The tags, designed to last five years, are attached to the ear with a double pin. A lost tag can easily be found using GPS.
Sales manager Pieter Vogels says the package includes a farm map and information about the location of cattle can be sent to a phone and provide an alert if an animal has not moved for some time or if it breaks into another paddock.
It also provides an ability to track stolen animals and ensures stock aren’t missed at mustering.
Vogels says Moovement, which had a stand at the recent Rabobank Farm2Fork summit in Sydney, can also provide information on how stock have grazed a paddock by tracing their movements.
The tag contains information such as the tag number, age, breeding lines and comments inserted by the owner.
The system requires access to a 3G or 4G communications network and for large properties, multiple antennas might be needed to provide coverage.
Tags cost NZ$31 and $6 a head a year for the app subscription.
The network costs about $800 but rises to $2650 if an antenna is needed.
Vogels says other adaptions are being developed for inclusion in the tag, such as technology to detect cows coming on heat and calving.
