Feed pad with rubber matting hailed as game changer
For Otago farmers Michelle and Rogan Borrie, a newly constructed feed pad on one of their three farms has been a game changer.
Working on the premise that everything that happens on farm exists to manage the cow, Halter claims to remove the need for fences, gates and even the farm dog, allowing the farmer to manage everything remotely, saving time and improving productivity.
Each cow is fitted with a solar powered collar that in turn is coupled to an application that monitors the cow’s location, physical condition and pasture conditions.
Recently, the tech company has partnered with farmer-owned cooperative LIC to allow data flow between the Halter app and MINDA, saving farmers’ time and creating a seamless interface.
The Halter platform now sends highly accurate heat alerts to the MINDA app, LIC’s cloud-based herd management system, allowing farmers to schedule drafts within MINDA for on-heat cows.
In addition, Halter also allows farmers to gain access to some of their herd’s MINDA data via the Halter app, including calving date, mating sire ID and body condition score, providing them with an overall picture of herd performance, health and fertility to help them make more informed decisions on farm.
Each cow is fitted with a solar powered collar that in turn is coupled to an application that monitors the cow's location, physical condition and pasture condition. |
“From day one, our goal has been to make farmers’ working lives better,” said Piggot. “Integrating Halter into MINDA is something farmers have asked for, and we’ve responded. It’s a perfect example of how Halter helps. Our integration simplifies the admin so farmers can get on with more important jobs.”
LIC chief executive David Chin says the farmer-owned co-operative is pleased to welcome Halter to its growing suite of wearables partners.
“Enabling MINDA to integrate with cow wearables is key to unlocking more value for our growing number of farmers who have invested in this technology. We’re excited to partner with Halter to provide more farmers with improved access to data and insights to make their lives easier.”
Piggot says the integration is an important step in the tech company’s evolution. He looks forward to continuing to foster relationships with partners who share a vision to support farming communities.
“We are on a path to an ecosystem where we connect partners to farmers to help drive business success. This LIC integration is the beginning of that journey.”
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The 2023-24 season has been a roller coaster ride for Waikato dairy farmers, according to Federated Farmers dairy section chair, Mathew Zonderop.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director general Ray Smith says job cuts announced this morning will not impact the way the Ministry is organised or merge business units.
Scales Corporation is acquiring a number of orchard assets from Bostock Group.
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