Merck Expands Calf Monitoring System to Include Bucket-Feeding

Merck Animal Health has expanded its SenseHub Dairy technology in the United States to monitor bucket-fed, preweaned calves as well as bottle-fed animals. The company now covers both liquid-feeding methods with the system.

The technology continuously records calf behavior around the clock for individually housed or group-housed animals using existing software, ear tags, and an LED light feature. Bucket-fed calves can use the expanded function without installing a software update or completing extra activation steps.

SenseHub Dairy Youngstock was introduced in 2024 to monitor bottle-fed calves. The company cited research linking use of SenseHub Dairy Youngstock with a 63% reduction in mortality compared with a control group monitored through visual observation.

The same research estimated replacement-cost savings of about $6,000 for every 100 calves using replacement heifer prices from March 2026. It also reported that eliminating visual observation of 140 calves saved 56 minutes of labor per day.