Latest news with #Datamars
Agriland
07-08-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Mixing cows with honey: How one farmer uses tech to balance a legacy
With labour becoming harder to source, more farmers are turning to smart farming technologies to bridge the gap. This was the case for Kevin Collins, a dairy farmer based in Timoleague, west Co. Cork, who also has a successful honey business. Datamars recently visited him on his farm where he milks between 230-240 cows. A family man with four children, Kevin is a ninth-generation farmer, with farming firmly in his genes. He has now been working in agriculture for over 40 years. Since taking over the family business in 2022, Kevin has continued to manage the dairy herd while also running a honey business called Molaga Honey. Beekeeping has been in the Collins family for four generations, dating back to 1860. The enterprise was originally started by Kevin's great-grandmother and passed down through the generations. Kevin's father later diversified by beginning to sell honey, all while helping to manage the bees and the daily operations of the farm. However, as the demands of dairy farming grew, his father had to step back from beekeeping to focus more fully on running the farm. Speaking from his farm in Timoleague, Kevin explained: 'My father was very interested in bees and beekeeping and so he took it a step further and started to sell honey off the west coast of Ireland in the late 1960s, but when he went into full-time farming, this kind of took a step back a little bit. 'Only when he retired did he take it up full-time again when I took over the day-to-day farm.' Now, not only is Kevin running the farm, but he has also taken over the honey business that his father had diversified into. However, managing both enterprises has not come without its challenges. Balancing the demands of a large dairy herd with the careful attention required for successful beekeeping has meant Kevin has had to become even more efficient with his time, finding new ways to keep both sides of the business thriving. That's where the Tru-Test Active Tag collars and Dairy Drafter system have made a real difference for Kevin. The collars provide real-time insights into each cow's activity, health, heat detection, and reproductive status, enabling Kevin to make timely, informed decisions. Integrated with the Dairy Drafter, the system automatically drafts pre-selected cows as they exit the milking parlour, significantly reducing manual labour and saving valuable time. With the Tru-Test collars and app freeing up more of his time, Kevin shared the impact this has had on balancing the two businesses. The Co. Cork farmer said: 'Because we are not watching the cows consistently or not all the time, this gives me an extra couple of hours in the honey business so I can concentrate on that.' Kevin said he chose Tru-Test because of the support available from Datamars. 'With the great support behind it, having 24/7 back up and especially from Charlotte in customer service gave me the real confidence,' he said. 'The training we received helped us to properly understand the system and how to read the data properly on the phone and help to get the timing right. 'I know exactly when to AI (artificially inseminate) the cows, making our breeding more consistent.' The Co. Cork farmer also noted the impact the system has had on managing the herd and overall farm performance. He said: 'The system picks up the cows that we might otherwise have missed, helps us to tighten up on our calving period and also shows the intensity of the heat and gives you the optimum timings for the sexed semen.' Kevin said one of the main advantages of the system is how it has changed his day-to-day life on a personal level. 'It gives me great deal of flexibility to step away from the shed and take the kids to matches and training and get to spend more time with them - which means a lot,' he said. Datamars Livestock is transforming dairy farming with its integrated Smart Farming ecosystem. The range includes advanced tools such as Tru-Test Active Tags and Collars, the Dairy Drafter, the Walk-Over-Weigh (WOW) system, and the Fence Monitoring System working seamlessly together to provide real-time insights, automation, and greater control over operations.
Agriland
01-06-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Looking to save time this weaning period?
With an ageing population of sheep farmers and ongoing labour shortages, many farms are turning to technology to improve efficiency and reduce manual workload at key periods such as weaning time. Irish sheep farms were among the first to adopt electronic identification (EID) tagging to enhance animal movement tracking and traceability beyond the farm gate. Leading this technological shift is Datamars Livestock, whose portfolio of trusted brands, including Tru-Test weighing systems, Z Tags, Simcro, NJ Phillips, and Hayes fencing, has become a familiar presence on livestock farms across Ireland. Weaning Weaning presents an ideal opportunity to evaluate ewe performance – both in terms of lamb-rearing ability and body condition score (BCS). By using Datamars EID tags and Tru-Test readers in combination with farm recording software at lambing, tracking individual ewe performance becomes much easier. The data obtained through this software and devices helps identify how each ewe contributes to the overall profitability of the enterprise. It is not uncommon for 20-30% of the flock to be in suboptimal BCS at weaning. These ewes should be prioritised for access to high-quality grass immediately post-weaning, to help them reach ideal condition for mating later in the autumn. Feed should only be restricted for 7-10 days post-weaning to help dry off the ewe's milk supply. Prolonged restriction beyond this period can lead to unnecessary body weight loss, which must be regained before mating. Grass management and lamb finishing The top priority should be allocating the farm's best-quality grass to growing lambs in order to maximise daily live weight gains. At the same time, many farms will need to begin building a wedge of grass for autumn grazing and flushing ewes. It may make economic sense to give priority grazing to lambs over 38kg liveweight, aiming to finish them off grass alone – especially while market prices are under pressure. As prices improve, farmers can choose to sell forward store lambs or introduce meal to remaining lambs over 35kg at a rate of 300-500g/head/day to maximise farm output. Lambs should continue to be weighed and drafted on a weekly basis. Investing in a good handling and weighing system, such as the Prattley system (as demonstrated in the video above), can significantly reduce time and stress for both animals and handlers. Managing lameness in the flock Lameness significantly impacts on both lamb growth and ewe condition, as lame animals struggle to consume enough grass. Sheep are natural selective grazers, roaming to pick preferred plants, but lameness restricts this behaviour, leading to reduced performance. Using Datamars permanent EID sheep tags in combination with a Tru-Test EID Reader featuring Bluetooth technology, offers a simple and efficient way to record and monitor animals with recurring lameness. This enables better management decisions and more targeted treatment, ultimately improving flock health and productivity. Parasite control and mineral supplementation Appropriate treatment for parasites is critical to support optimal lamb growth rates, and important not to overlook the flock's mineral requirements at weaning. Many farmers routinely administer oral mineral supplements at this stage – giving lambs a strong start post-weaning and helping to replenish the ewe's mineral reserves following the demands of the rearing season. Datamars supports animal flock health management with trusted tools like the NJ Phillips and Simcro ranges of animal health delivery systems. Irish farmers have relied on these for decades to administer drenches and supplements accurately and efficiently. Datamars products Datamars specialises in designing and developing tools that enhance labour efficiency and make a measurable difference on Irish farms. Their products are built to be easy to use, quick to operate, and highly durable, helping farmers increase productivity with less effort. Z Tags offer comprehensive sheep tagging solutions that improve the overall tagging process. These tools streamline on farm workflows, reduce stress for livestock, and ensure consistent, reliable identification. Z for Sheep Tags are engineered for exceptional retention and ease of use. The system features retractable pliers with five precision pivots, a spring-loaded ergonomic handle, and a lightweight, balanced design. This innovative approach minimises the risk of ear tearing and significantly improves operator comfort. The enhanced applicator makes tagging faster, smoother, and less stressful for both animals and handlers. With fewer lost tags and a reduced need for re-tagging, Z Tags deliver outstanding long-term performance. Another key innovation is the Z Tags TagFaster Automatic Applicator. Capable of holding 20 individual slaughter tags or 10 pairs of breeding tags, it enables fast, stress-free application. Its unique design – featuring a sharp point and instant ear release, ensures precise tag positioning while minimising stress for both the animal and the operator. These practical innovations from Datamars help farmers achieve significant improvements in efficiency and animal welfare, delivering measurable results. Curious about what offers are available? Whether you are new to Datamars or a long-time customer, now is a great time to get in touch. We have something for everyone, because loyalty matters to us just as much as new opportunities. Contact us today to see what is available and start making the most of our tagging solutions.
Irish Examiner
12-05-2025
- Climate
- Irish Examiner
Paula Hynes: From AI to DIY - It's all go on the farm in Aherla
The weather is simply glorious, but the drop of rain in the forecast has been welcome. We held off on spreading fertiliser until we were assured rain and that was down to lessons learned during the summer drought in 2018. The advice at the time during the drought was to continue to spread fertiliser but with multiple rounds of N spread before we saw rain, grass took a nitrogen surge and we lost a cow to bloat. The sunshine and heat suits clover swards so they are less affected by the dry weather. We haven't cut any silage yet for the simple reason that we had never planned to cut this early and regardless of the weather conditions being ideal for harvesting, the silage swards are still too high in N so we are keeping an eye on the forecast and hoping for a weather window close to the last week of May. The main focus on the farm at the moment is breeding season with the main herd being bred, we are lucky to have a fantastic AI technician called David Murphy, he has been a huge part of the team here and always gets fantastic conception rates, and more importantly gives us great feed back on how the cows' heats are. It really is a team effort getting cows in calf; the technician can only get results if the cow is in good BCS and presented for AI at the right time, and likewise, the technician's attention to detail is also crucial. We fitted Datamars health and heat detection collars two years ago and they truly have been superb. We knew the system was very accurate and also had the extra confidence that Semex were promoting the system around the world. We don't tail paint cows anymore which saves a lot of time during milking. We keep an eye on the cows as they leave the paddock to ensure heats we visually see are also picked up by the Datamars system. What we do notice now is that the system picks up silent heats which we possibly would not have seen. The data available to us on the Datamars app is superb; we can automatically see when the cow calved, when her last heat was or her last AI. It also tells us when the heat for the cow began, when the optimum time for AI is and when the heat will finish; with this information we can decide if a cow will be served in the AM or PM. Generally, we try to serve cows which are selected for sexed semen as late in the heat as possible, but if a cow is being served with beef semen we can be more flexible with the time of service, so if possible we may serve earlier or later to reduce the daily visits for the technician. We will stop using sexed semen soon so we will return to once a day AI and we will continue to serve with beef semen until week 10 of breeding. We don't use stock bulls anymore as conception rates are higher to AI and we never have to worry about the fertility of stock bulls. I guess there is also the safety aspect of it that with no stock bulls with the dairy herd anyone can bring the cows in for milking. The Datamars collars also give us great information on the health of individual cows, if a cow is off form we will get a health alert and we can automatically look at the data on the cow's rumination, standing time, resting, lying down and feeding time. If we need veterinary intervention for the cow, we can give this information to the vet and rule out problems quicker. The system really is like having a pair of eyes and ears with the cows 24 hours a day and while systems like this are costly, we save a lot of time and routine costs. Also with the benefit of having more cows in calf and calving earlier, it means the herd is more efficient and more profitable. The list of cows which have not been served has really narrowed down, not every cow has a 21-day cycle and we also take into consideration how late a cow has calved, but we will PG a few cows this week to bring on their heat and give them the best chance of going in calf again. The farm always requires some routine maintenance, and the summer months are a chance to tackle some of these jobs, for those who know our farm, we have a long tarmac driveway and it has been riddled with potholes. Pete claimed that while some places had speed ramps, we merely had speed holes. Well, the speed holes are no more, which must come as a huge celebration for the postman and the milk lorry driver as we got a load of hot tarmac this week and tackled the repair job. Next on the maintenance list is a building project which has also begun and hopefully once complete will make life a lot easier for us. It is something we are taking our time with as we will most likely modify it as we are making progress and as it begins to take shape I will write a more detailed piece on it. The summer always flies by and I always think it is better tackling these jobs earlier rather than rushing around in the autumn. While we may seem extremely organised, to be fair the current farm maintenance list is probably the 2024 list which never happened and has been slightly updated since and we did need to allow Pete a little time to realise that his speed pothole concept was never going to become popular with visitors. There is also a little fencing that needs upgrading in fields which are closed for silage, so once first-cut silage is complete we will tackle that rather than rushing around repairing it in the autumn when we need to graze after grass after second cut silage. As the list of maintenance jobs grows, so too does the visitor list which will make farm and home busy for the next couple of months. Read More
