Cables crushed in gates, chewed by rodents or damaged by stock are a thing of the past for dairy farmers with Gallagher’s new Wireless Loadbars.
The first of its kind on the market, this innovative new tool is providing them with a completely wireless solution for weighing animals and eliminating the most common failure point of livestock weighing systems – their cables. Gallagher Product Manager Farm Technologies Brian Rose says the Wireless Loadbars remove the need for cables and can also turn dairy farmers’ phones into a digital livestock weighing system.
“We’re pretty proud about the fact that we develop products that are driven by farmer demand. And the Wireless Loadbars are no exception.
“Farmers told us they wanted loadbars without the annoying cables, which often failed due to damage caused by things outside their control. Many also said that the cables were a potential trip hazard.
“Farmers also told us they struggled with moving weighing platforms from farm to farm to weigh stock on different properties because the cables were an absolute nuisance,” says Brian.
So, the Gallagher team got to work. They spent hundreds of hours perfecting the product’s design and functionality to give farmers a tool that could add real value to their business and make their lives a whole lot easier.
“Dairy farmers are pretty savvy now with Bluetooth and Wireless EID readers. They asked us to get rid of the cables on our loadbars, so we did!” says Brian.
“Our biggest challenge was developing a product with battery power that could last the distance out in the field.
“We addressed that by incorporating a new low-power battery design, for careful power management. The result is a long-life battery that will last up to 10 years before it needs replacing.”
The Wireless Loadbars’ clever design also means that when the battery needs to be replaced, the farmer is notified via their weigh scale or phone app, and it can simply be unclipped and a new one plugged in.
The Wireless Loadbars form part of Gallagher’s broader weighing and EID range. When coupled with Gallagher’s Animal Performance mobile app, it gives dairy farmers a digital herd weighing system in the palm of their hand.
“The Wireless Loadbars are a simple tool for dairy farmers wanting hassle-free weighing and data transferred straight to their phones,” says Brian.
“They work well as an entry level tool for farmers on smaller dairy platforms, but they can also be coupled with our Touch Screen Weigh Scales for a more complete professional weighing solution.”
In larger operations with big herds, farmers don’t always want to have their phones sitting out in the yards. In that situation, they can use Gallagher’s TW or TWR Weigh Scale range together with the Wireless Loadbars.
They then transfer the data to Gallagher’s Animal Performance web and mobile app at the end of a weighing session.
