Time savings and family life
We went with Collie because of the massive time savings. It’s a huge help that the 'rush hour' - fetching the cows, milking, and tending to the animals - doesn't last as long, leaving us time to eat and be with our family. Thanks to Collie, we can combine grazing much better with family life, and with other work like the farm administration, which takes up a lot of my time.
The reality of the start-up
The cows actually picked up the fetching routine quite quickly. Within three days, I reckon. But the strip grazing took a bit longer due to a combination of factors. We were in a fairly dry spell, and to be honest, our cows simply hadn't learned how to strip graze yet. There was also a minor bug with a beeping sound by the fences, which luckily got sorted out quickly. But it was a bit confusing for the cows. On top of that, the cows just needed to get used to the system. Because all those things added up, it took a couple of weeks instead of the usual one.
Service: Not leaving the farmer in the lurch
I do have to say that Marius from Collie really helped us think things through, and we usually had one or two people from their team on the farm available to give us a hand. Thanks to that extra attention and guidance, it all worked out fine in the end.
Hardware: No more empty batteries
I really like the new collars, because they don't run out of power anymore and they stay on securely. So the collars just keep getting better. I don't have to worry about that anymore.
Herd calm & horns
The cows stay a lot calmer now when we bring them in. I really like that, especially since they have horns. I was a bit worried that might become an issue, like if one of them holds up the rest or something. But they actually just step around each other nicely. It's relatively stress-free now. I used to do it with a horse, but then you have to unsaddle while all the cows are bunched up together. That’s a thing of the past.
Staying involved
You do have to pay attention to how the field is looking and keep an eye out for cows in heat. But that's actually quite nice. Sometimes you plan to do something in the afternoon and you don't get round to it, but then you can fetch them so easily. You have to pay attention, but it is enjoyable.
Initial doubts
Did I have any doubts before we started? Yes, I wondered if our cows would actually learn it, and I was worried about the price. But the way it runs now, I see it's exactly what I had in mind: it just saves us a lot of time.
