In 2021, Sylvia and Fergal purchased SenseHub Dairy, an innovative product which has provided them with a new level of freedom and flexibility while also connecting them to their livestock 24/7.
Sylvia and Fergal Daly are based in Kilcormac, County Offaly and milk 100 cows on their fragmented 145-acre holding.
Having departed an off-farm role in 2019, Fergal entered full-time farming which prompted the Dalys’ switch from calf-to-beef to dairy, a transition which brought about a different range of challenges and opportunities.
“We initially bought SenseHub collars for heat detection, but then as an add on we bought the drafting gate. When we started using the SenseHub, we quickly saw just how effective the system was when it came to detecting a cow which had a health issue,” explained Fergal.
SenseHub Dairy monitors animals 24/7, helping users to maximise productivity, improve breeding decisions while also saving time and labour, a key consideration on their family farm.
Using the SenseHub App
Fergal continued: “If we need to separate the cows, it’s recorded on the SenseHub App. We then use the drafting gate which allows us to do whatever has to be done with the drafted animal in a way that us stress free for the cows and us.
“The cows walk through the drafting gate at every milking, so they’re used to it. The gate only swings across in front of them when drafting is needed, so they’re not stressed by it – it’s part of their everyday routine.
“Both SenseHub and the drafting gate have simplified the drafting process and made it much safer for us.”
Powered by market-proven, algorithms to analyse activity, rumination, eating and other behaviours, SenseHub Dairy delivers actionable information on the reproduction, health and wellbeing of cows – all in real time. This includes precise heat information and accurate AI guidance to optimise conception rates.
“After calving, if cows have a health issue SenseHub will alert us, which is very useful,” said Fergal. “Ahead of hoof pairing, we input our numbers into the system which drafts out the cows after milking and we’ve got that scheduled in advance. So, when the hoof pairer arrives, he’ll see the cows in the pen and know they’re the ones to be treated.”
Significant role at dry off
SenseHub also plays a significant role when it comes to drying off, as Sylvia explained. “Being integrated with the ICBF, we’ve got a very reliable indicator as to when the cows are going to calve. When it comes to drying off, we pick the cows that are 60 to 70 days away from calving – and 90 days for those in first lactation – so they’re milked that morning and then you have the cows that you want dried off waiting in the pen.
“I compile a list on the laptop, input the cows that we want to have drafted, so while Fergal is milking, I’m drafting them which is incredibly practical for us. SenseHub has removed a great deal of stress from even the busiest of days.”
SenseHub Dairy also provides health warnings to the user, as Sylvia explained: “A health alert tells us when something isn’t right and a distress alert lets us know when a more serious problem is developing, so we know when we have to go and take a look at an animal which may be more stressed and requires attention.”
Running a 100% AI operation, the Dalys said the collars are “incredibly accurate in picking up their heifers’ in heat, whereas previously if you were using tail paint or stickers, it created more work from our perspective. But the collars tell you exactly when the heifers are in heat and that has taken a lot of work out of breeding. It’s a very accurate system.”
Additional safety
With no requirement for a stock bull on the farm, Fergal and Sylvia have one less health and safety consideration in their yard, providing an additional safeguard for both themselves and their two children.
“With SenseHub, we have 100 per cent trust in the collars,” said Fergal. “It has significantly reduced the amount of time we have to spend in the parlour – the app tells us every morning how many cows are in heat, for example. It has given us a whole host of advantages.”
Sylvia added: “SenseHub is such a fantastic tool and the back-up service provided both by phone and online has been invaluable.
“We just couldn’t farm as efficiently without it. You could take everything else away and we’d find a way to get by whereas this is an indispensable piece of kit. It’s been such a positive for both the herd, and for us from a family and work life balance perspective. It has provided so much more confidence in terms of what we’re doing every day.
