Halter Livestock Startup simplifies the work of the farmer and at the same time improves its quality.
The main tasks facing the farmer are as follows:
And you also need to keep track of reports, taxes, equipment, buildings and just live, for which time may simply not be enough. The startup founder grew up on a dairy farm and knows her problems firsthand. Therefore, he carefully approached the idea of remote control of cows. Just using a quadrocopter to monitor the herd is not a good idea. Such a device makes noise, it is noticeable, it can be in the air for a limited time.
To control such large and emotional animals like a cow, you need a gentle approach. Stress reduces milk yield, which is unacceptable for the dairy industry. Craig's idea was that for each animal a special multifunctional collar should be worn.
Features of an electronic GPS collar:
At the last point you need to dwell in more detail. It is he who gives the farmer fundamentally new opportunities for controlling the movement of each cow or the whole herd. By combining sound and vibration, the farmer can direct a single cow or the whole herd in the right direction, or vice versa stop them. This allows not only to stop the movement of the herd to a dangerous place (swamp, ravine, river, highway), but also to create a "virtual fence". This allows you to more rationally use plants for nutrition.
By analyzing the movement of the animal during the day, the system can detect lameness, which will allow you to contact the veterinarian in a timely manner and reduce the cost of subsequent treatment. Also, the system reveals the approach of childbirth, readiness for insemination, overheating, which is fraught with a decrease in milk yield.
Using a regular smartphone, the farmer can “draw” a virtual (temporary) fence or direct the animal in the right direction. Including, to separate one (several) individuals from the herd without the need to approach them personally. The Halter system allows automatic withdrawal of animals in the morning on a pasture or overtaking to another field, which reduces the overall load on the farmer.
Thus, the Halter system allows you to solve a number of problems:
However, to protect against cow abduction, this system is only partially effective. The abductors remove all tags from the animal during the theft, so the Halter system must be supplemented with a hot-iron branding to make it difficult to sell the stolen animal.
