
Tom Lambie is no stranger to performance benchmarks. But this season, his herd has delivered exceptional results – an 81% 6-week in-calf rate and just 5.6% empties thanks to the adoption of Datamars Livestock’s Tru-Test Active Tag Collars and strong veterinary support.

Nathan McLean farms across two properties, milking just under 700 cows. He was introduced to Active Tag by his son, who got the collars first, and despite not being a tech-head or into computers, Nathan could see immediately that it was simple enough for him to use and not stuff anything up.

Neil and Ally Dickson farm just over 600 head of milking cows and just over 1000 head of stock on a 1600-hecatre property. They used to have all the data written out on old-fashioned wall sheets or in Neil's head, but Tru-Test has changed all that.

Warren and Meg Salter work a 2500-acre mixed farming and grazing property, with the core of their business being a 250-head herd of Angus cows. They've been able to use the data from the Datamars Walk Over Weighing system to increase the profitability in their business.

Tim McRae puts Tru-Test Collars on his heifers in late May/early June. Not only has the cost structure of Datamars enabled him to spend a bit of extra money on auto-drafting equipment, but he's also enjoying the reduction in labour and the increased heat data.

The Grey family typically runs 5500 head of Brahman cattle across their 197,000-hectare station and a 130,000-hectare neighbouring sublease. However, drought has drastically cut that head count to 700. They've been impressed at how the Walk Over Weighing system has enabled them to identify exceptional performers and also reduce the shrinkage that occurs from handling the animals and breaking their routine.

A big aim at Driffield Farming Ltd is to run at peak performance and at a sustainable cost level. A critical part of that productivity and sustainability equation is the people factor — and looking after people has been the major driver in the decision to install Tru-Test Active Collars across both its Mossburn farms.

In the fast-paced world of New Zealand dairy staying ahead of the herd requires more than just a keen eye — it requires data you can actually use. Datamars Livestock is shifting the gear on cow monitoring with the launch of their new, bespoke reporting suite available at no cost to customers using Active Tag — their collar and ear tag wearable solutions.

Stafford and Sarah Adams 50/50 share milk 420 cows at Glenavy. They started share milking in 2012 as lower order share milkers but have worked their way up. The biggest challenge is always getting cows in calf. Since using Active Tag they've noticed much happier staff, and a lot less time spent picking cows for AI.