A Limerick dairy farm reduced labour with SenseHub
Technology on a grass-based farm
Denis O’Dea milks 270 cows outside Kilteely in County Limerick using a grass-based system. The herd produces nearly 500kg of milk solids from about 650kg of ration. O’Dea said the farm’s performance depends on bringing cows out to grass early in spring while maintaining control of fertility, herd health and labour.
He bought SenseHub Monitoring Technology and the SenseHub Drafting Gate in 2021. The decision was intended to reduce labour, improve fertility management and simplify the work of running the farm. The herd’s labour requirement subsequently fell from approximately three and a half full-time equivalents to two and a half.
Remote monitoring and automated drafting
SenseHub records activity linked to heat detection and provides access to breeding information through an app. O’Dea can view which cows are showing signs of heat and which have been drafted while he is away from the farm. He said this allows him to make breeding decisions remotely during the breeding season, including by sending a text message when a decision is required.
The drafting gate operates with the monitoring system as cows leave the milking parlour. Animals identified for drafting are separated automatically, so staff do not have to identify and remove them manually during the milking routine. O’Dea said that, after milking and cleaning, the cows requiring attention are already separated.
Breeding decisions and health alerts
The system also produces a report on cows that have not been detected cycling or that show irregular heat patterns. O’Dea said animals appearing on the report around the second or third week can be examined by a vet. He has also changed his use of sexed semen, moving from one insemination round per day to two so that cows can be served within the relevant breeding window.
SenseHub generates alerts for possible health problems before visible clinical signs appear, according to the farm. O’Dea said this was particularly useful during the transition period, including calving and turnout to grass. During the previous year’s dry period, an alert led him to examine a cow that a vet later diagnosed with pneumonia. He said the early detection supported the cow’s quick recovery.
Installation and support
O’Dea purchased the equipment from Efficient Farm Systems, based in Mullingar, County Westmeath. The company has supplied more than 100,000 SenseHub collars to farmers across Ireland. EFS sales representative Seamus Barry demonstrated the system and drafting gate on O’Dea’s farm, drawing on his practical experience. Amy O’Sullivan, an EFS technical-support representative, continued to assist O’Dea after installation.
O’Dea said the continuous collection of data gives him information from the preceding weeks and months when he is assessing an individual cow. He described the resulting decision process as easier and said he would recommend the system to farmers who want to manage breeding activities remotely.
