App simplifies drafting cows

A new innovation will mean farmers can set up drafting cows for the next milking from wherever they happen to be and in the time it takes to send a text message.

The remote drafting application, developed by the dairy farmer co-operative LIC, works on Apple's iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad devices, and is part of the new Protrack Drafter farm automation system.

LIC farm systems general manager Rob Ford says farmers generally know which cows they need to draft out.

"Until now, they have only been able to set the drafts up from the farm dairy, but now they can do it remotely," he said.

"Farmers enter the cow numbers into their device and the direction they want to draft them and, once they get back within range of their shed, it will synchronise with their Protrack Drafter system and they're good to go.

"Milking will take place as normal and the device will draft the cows out as instructed."

Mr Ford said it was a low-cost solution for farmers who wanted the benefit of farm automation.