Resources
Connecting a farm
Will Bowden, a fifth-generation farmer in Tasmania, leveraged irrigation and digital tools to remotely control 17 pivots, pumps, and reservoirs, reducing downtime and improving water management.
Case Studies
Adoption of Halter technology
Name
Duncan McDonald, Partner & Operations Manager
Location
Macdonald Dairies
Duncan, a distinguished Nuffield Scholar, was one of the first Australian dairy farmers to adopt Halter — an innovative smart cow-collar — for his dairy herd in the north west of Tasmania, near Burnie. He has a passion for harnessing technology, particularly given the focus of his Nuffield research project on Utilising technology for decision making in pasture based dairy.
What was the challenge?
- Farm labour demands were too high, creating ongoing pressure and inefficiency.
- Duncan lacked a full overview of the farming system, making it difficult to manage effectively.
- There was limited clarity on key areas such as cow health, mating, and pasture performance.
What was the process?
- Halter collars were used to virtually fence cows and schedule herd shifts, reducing manual labour.
- Sensors tracked animal health and heat cycles to improve mating outcomes and boost milk yield.
- Herds were split into smaller groups with movements scheduled in the Halter app.
- Grazing plans were automated via the app’s virtual fencing, improving pasture utilisation.
Results
When Duncan first came across Halter through his Facebook feed, the NZ-based company had not yet focused their distribution efforts on Australia. However, after several discussions with Halter, and other NZ farmers who have used the technology, Duncan decided to trial the technology. He now has two full herds equipped with Halter cow collars.
Although still in the early phases of adoption, Duncan expects to see the following benefits across his operations:
Upward trend in milk production, improved animal health and reproduction outcomes.
Reduction in costs and time spent on farm (overtime hours).
Improvement in milking quality.
Halter (collar)
• Cow collar delivers real-time heat and health monitoring.
• Virtual fencing zones automatically move the cows through sound and vibrations from the collar, saving up to 40 hrs/wk.
• LED lights on each collar to allow for easy identification.
Estimated Cost
N/A (quote required)
Halter (whole system)
Solar‑powered smart collars plus base stations and mobile/desktop app enable virtual fencing, herd movement, and pasture management.
• Create and adjust boundaries remotely, view grazing heatmaps, track animal health and mating, and optimise pasture growth.
• Live on over 200,000 cattle globally, with strong uptake in Tasmania and mainland Australia.
Estimated Cost
N/A (quote required)
