C-Lock’s GreenFeed and SmartLine provide complete visibility into cow intake and output, improving feed efficiency, profitability and sustainability.
Feed efficiency lies at the intersection of productivity, profitability and sustainability. Producers have known for decades that small improvements in how animals convert feed into milk and meat can yield big benefits, but accurate measurement tools have been limited.
C-Lock Inc. changed that. Through advanced technologies such as GreenFeed and our product SmartLine, the company enables producers and researchers to understand both sides of the equation: what cows consume and what they emit. These innovations are redefining how the industry measures and manages efficiency, creating new opportunities for sustainable growth in both beef and dairy production.
Why is feed efficiency important?
Feed accounts for up to 70% of the total cost of raising livestock. The more efficiently cows use what they eat, the higher the profits and the smaller the environmental footprint. However, efficiency is notoriously difficult to quantify, as it depends on a myriad of factors, including diet, genetics, health, and even the microbes in the rumen.
Until recently, producers relied on herd averages and estimates. Without data on individual animals, it was difficult to fine-tune diets and breeding programs. C-Lock’s system fills that gap, providing real-time insight into how each animal eats, converts feed, and releases methane.
GreenFeed: The global standard for emissions monitoring
The GreenFeed system measures methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) and other emissions from individual animals during short, voluntary visits. Cows approach the unit for small amounts of food while the system collects breath samples to quantify emissions.
This simple interaction provides accurate and reproducible data in real-world environments such as farms, feedlots, and research facilities. This information allows producers and scientists to understand how diet, genetics, and management affect emissions and efficiency.
GreenFeed is currently the foundational technology for methane reduction research and implementation. It is used around the world to test feed additives, management strategies, and breeding programs aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Verified GreenFeed data supports carbon offset projects, sustainability certification, and science-based policy development.
GreenFeed helps decision makers manage both productivity and environmental impact by turning animal emissions into actionable data.
SmartLine: Individual animal insights on feed, water, and weight
Our SmartLine products provide the data-driven insights you need to make better decisions for your herd. Our highly accurate feeding, watering and weighing systems capture individual animal intake and track how much, how often, each cow eats, drinks and weighs.
In beef operations, SmartLine highlights animals that convert feed most efficiently. This is essential data for genetic selection and herd improvement. In dairy herds, nutritionists can help fine-tune feed to maximize milk production and maintain cow health. This provides farms with first-hand insight into their feed return on investment and how to improve productivity and further reduce emissions.
In addition to SmartLine, C-Lock also manufactures SmartScale and SmartWater. SmartWater records an individual animal’s water intake, and the scale measures the individual animal’s weight as it drinks water. The two can be used together as one unit or separately.
Combining our SmartLine products with GreenFeed completes the picture, allowing users to link intake and output data to truly measure efficiency.
Integration for a complete view of efficiency
The real power of C-Lock’s technology lies in its integration. GreenFeed and SmartLine work together to create a comprehensive system that connects nutrition, performance, and sustainability.
This combined data allows users to:
Correlate feed intake and methane emissions to improve feed efficiency models. We evaluate feed additives not only for emissions reduction, but also for their impact on growth, milk, and health. Develop balanced management strategies that reduce emissions without sacrificing performance.
For example, if a new feed additive reduces methane but changes intake, C-Lock’s dual-system data will reveal whether overall efficiency increases or decreases. That deeper understanding drives smarter, more sustainable decisions.
Turn data into decisions
Both systems are powered by C-Lock’s advanced algorithms to automatically collect and analyze data from all visits and feeding events. Algorithms, combined with C-Locks’ data experts, transform this raw information into clear visual reports such as graphs, trends, and summaries, making complex science accessible and actionable.
Users can compare performance across groups and treatments, track progress over time, and generate reports for research publications and sustainability programs. Data can be securely shared between collaborators, allowing growers, nutritionists, and scientists to work together around a common goal of continuous improvement and innovation.
Supporting sustainability and accountability
The livestock sector has increasing expectations to demonstrate environmental responsibility. Methane emissions from ruminants are a major focus for governments, retailers, and consumers alike.
C-Lock provides the measurement foundation needed for reliable action. Using verifiable, science-based data, producers can quantify emissions reductions, participate in carbon markets, and transparently communicate their progress.
GreenFeed and SmartLine are also important tools for national greenhouse gas inventories and the development of low-carbon beef and dairy supply chains. By providing accurate animal-level measurements, we make sustainability measurable, manageable, and marketable.
The way forward
Feed efficiency has always been central to livestock success. Today, it is also the basis of sustainability. C-Lock’s GreenFeed and SmartLine systems provide the insights you need to optimize both.
By measuring intake and emissions in parallel, these technologies provide producers and researchers with the knowledge to increase productivity, reduce environmental impact, and confidently verify sustainability claims.
From feedlots to dairy farms, from research trials to commercial applications, C-Lock helps the global livestock industry efficiently, profitably and responsibly feed the future.
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