Dairy farms are a busy place, so anything that can save time is worth considering.
With this in mind, at Dairy Day 2026, the Irish Farmers Journal will run a demonstration of the top 10 labour-saving technology ideas.
In the run-up to the event, the Irish Farmers Journal will preview two of the 10 potential investment ideas each week.
On Saturday, 14 November, at the University of Limerick (UL) sports arena, visitors will have an opportunity to see each of the 10 ideas in the flesh, and there will be a demonstration area at which each of the options is shown at work.
Auto-gates
First up of the 10 is an auto-gate, which is more commonly known by the brand names Batt-Latch or E-gate.
These are becoming a common sight on farms around the country, and it’s easy to see why. The device works by opening the gap to a paddock, at a time selected by the farmer.
Take a farmer who typically milks the cows at 7am; they could set the auto-gate to open at 6:30am and, as they arrive to start the milking, most or all of the cows will be standing in the yard, waiting.
This is half an hour at every milking, or one hour per day, saved by a simple piece of equipment.
On/off grazing
These devices really come into their own, however, during the spring or autumn, when farms apply on/off grazing. The device will go off at its set time, allowing the farmer the freedom and flexibility to get on with other jobs.
Modern versions of the auto-gate can be connected to an app on the farmer’s phone. This allows the device to be controlled remotely. During the spring, it is particularly useful during a heavy shower of rain, or if the farmer is unable to get to the farm in time.
Most people will be familiar with the sight of a herd of cows gathered in the corner of the paddock, waiting for the gap to be opened as rain lashes down. These remotely-controlled devices solve that problem.
One thing to note: farms that have one of these devices in operation are quick to sing its praises but would also say that, on occasions, a couple of lazier cows will stay in the paddock, declining to move along with the rest of the herd. It's a small point, but something worth being aware of.
A lot of farmers also used these devices during drought periods to allow their cows to access the shed or feeding area three or four hours before morning and evening milking. From an animal-health point of view, it allows cows to walk at their own speed, reducing the risk of lameness in slower cows or already lame cows.
Costs
Prices generally range between €450 for a more basic Batt-Latch up to €1,000 for the more high-tech E-gate.
The most basic models work off a solar battery and will open at the set time. There is a middle-ground version that also operates off a small solar battery but has a sim card. The sim card corresponds to the sim on the phone, meaning it can be opened by sending a text to the device.
The most sophisticated models monitor temperature and rainfall and are synched to a phone app. Those devices cost roughly €1,000, with an additional €50/year subscription charge for the phone app.
Based on a calculation of one hour per day saved at 270 grazing days in a year, the device would save 270 hours per year. At a cost of €15/hour for labour, that’s a saving of €4,050/year.
The return on investment provided by these types of devices – before ever taking account of animal-health costs, or money saved by not poaching paddocks in the spring – make it a no-brainer.