Expert FAQ & Q&A

The THI-Atlas is billed per location (production site), regardless of herd size. The Free plan is permanently free. The Basic plan costs €9/month (€7 with annual billing) for up to 3 locations. The Pro plan costs €39/month (€33 with annual billing) for up to 10 locations. The Enterprise package is €499/month (€420 with annual billing) for unlimited locations.

No. We believe in fair, transparent pricing. Billing is based purely on the number of monitored locations, not the number of animals. A farm with 1,000 cows pays the same price as a farm with 100 cows.

Yes, absolutely! For consultants, veterinarians, and organizations, we offer the Enterprise package. For €499/month (€420 annually), you can create and manage unlimited locations (meaning all 50 of your farms) and generate reports for them. There are no extra fees per farm.

The Pro plan offers a 14-day free trial. No credit card details are required for the trial period. If you do not actively choose to upgrade after the 14 days, your access will automatically be downgraded to the free plan. There are no hidden costs.

You can flexibly choose between monthly and annual payments. For monthly payments, you can cancel at any time at the end of the current billing month. For annual payments, cancellation is possible at the end of the billing year.

Yes. The free plan allows saving 1 location. Basic allows up to 3 saved locations, and Pro allows up to 10 locations. Anyone wishing to manage more than 10 locations (e.g., as a consultant with many client farms) uses the Enterprise model for unlimited locations.

For regular subscriptions, we already offer a discount of approximately 15-22% with annual billing. If you are an association or large consultant looking to sign long-term agreements for a very high number of farms, please contact us for a custom Enterprise offer.

THI-Atlas works worldwide. We use highly precise global weather models covering GPS coordinates across the entire Northern and Southern Hemispheres, including South America, Asia, Africa, and Australia.

We use the high-resolution Open-Meteo model, which calculates historical data and forecasts with a spatial resolution of up to 11 km. By combining various physical weather models and satellite data, the predictions are extremely precise even in remote agricultural regions.

Yes, our recommendations distinguish between dry and humid heat. In dry heat (e.g., West Texas), evaporative cooling (sprinklers) is highly effective. In humid climate zones (e.g., the tropics or humid summer days in Central Europe), the focus is primarily on maximum air movement through fans, as the air can hardly absorb additional moisture.

The API we use aggregates the world's best national weather models (including ECMWF, GFS, ICON, GEM, and ACCESS-G3/G4) and dynamically selects the most precise model for the respective GPS coordinates. This ensures you always receive the best possible local forecast quality.

The default THI threshold of 68 is based on the sensitive Holstein breed. Hardier breeds like Jersey (higher heat tolerance due to smaller body mass) or Zebu (tropical adaptation) tolerate higher values. In the advanced Pro recommendations, we provide breed-specific guidelines on heat stress tolerance.

Yes. In the Premium Dashboard, you can see the current live THI visualized directly next to the hourly progression of the next 7 days. This allows you to immediately identify when peak stress periods will occur.

Our notifications contain the exact THI value, the expected stress level (e.g., Moderate Heat Stress), and a direct, concrete immediate action (e.g., 'Activate holding area cooling').

Yes. In the Pro plan, you can export historical THI data as CSV or PDF to cross-reference it with your milk yield curves or fertility data from recent months.

Yes, the calculator multiplies the scientifically determined yield losses based on the THI level directly by your entered herd size and current milk price. This shows you the daily financial loss in euros in black and white.

From the Basic plan (3 locations) or Pro plan (10 locations), you can monitor multiple locations in parallel in a single overview. An automated cross-location benchmarking protocol is included in the Enterprise package.

Yes, our system analyzes the 7-day forecast and proactively warns you if a prolonged heat wave is imminent (accumulated heat stress), as consecutive hot days drastically worsen the cows' ability to thermoregulate.

In the current version, we send alerts via email and browser push notifications. The integration of WhatsApp and Telegram alerts is on our roadmap and will be rolled out shortly.

Yes. In the Enterprise plan, you can create team member and consultant accounts so that multiple people have access to the same locations and dashboards.

Yes. In the dashboard, you can manually adjust your personal alert thresholds to avoid false alarms for less sensitive groups of animals.

Yes, you can configure quiet hours. Urgent emergency alerts (e.g., THI over 85) can still be delivered if desired.

Yes! Our Enterprise system features an open API. This allows you to integrate data from your own barn climate sensors to compare the actual indoor barn THI with the outdoor forecast.

Our calculation models are based directly on globally recognized publications from the University of Georgia (West) and the University of Florida (Hansen). We continuously work on validation with agricultural institutes.

The classic THI uses temperature and relative humidity. For grazing farms in extreme regions, we offer advanced metrics in the Pro section that also consider wind speed and solar radiation (similar to BGHI or HLI).

Yes. Deviations between the forecast and actual weather data measured on-site average less than 1.2 THI points in the 24-hour range.

Yes. In the actions section of the dashboard, you can enter which cooling technology is active. The system then calculates the 'perceived THI drop' (e.g., lowering the stress level by one tier due to 2 m/s air speed).

The THI-Atlas runs as a fully featured Progressive Web App (PWA). You do not need to download an app from the app store – simply open thi-cows.com on your smartphone and add it to your home screen.

Via our Enterprise API, raw data and alerts can be exported to third-party systems. Direct native interfaces depend on the respective manufacturer and can be set up individually.

Yes, absolutely. Setup only requires entering the location or enabling GPS. No installation or IT knowledge is needed. A location is active in less than 2 minutes.

Yes. For new customers, we offer a short interactive tour of the dashboard as well as a collection of short explanatory videos directly in the help section.

Yes, this white-label and co-branding functionality is exclusively included in our Enterprise package and is perfect for consultants and dairies.

Yes, by comparing historical THI phases with your daily bulk tank data, the saved milk yield can be demonstrably calculated.

Yes. On our website and in our blog, we regularly share practical reports from farms in Germany, Texas, and Mexico that were able to reduce losses by up to 40% through targeted THI management.

Yes, the Pro version generates monthly damage reports that clearly summarize the accumulated heat stress and the estimated financial losses.

As a consultant, you simply use the Enterprise package for €499/month. This allows you to manage all 50 farms without extra fees, which equates to only about €10 per farm per month.

Yes. All data are hosted on encrypted servers within the European Union and processed strictly in accordance with GDPR regulations.

No. We never sell or share farm or location data with third parties. Data are used exclusively to calculate your local THI.

Yes, you can export your complete account and location data at any time directly via your profile settings in the dashboard.

That is up to you: you can manage your clients' locations directly in your consultant account, or you can have the clients create their own accounts and share read access with you.

Yes. We offer an attractive program with commissions for referred Pro memberships. Contact us for details at info@thecowsvoice.com.

Yes. In the Enterprise plan, you can display the dashboard with your own logo and company colors for your clients.

We support professional exchange and plan to roll out a closed forum for accredited consultants and veterinarians by the end of 2026.

We are happy to establish contact with established farms in Germany and Austria using the THI-Atlas for qualified prospects.

Our standard support operates via email and a fast ticket system. Pro and Enterprise customers receive prioritized support with a direct contact person.

For Pro and Enterprise customers, we guarantee a response time of under 4 hours for business-critical issues during regular business hours.

Yes, all functional updates, bug fixes, and new scientific findings are automatically and freely applied for existing subscribers.

Yes, in your dashboard, you will find a direct help area with ticket creation and an extensive FAQ database.

Cross-location, anonymized benchmarking is currently in development to allow farms to compare themselves regionally.

Yes, this feature will be part of the upcoming regional benchmarking module, allowing farms to evaluate their efficiency and heat protection measures.

Yes. We regularly share best practices, case studies, and successful heat stress mitigation strategies from various climate zones in our blog and newsletter.

The PWA saves the last loaded weather data and forecasts locally. An active internet connection is required to update data or query new locations.

Not in the current version. However, we are working on an SMS gateway for regions with poor network coverage, which is scheduled to go live by the end of 2026.

There is no native smartwatch app. However, since our alerts are sent as standard push notifications, they are automatically displayed on paired smartwatches.

Yes, we run a private LinkedIn professional group for our subscriber community and send exclusive updates.

Our calculation models and recommendations are updated semi-annually in collaboration with dairy nutritionists and veterinary researchers.

Yes. Through *TheCowsVoice*, we regularly publish technical articles, analyses, and new scientific findings related to herd management.

The THI-Atlas stands out with its hourly 7-day GPS-based forecast, direct financial milk loss projection, and an extremely simple user interface that requires no complex IT installation.

Free NASA data are often delayed and low-resolution. The THI-Atlas calculates highly precise, hourly forecasts directly for your exact barn coordinates and translates them into actionable veterinary advice.

Our high system stability, open REST API for IoT barn sensors, white-label interfaces for consultants, and guaranteed Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for associations and dairies.

Yes, absolutely! For consultants and larger operations, we offer personal Zoom demos to discuss the full feature set and custom integration options.

Yes, absolutely. You can start with the Pro plan and flexibly transition to the unlimited Enterprise package at any time as your needs grow.

Yes. Just send us a brief message about your consulting activity at info@thecowsvoice.com, and we will activate a free trial access for you.

Yes. For producer groups, dairies, or veterinary clinics, we offer customized group and association rates.

Interactive report links allow you to share personalized, daily updated heat stress analyses via URL (e.g., via WhatsApp or email) with your farmers. The recipient sees hourly THI graphs, predicted milk losses, and concrete recommendations live in the browser without needing an account or logging in. Farm data like herd size and milk price are encrypted directly within the URL.

Yes. In the Pro and Enterprise versions, you can generate monthly or annual heat stress reports for any location with just a few clicks and download them as PDF or send them directly.

Yes. Our reports are professionally prepared and regularly serve as valid documentation for risk analyses and investment decisions (e.g., for new barn cooling installations).

Yes. Reports are generated automatically in the language set in the recipient's user profile (DE, EN, or ES).

This is an extremely important point. Although dry cows do not produce milk actively, heat stress in this phase leads to massive damage in the subsequent lactation (less milk, poorer colostrum quality). Our Pro recommendations explicitly point out the cooling of dry cows from THI 68 onward.

Yes. The system warns you during prolonged heat stress about negative impacts on oocyte quality and pregnancy rates in the following 4–6 weeks.

A direct link to breeding databases is possible via the Enterprise interface. By default, the THI-Atlas focuses on real-time weather and stress monitoring of the active herd.

Currently, we support German, English, and Spanish. French and Portuguese are planned for the third quarter.

The calculation model adapts automatically. In the Southern Hemisphere (e.g., Argentina or Australia), the summer months (December–February) are correctly captured, while in the Northern Hemisphere, the summer months of June–August are in focus.

Yes. Via the Enterprise API, you can feed in data from your local farm weather station to guarantee 100% location-accurate calculations.

No. Because we incur ongoing costs for providing high-resolution weather data and further developing the system, we exclusively offer transparent monthly and annual subscription models.

Sharing account credentials is not permitted. However, from the Pro plan onward, we offer multi-user features, and in the Enterprise plan, you can create as many licenses for employees and colleagues as needed.

Yes. For Enterprise clients and consultant groups, we offer exclusive webinars to train your farmers in the optimal use of the THI-Atlas and heat stress mitigation measures.

All prices are transparently viewable on our pricing page (Free = €0, Basic = €9/month, Pro = €39/month, Enterprise = €499/month). There is no need to fill out any forms to see or book the plans.