particular challenge for heat detection. Luka Turk has been in charge of reproduction on the farm for six years and has been inseminating the cows himself for the past year.

From 8,000 to 12,000 Liters – Progress Over the Years

Over the past decade, the farm has made remarkable progress: average milk yield has increased from 6,000–8,000 liters to today's 12,000 liters per standard lactation. With that improvement came the need for better control over reproduction and herd health.

Since heat detection in tie-stall housing is often unreliable – cows can’t mount each other, and heats are silent or barely noticeable – they decided to introduce the MooHero system.

Reliable Heat Detection Even in Tie-Stall Housing

Before MooHero, reproduction management was done entirely in Excel. Now Luka uses the MooHero app, which greatly simplifies organization and daily tasks.

"I used to manage everything in Excel, but now the app helps me a lot. It saves me time I can spend on other work,” he adds.

The system has become an essential tool in their herd, ensuring that heats don’t go unnoticed – even in cows where signs would otherwise be completely invisible.

Digital Management, More Time for Real Work

“I used to manage everything in Excel, but now the app helps me a lot. It saves me time I can spend on other work,” he adds.

A Farm Achieving Outstanding Results Despite Tie-Stalls

urk Farm proves that it’s possible to achieve excellent results – both in milk yield and reproduction – even in tie-stall systems. By introducing MooHero, they’ve taken a major step forward in reliably detecting heats and optimizing the insemination process.

"Now the system picks up on things I couldn’t. And that’s exactly what we needed.”

Luka Turk

MooHero saves time and money as you don’t need to constantly monitor the animals behavior. It reliably detects heat periods and prevents missed inseminations.

At pregnancy checks, 85% of cows are now confirmed pregnant – we hardly use hormonal synchronization anymore.

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At the Hrga family farm in Juršinci, they raise around 200 head of cattle, including 80 black-and-white dairy cows. The farm is run by Denis Hrga, who has been in charge of reproduction for over 20 years and has been performing inseminations himself for the last 12 years. They produce approximately 800,000 liters of milk per year. In 2024, they decided to implement the MooHero system, which has significantly changed their approach to reproduction and animal health monitoring.

Before MooHero, one of the biggest challenges was detecting heat, especially in high-producing cows. These cows were often silent or in heat at night when no one was in the barn. For years, the farm relied on hormone therapies following an American protocol, administered twice a month in cooperation with a veterinarian. These treatments cost about €300–400 per month.

Now, the system detects all heats – even those that would otherwise go unnoticed. Denis Hrga explains:

“I was surprised how many heats happen at night. The system detects them accurately and on time.”

Insemination is now done based on the timing recommended by the app, and the results are excellent – 

at pregnancy checks, over 85% of cows are confirmed pregnant

The MooHero system is used on all dairy cows (80 collars) and heifers (15 collars). In the past, heifers were synchronized hormonally, but that’s now mostly unnecessary. The system helps them precisely identify the ideal time for insemination and achieve high success rates even when using sexed semen.

Hormonal treatments have become the exception, used only when the system indicates no heat has occurred – typically a sign of a reproductive issue.

They also use MooHero for health monitoring. If reduced rumination or activity is detected, they examine the animal immediately. If the condition persists for 2–3 days, it’s almost always the start of an illness.

“Seven days after calving, MooHero detected a sharp drop in rumination. We called the vet and discovered a displacement in time. The cow didn’t suffer, and there was no significant drop in milk yield.”

Thanks to the MooHero system, the Hrga farm has significantly reduced hormone therapy and vet visit costs. At the same time, they’ve improved insemination success and gained better oversight of their herd’s health.

“Since we’ve had the system, everything’s changed – no more missed heats, more successful pregnancies, and better control over animal health,” Hrga adds.

MooHero has become an essential part of their daily operations – 

a quiet yet reliable assistant that enables better reproduction, early intervention, and more peace of mind in daily work

Denis Hrga

I inseminate according to the recommended timing from the MooHero system and have an 85% success rate.

A Smart Decision for Better Reproduction

Why Reproduction Cannot Be Successful Without Accurate Heat Detection and Recording

Accurate and efficient heat detection in breeding cows is one of the most important factors for successful reproduction management on cattle farms. However, in practice, a large number of heats are still missed—mostly due to lack of time, inadequate observation methods, or the absence of modern technology. Missed or undetected heats lead to higher rearing costs, longer unproductive periods, and lost economic opportunities. The solution lies in precision and efficiency in heat detection. The MooHero system helps by continuously monitoring animal activity, effectively detecting anomalies, and promptly notifying the farmer of what's happening.

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The success of heat detection depends on the farmer and their methods of monitoring breeding cows. Two key factors are especially important: the 

 is the most basic method, where it is recommended to monitor animal behavior multiple times a day and look for typical signs of estrus, such as increased activity, restlessness, mounting or standing to be mounted, reduced rumination, decreased milk yield, and mucus discharge. Regular patrols, observation, and familiarity with the herd often take up a lot of time, and the accuracy of this work tends to decline as the herd size increases.As farmers have less and less time for such tasks—especially during seasonal fieldwork—and because many heats occur at night, are less intense, or last only a few hours, the use of modern technologies such as sensors, smart collars, cameras, and milk or mucus analyzers is recommended—or even essential.

 and reproductive events enables successful reproductive management, tracking of fertility parameters, and the prediction of possible returns to heat or the optimal time for insemination.For heifers, it is highly recommended to record each heat from puberty until reproductive maturity or the first insemination. From the onset of puberty, the average interval between two heats can be used to predict the timing of first insemination. Likewise, recording heats in cows after calving is very beneficial, as the timing of future insemination can be estimated based on event dates and the length of reproductive phases.

With proper records, events can be anticipated in advance and appropriate actions can be planned. That’s why regular monitoring of the herd and proper record-keeping are crucial for successful reproductive management of breeding animals.

Accurate Heat Detection as a Prerequisite for Successful Reproduction

Timely insemination—and consequently successful conception and a new lactation—depends heavily on the accuracy and efficiency of heat detection.

By regularly detecting and recording heats, farmers can monitor the reproductive cycle of each animal, assess fertility, and plan mating or insemination at the right time. Accurate heat detection affects:

determining the timing of first mating after puberty (heifers) or after calving (cows)

timely identification of animals in estrus, pinpointing the optimal time for insemination, and thereby improving reproductive success

the length of reproductive periods (service interval and period, postpartum interval, and calving interval)

early detection of fertility disorders and thus better reproductive health

reduced veterinary costs (fewer repeat inseminations or treatments) and fewer breeding animal culls

improved reproductive management and outcomes (insemination index, insemination success rate, pregnancy rate)

higher farm profitability through greater productivity—more calvings/calves, higher yields, and improved animal longevity

As herd sizes increase, new challenges arise. In larger herds, the accuracy and efficiency of heat detection often decline without the use of modern technology, as observing all animals becomes more time-consuming and less reliable. This increases the risk of errors in estrus detection and recording, leading to incorrect or inefficient decisions that can result in significant economic losses.

Therefore, the use of digital tools is a smart choice. It enables farmers to make timely and informed decisions and plays a key role in the success of reproduction.

Digital Tools for Greater Accuracy and Fewer Errors in Farming

As modern agriculture keeps pace with rapid development and digitalization, more and more farmers are turning to advanced technologies that enable herd activity monitoring—including precise heat detection.

These advanced solutions operate by tracking behavioral and physiological changes in individual animals. Using sensors and algorithms, the technology automatically detects deviations and alerts the farmer. This brings several concrete advantages:

greater accuracy in detecting important health and reproductive deviations, including subtle changes that are difficult for farmers to notice

monitoring without physical presence, saving time and labor

instant alerts when deviations are detected, enabling immediate and timely intervention

herd monitoring via mobile apps, allowing quick responses even when away from the barn

a comprehensive overview of herd reproduction through regular digital data recording and analysis

reduced reliance on human observation, leading to fewer errors and more reliable, higher-quality decision-making

In addition to general monitoring of animal health and welfare, modern technologies have particular value in managing reproduction—one of the key factors in successful farming. That’s why it makes sense to take advantage of the benefits that digital tracking and recording of reproductive processes offer.

shorten calving intervals (DMT – days between calvings)

increase milk production and the number of calvings/calves

increase income while reducing rearing costs

reduce the need for regular physical rounds

A System That Thinks About Reproduction, So You Can Focus on Everything Else

Heat detection is the foundation of successful reproduction and cost-effective breeding. On farms without technological support, mistakes are common—leading to significant losses in both time and money. 

enable precise, automated, and reliable heat monitoring, helping farmers achieve higher insemination success, fewer missed cycles, and significantly improved reproductive efficiency.

By implementing modern solutions like the MooHero system, heat detection becomes simpler, faster, and—most importantly—more reliable. A solution that not only makes farmers' work easier but also improves the long-term performance of the entire herd.

Blog

Silent Heats Are No Longer a Problem – MooHero Detects What I Can't See with the Naked Eye

A Smart Decision for Better Reproduction

Accurate Heat Detection: The Key to Successful Reproduction