“Tail Alarm” Device Texts When Cow Ready To Give Birth

“Tail Alarm” Device Texts When Cow Ready To Give Birth BALE HANDLING Cows equipped with Moocalls let owners know they are ready to give birth The device sends text alerts announcing they are likely to calve within the hour All you need is a cow tame enough to attach the Moocall to her tail “The Moocall sensor monitors tail movement 600 times per second ” says Emmet Savage Moocall Ltd “The tail gets very active as the cow starts contractions ” Savage says the device was developed after a business partner lost a calf about 4 years ago He had previously noted tail activity as calving neared “We spent 4 years verifying that we can predict to within an hour of calving ” says Savage “The exception is an older cow with a small calf where the alert may arrive with less than an hour before birth and the calf slips out without difficulty That is the perfect scenario ” Normal or difficult births are when the device is most needed Savage says the device has proven very popular with European breeders who often rely on C-section to deliver large calves from smaller cows “With our device you can always be at the back of the animal when the cow has her calf ” says Savage Other devices use temperature changes with probes but they have been known to cause infections The Moocall is non-invasive “It straps to the tail ” says Savage “It comes with a 30-day rechargeable battery and will still text successfully when the battery has only a 15 percent charge ” Savage says the wireless unit works even in low service situations The embedded SIM card sends what is called a back-up bundle instead of an actual text This requires very little signal “We’ve had no issues with signals ” says Savage “It has a roaming function so if one service provider is too weak it will find another that is stronger ” Alerts can be sent to up to 2 numbers Once registered on the company web page an operator can assign phone numbers to the device and check signal strength and battery level The device also offers a quick visual check An LED light flashes blue while working red when in calving mode and amber if the battery is low A reset button allows the unit to be turned off or set up for the next cow “One unit is suggested for every 5 to 6 cows expected to calve in a week but one user calved 8 cows in a week with one unit ” says Savage “The number needed depends on the herd size and calving schedule ” With current cattle prices a unit can more than pay for itself by preventing a single loss Moocalls are priced at $424 shipping included A 15 percent discount applies to multiple orders Included in the price is one year’s texting and roaming service Similar to a prepaid phone an annual service charge of $185 is required for following years A 5 percent discount is applied to multiple service plans “We are now selling it direct in over 20 countries including the U S and Canada ” says Savage “We promise delivery within 5 days and offer a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee “ The company is working on a similar device for horses Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Moocall Ltd 15 Mount Street Upper Dublin 2 Ireland
 ph 001 353 1 969 6038; www moocallsensors com

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