iCow
What is it?
iCow is the worlds first mobile phone cow calendar. It enables small scale farmers to access agricultural information and services over the mobile phone, thereby acting as a farmers mobile management tool.
How does it work?
iCow is an SMS and web based app. A subscribed farmer receives prompts on their phone on any information he/she may need concerning animal husbandry particularly when it’s dairy cows. It also provides a platform to store records on one's mobile phone.
iCow will track each cow individually and allow the farmers to maintain all relevant information specific to each cow. It will give the farmer access to:
- A comprehensive Gestation Calendar customized to each cow based on the Date of Service (based on the AI ‘straw’ or any other known measure) and/or the Calving Date
- The Milking Calendar and customizable Milking Schedules
- The Milking Calculator
- A customizable Immunization Calendar
- Health Information Services
- Diet Information Services
- Nutrition Information Services
- Illness and Disease Information Services
- Costs of production customizable calendar and calculator
- Calf Records including gender, weight, Date of Birth, etc.
In delivering services to the farmer iCow also draws pertinent data from the field, data that the wider agricultural sector can use to create efficiencies across the agricultural value chain.
Who is it for?
Dairy farmers (available in Kenya).
Why should I get it?
Below are some of the features of iCow that would attract a user to it:
- Prompts farmers on vital days of cows gestation period
- Helps farmers find the nearest Vet and AI providers
- Collects and stores farmer milk and breeding records
- Sends farmers best dairy practices
- The world's first mobile phone cow calendar!
Additionally, a farmer can also be sponsored through this medium. It therefore creates an opportunity to the less privileged farmers.
Farmers can also buy and sell livestock through the platform known as iCow Soko.
Where can I get/use it?
It is available on its website or to register and use SMS one can get instructions from the same site.
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