Freestall Assessor

Name: Freestall Assessor
Author: University of Wisconsin-Madison

University of Wisconsin-Madison

TRUSTED

Expert-developed at a leading university

For:Clinicians & Healthcare ProfessionalsIndustry Professionals

2.99 USD

Download on the App Store

App Summary

Freestall Assessor gives dairy farmers a graphical tool to evaluate whether their freestall designs meet recommended dimensions for their herd. The University of Wisconsin's School of Veterinary Medicine created the app, digitizing its pen-and-paper evaluation system for use as a teaching aid and a professional field guide. By providing instant feedback, the tool allows users to make data-guided recommendations for stall construction and cow comfort.

App Screenshots

Detailed Description

Functionality & Mechanism

This digital evaluation tool from the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine is designed to assess dairy freestall design. The app utilizes a graphical interface where users input parameters like cow size, bedding, and divider type. It then facilitates the entry of stall measurements against a visual guide. The system provides immediate color-coded feedback, indicating whether entered dimensions fall within or outside of recommended tolerances, allowing users to gauge how well stalls accommodate cows in the herd.

Development & Context

Developed by the Food Animal Production Medicine program at UW's School of Veterinary Medicine as part of a suite of digital tools for dairy farmers.
The app translates a proven, paper-based assessment system developed by faculty into a portable, digital format for easier field use.
Initial development was supported by an educational grant to create teaching modules for fourth-year veterinary students.
The news coverage highlights that the collection of apps had logged nearly 900 downloads across 40 countries by June 2015.

Intended Use & Scope

This tool is intended for dairy farmers, veterinarians, and agricultural consultants for evaluating freestall construction. It serves as a rapid-response resource to assess how existing stall dimensions align with parameters intended to support cow comfort. Information regarding the app's development and application is based on university news coverage, not peer-reviewed research.

In the Media

Dairy farms go digital with apps from School of Veterinary Medicine

The University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine's Food Animal Production Medicine program developed Freestall Assessor to help guide freestall construction for optimizing cow comfort and milk production, digitizing proven pen-and-paper systems into portable iPad applications. Professor Nigel Cook explains that "these are tools that can be used to make evaluating different aspects of dairy farming much easier" by translating faculty-developed systems into digital formats. The apps provide instant feedback, immediate data uploads, and analytical functionality that lead to greater efficiency and cost savings for dairy farms.

WiscRead article