Author Archives: Animal Health
epiq Animal Health and Mars Petcare US, Inc. Enter into a Strategic Distribution Agreement
Livestock Health Monitoring Start-Up Barnwell Bio Closes $6M Seed Round
Manhattan’s Federal Animal Disease Lab, NBAF, Now Hiring 150 Local Jobs
Zoetis Launches First Commercial BRD Genetic Predictions to Help Build More Resilient Beef Herds
FDA Issues Emergency Use Authorization for Over-the-Counter Injectable Drug to Prevent New World Screwworm in Cattle
CERES TAG Expands Consultant Partnerships to Unlock Pasture, Reproductive, and Profit Performance
CERES TAG, a global leader in Animal Health Intelligence, has announced the expansion of its partnership program to include veterinary and production animal consultants, introducing a consultant-led model that turns animal data into measurable economic outcomes for grazing operations.
Despite decades of investment in land, genetics, and animal health, many producers still rely on delayed or anecdotal information to make critical decisions. The result is under-utilised pasture, missed reproductive events, extended calving intervals, preventable losses, and significant profit left unrealised.
CERES TAG Changes That Equation, Turning Animal Behaviour into Economic Insight
CERES TAG delivers continuous, individual-animal intelligence at scale, converting daily behaviour into actionable insights. Producers and advisors gain visibility into pasture feed intake through rumination, grazing, walking, resting, and activity patterns, alongside land and water utilisation, early health indicators, and security and biosecurity alerts.
At the herd level, these insights directly impact feed efficiency, carrying capacity, weight gain, body condition, labour efficiency, operating costs, and risk management during disease or biosecurity events.
Reproductive Intelligence That Pays for Itself
With the recent release of CERES GEN6 in February, CERES TAG adds reproductive insights including estrus alerts in beef cattle, calving alerts, and mounting scores. These tools enable higher conception rates, tighter calving windows, fewer missed heats, and improved lifetime productivity, transforming reproduction from a guessing game into a managed profit lever.
World-First Consultant-Led Adoption Model
CERES TAG has launched its first veterinary consultancy collaboration with Apogee Animal Health Inc. (Kansas), led by President Dr Aaron Schaffer.
“I see producers every day who are not optimising their land, genetics, or animal health – not because they don’t care, but because they don’t have the data,” said Dr Schaffer. “CERES TAG changes the game. Instead of leaving money in the paddock, producers can put it in their bank accounts.”
Under the program, producers who purchase and register 100 CERES TAG devices or more receive a full day of professional guidance from qualified consultants at no cost, ensuring rapid adoption and measurable return on investment.
Built for Scale. Built for ROI.
CERES TAG is satellite-based, requires no infrastructure, applies like a standard ear tag, is reusable, and can be operational in one day with no training required, delivering fast, repeatable ROI for grazing operations.
“There are billions of dollars lost annually across the industry simply because producers don’t know,” said David Smith, Founder & CEO of CERES TAG. “With CERES TAG, that changes. Now you know.”
Smith added that buyers increasingly expect objective performance and reproductive data, rewarding producers who can provide it with confidence, demand, and premiums.
Open to Consultants and Progressive Producers
CERES TAG is inviting veterinary groups, extension specialists, and production consultants to partner in delivering a data-driven, economically grounded future for livestock production. Consultants are remunerated by CERES TAG while strengthening long-term value for their clients.
Enquiries: info@cerestag.com
CERES TAG – Now, You Know. Measure what matters. Turn knowledge into profit.
Vytelle launches commercial, cost-effective methane monitoring at CattleCon that integrates with feed intake monitoring
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Vytelle launches commercial, cost-effective methane monitoring at CattleCon that integrates with feed intake monitoring
New system integrates with Vytelle SENSE™ to give cattle producers affordable path to measure sustainability with feed efficiency
NASHVILLE, TN – February 3, 2026 – Vytelle today announced the commercial release of Vytelle SENSE™ Methane Powered by Integrity™, a methane phenotyping system that costs a fraction of available systems and enables concurrent measurement of intake and sustainability. The technology will be featured at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association CattleCon in Nashville, where producers can see live demonstrations at booth 1708.
The system addresses a critical gap in livestock sustainability: how to economically identify cattle that convert feed into profitable outputs rather than wasted energy. By integrating methane sensors developed in partnership with Integrity Communications Solutions, Inc. and existing Vytelle SENSE feed intake nodes, producers can now measure individual animal emissions alongside feed efficiency data without requiring additional labor or voluntary animal participation.
“Cattle producers need cost-effective, scalable tools backed by robust data to navigate the sustainability landscape with confidence,” said Dr. Jason Osterstock, Vytelle’s chief science officer. “Field trials of Vytelle SENSE Methane Powered by Integrity have delivered strong results, and we’re rapidly expanding the Vytelle methane database to give producers the information they need to make profitable decisions.”
It’s not just about sustainability of the beef and dairy industries, it’s also about profitability for producers, according to the company’s vice president of global sales.
“Vytelle measures methane emissions in the context of efficiency, which is where profitability starts. These are economically important traits for the world’s beef and dairy producers,” said Lisa Rumsfeld. “Without profitability, we can’t be sustainable. This technology retrofits into existing infrastructure at ten times lower cost than existing tools, allowing producers to capture methane at scale whether they’re meeting supply chain sustainability requirements or regulatory reporting obligations.”
“Vytelle already curates the world’s largest efficiency database, and we’ll rapidly build the world’s largest methane database across more than 30 breeds,” Rumsfeld added.
Field trials in North America throughout 2025 demonstrated that the system can yield accurate phenotypes in 30 days, with animals measured multiple times daily as they consume feed in bunks. The correlation between methane emission concentration and measured feed intake was 0.47, providing the complete biological picture needed to interpret sustainability metrics.
“Methane emitted is energy lost in a cycle that cattlemen don’t get paid for. We need to economically identify cattle that spend their calories on performance and reproduction because those are the areas where we can be profitable,” said Austin Hoff, Vytelle SENSE strategic account manager.
A standard eight-node Vytelle SENSE system can phenotype 384 animals annually at a fraction of the cost of respiration chambers or competing technologies. Unlike systems requiring voluntary animal participation aided by attractants, every animal in a Vytelle SENSE system receives multiple measurements daily through integrated feed bunk monitoring.
International rollout begins June 2026, with units available for purchase to existing Vytelle SENSE system owners and new customer availability to follow.
Producers are encouraged to talk to the Vytelle team at CattleCon next week about this evolution in technology. Vytelle will also feature hands-on opportunities to view grade 1 embryos that are the hallmark of Vytelle’s hormone-free IVF embryo technology and the Vytelle team will be streaming an ovum pickup procedure at their site. [END]
About Vytelle Vytelle is a data-enabled biotechnology company reshaping how cattle producers worldwide optimize their herds. Our solutions reduce uncertainty to help you make your most important mating and reproduction decisions.
Leadership That Advances Our Industry
Leadership in our industry is not conferred by title alone. It is earned through action. True leadership is about showing up, giving time and talent generously, and investing in the people and organizations that move our shared mission of improving animal health and wellbeing forward.
The Corridor is deeply grateful to the many leaders who contribute throughout the year to strengthen our industry across our strategic priorities of workforce, innovation, public policy, and industry engagement. Their collective commitment is what allows our ecosystem to thrive.
Our workforce committee members exemplify this spirit of leadership. In 2024 and 2025, their efforts helped shape a compelling industry brand and campaign designed to attract the next generation of talent. By investing in people today, they are building the foundation for our industry’s future.
Equally impactful are the leaders who serve on our Selection Committee, our Judging Panel, and as Coaches. These individuals stand at the forefront of innovation, supporting innovators and emerging companies as they bring new ideas, technologies, and solutions to life. Their guidance and insight help ensure that innovation remains a driving force within the animal health industry.
Behind the scenes, communications and public relations teams play a vital role by telling the important stories of brands, products, and impact. Their work ensures the world understands the significance of what we do and the role animal health plays in creating a globally safe food supply, preventing the next pandemic, and ensuring our pets live longer, healthier lives.
Our government relations and public policy leaders further extend this impact. Working across federal, state, and local jurisdictions, they help align policies that support healthier animals and a healthier planet. Their leadership ensures our industry’s voice is heard where it matters most.
The Corridor’s Advisory Board is at the tip of the spear in advancing our mission. Each member contributes countless hours of service, strategic guidance, and leadership each year. We are especially thankful for the leadership of our Chair and Vice Chair.
Shannon Kellner, our 2026 Chair, brings 25 years of experience in the animal health industry and currently serves as Vice President of Livestock for Merck Animal Health. His depth of knowledge and steady leadership continue to strengthen the Corridor’s impact.
Fiona Rey, our 2026 Vice Chair, brings more than 20 years of animal health experience and currently serves as Executive Director of U.S. Pet Health Marketing for Elanco Animal Health. Her perspective and leadership further enrich our board and our mission.
We are also grateful for Todd Zion, Co-Founder, President, and CEO of Akston Biosciences Corporation, who is serving a three-year term in the Corridor’s entrepreneurial board seat. Recognizing the critical role startups and entrepreneurs play in shaping the future of animal health, the Corridor established the Entrepreneur-in-Residence board seat in 2017. This position ensures emerging and growth-stage companies have a meaningful voice alongside established industry leaders.
Designed to bring a complementary and forward-looking perspective to the Board, this seat reflects the Corridor’s commitment to innovation and industry leadership. With his educational background and experience in scaling companies, Todd brings invaluable insight and energy to an already strong Advisory Board.
To all who lead, serve, and contribute, thank you. Your leadership strengthens the Corridor, advances our industry, and helps ensure a healthier future for animals everywhere.
CERES TAG Announces A New Generation Of Herd Intelligence
RELEASE DATE:
Tuesday 3rd February 2026FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CERES TAG unveils CERES GEN6 at CattleCon 2026, redefining how producers measure, manage, and multiply.
Ranching and livestock production has always been built on heritage and resilience. It is a generational industry shaped by decades of learned knowledge, stewardship of the land, and a constant pursuit of caring for animals and resources. CERES TAG’s mission has never been to change that foundation, but to strengthen it. Through ongoing research, development, strategic partnerships, and, most importantly, listening to and engaging with producers around the world, they work to help enhance the way producers manage their herds and land.
Since releasing their first range of devices in 2021, CERES TAG has delivered five generations of proven technology, tested and validated by everyday producers across the globe. Now, with the launch of the sixth-generation device, producers gain a new depth of understanding and control over their herds. What was once a question of how to measure and understand cattle performance, has evolved into actionable intelligence that enables producers to measure, manage, and multiply with confidence.
CERES GEN6 has officially launched at CattleCon in Nashville and will also be showcased in Australia at the Northern Beef Research Update Conference (Brisbane) and at the Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association (Darwin) in March. As the world’s first animal health intelligence platform, CERES TAG equips producers with herd phenotype intelligence to support smarter decisions and improved profitability. Continuous health, location, and behaviour data transform everyday herd management into informed, data-driven decision-making. With the introduction of CERES GEN6, producers now gain real-time reproduction insights that reduce risk, eliminate assumptions, and deliver more predictable outcomes.
CERES GEN6 creates a significant advantage for producers. By introducing an advanced suite of reproduction algorithms alongside existing pasture feed intake intelligence, GPS location, and behavioural monitoring, producers can not only measure more than ever before, but act on that information with clarity and confidence. As the only IP68-rated (100% waterproof), direct-to-satellite livestock device on the market, CERES GEN6 reflects CERES TAG’s producer-first approach and commitment to durability in real-world conditions.
Building on the proven capabilities of CERES RANCHER, CERES GEN6 delivers clear return on investment through improved reproductive efficiency and reduced operational risk. Automated estrus detection and cycle tracking help producers synchronise more effectively, confirm breeding, and identify ready cows sooner. Real-time calving alerts with precise location reduce calf loss and labour demands, while mounting scores provide clear insight into bull performance and herd breeding activity. Together, these capabilities drive higher pregnancy rates, better resource use, and more predictable, profitable outcomes.
CEO and Founder David Smith comments on the new CERES GEN6 device stating, “simply knowing these facts about reproduction and efficiency of the animals, means we can actually start to optimise the profitability of producers, and that makes us very excited about being able to provide that value for the producers, but it also feeds into the genetic performance of the animals. Those sorts of phenotypes enable us to choose which animals are going to produce the highest outputs and returns for the producers.”
This advancement represents a meaningful leap forward for both producers and the livestock industry as a whole, creating a strong foundation for a future that demands greater sustainability, improved resource stewardship, and increased traceability across global supply chains.
By delivering better livestock intelligence, empowering informed decision-making, and supporting producers with tools they can trust, CERES TAG is helping strengthen individual operations and the industry at large, today and for generations to come.