O’Donnell Engineering from Emly, Co Tipperary, has just brought a new cattle-drafting system to the market. The system allows a farmer to automatically draft their cattle during handling to separate holding pens and is especially useful for drafting cows after milking.

Michael O’Donnell says they have spent eight months testing the system and are very happy with how it is performing. He says they received a lot of positive feedback at the Tullamore Show from farmers who were interested in upgrading existing facilities to draft cows in heat after milking.

“As the average farmers continue to expand herd size, this necessitates the need for better handling facilities. The ODE drafting system assists the farmer in drafting cows for AI, hoof paring, medication and buffer feeding,” explained Michael.

How it works

Ear tags

For this system to operate on a farm, all cattle must have one standard battery-free HDX electronic identification ear tag. These tags are similar to the ordinary identification ear tag that most cattle have except these are fitted with and RFID circuit. The tags can be purchased from Mullinahone co-op who currently hold the contract to sell cattle ear tags to farmers.

Operating system

The farmer interacts with the drafting system via a rugged Samsung tablet that is mounted in the milking pit, all supplied by O’Donnell Engineering. This tablet communicates with the drafting system via a WiFi link. The system can also be controlled using any WiFi enabled device. The farmer can look down along their list of cows and select which animal to divert. The drafter will also inform the farmer if an animal hasn’t been seen or if there is an issue with the drafter. The O’Donnell drafter is fitted with a double antenna that positively detects the cow’s tag as she enters the drafting unit. The unit must be supplied with power and compressed air. There is also a manual operation on the drafting system that will work for livestock not tagged electronically.

Drafter

The drafter itself is a standalone unit and was designed and manufactured in Emly, Co Tipperary. It works via electricity and drafting gates open and close by compressed air.

When a cow approaches the drafter, one of the two antennas reads the cow’s tag. Depending on how that cow’s tag was preprogrammed, she will either be drafted to the left or right or continue to walk straight ahead.

“Cows are free-flowing through the system due to the double antenna installed allowing accurate and rapid animal detection. This reduces the operating stress on the animals, allowing them to walk at their natural pace without the need to stop and scan each animal,” according to Michael.

The steel work is heavy duty and hot dipped galvanised. There is also a manual operation on the drafting system that will work for livestock not tagged electronically.

Cost

For the drafter and the rugged handheld tablet, the two-way drafter costs €8,000 excluding VAT. The three-way drafter costs €8,750 excluding VAT. Michael says the system can be installed in any existing yard and it just takes an hour to assemble. Heavy duty plates at the base allow the unit to be bolted down on an existing yard.

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