Accurate heat detection in dairy and beef cattle enables timely breeding, reducing the number of cows requiring repeat interventions and the welfare costs of prolonged open periods.
Poor heat detection has welfare consequences through extended open periods that prolong negative energy balance and metabolic stress. Cows that fail to conceive promptly face repeated hormonal interventions, repeated handling, and extended periods of high milk production without pregnancy, increasing metabolic burden. Accurate heat detection through technology allows timely breeding that benefits both welfare and production. The welfare dimension is most significant in cows experiencing subclinical health problems that suppress estrus expression, as these animals need health intervention rather than repeated breeding attempts.