Best EID reader setup

[Sammos80]

Hi all!
Hoping you can help give me some tips on EID reading kit as I am thinking of taking the leap. I know it is often a matter of personal preference but I have literally zero experience of them.
We only have a little farm of 200 breeding ewes but we are trying to do everything as well as we can. I am just not finding performance recording with manual methods practical and accurate enough. Things like assessing weight gain in lambs is very difficult as weighing and recording takes ages.
What I imagine I want from my setup is:

- a stick reader or recorder initially
- Pc software interface ideally that will pump the data into a .csv format and ideally import from .csv or copy an paste table data into
- some kind of mobile app would be a good idea but possibly not essential as long as I an view records on the unit
- link lambs to ewes and maybe rams so I can e.g. assess ewe performance by the weight gain of her lambs
- allow lambing notes to be added in and ideally viewed in the shed
- be compatible with a digital weigh crate in case we can afford one or they bring the grant scheme back... any recommendations on these appreciated too!
- any other features that will be useful that I am unaware of!!

Pardon and ignorance or stupidity and feel free to educate me in this new world of 21st century stock management!
Cheers!
Sam

 

[Farm Matters Ltd]

Hi Sam

We have many customers using either the Agrident AWR or Tru Test XRS 2 to "lamb link" and collect data for their management and compliance. Have a look they may be useful to you. You can Google some video on how they work and get a better idea. Happy to help if I can.

 

[Sammos80]

Have seen the Tru Test and it looks good, interested to see if any other users on the forum have feedback on it!

 

[tinsheet]

@Hch

 

[iLivestock]

Have seen the Tru Test and it looks good, interested to see if any other users on the forum have feedback on it!

Hi Sam,

Happy to set you up with a trail with our iLivestock software, it is App based but does allow exports/imports from CSV etc. As mentioned by Farm Matters I would say an Agrident AWR 250 or APR 250 would be best for you.

I've linked a short video below showing a one of users using the medication, weighing features of the app.

Happy to setup a call and answer any questions.

Thanks
Ewen

 

[Al R]

Agriwebb is an excellent app for whole farm recording but unsure how much it does in terms of individual and dam/sire matching as I don’t individually record. @CampbellMauchan is the one to speak to about Agriwebb.

Just taken delivery of a Border Software FARMIT3000 weigh crate with top load cells, absolutely incredible piece of kit with a EW7i weigh head incase I go down the dlwg route with store lambs etc. Insanely quick how it gets the weight compared to a spring balance and combi clamp weigher. Lambs are happy in the new crate, weighed some lambs this afternoon that had never seen a weigher, I had an emergency with a child and left a lamb in the crate for 5 minutes and it was still happily stood there when I got back. Very smooth and quiet to use.

 

[Purli R]

Hi all!
Hoping you can help give me some tips on EID reading kit as I am thinking of taking the leap. I know it is often a matter of personal preference but I have literally zero experience of them.
We only have a little farm of 200 breeding ewes but we are trying to do everything as well as we can. I am just not finding performance recording with manual methods practical and accurate enough. Things like assessing weight gain in lambs is very difficult as weighing and recording takes ages.
What I imagine I want from my setup is:

- a stick reader or recorder initially
- Pc software interface ideally that will pump the data into a .csv format and ideally import from .csv or copy an paste table data into
- some kind of mobile app would be a good idea but possibly not essential as long as I an view records on the unit
- link lambs to ewes and maybe rams so I can e.g. assess ewe performance by the weight gain of her lambs
- allow lambing notes to be added in and ideally viewed in the shed
- be compatible with a digital weigh crate in case we can afford one or they bring the grant scheme back... any recommendations on these appreciated too!
- any other features that will be useful that I am unaware of!!

Pardon and ignorance or stupidity and feel free to educate me in this new world of 21st century stock management!
Cheers!
Sam
@Gator will be yer man

 

[Tim W]

I've been using these things for 12 years or more and love them (but i did used to performance record 650 ewes on paper before this)
All the software is pretty good and there isn't much between them IMO---you get used to a system and get to know your way around it
Reading eartags ---i have a Psion as that works along with my software to do just about everything i want in the field this works via bluetooth to a Trutest (cheapest model) weighhead on my scales, the scales are 2 x loadbars @ £75 each on a bit of aluminium plate
Psion £1400, Weighhead £600 ----I've just added an extension wand for the Psion (£100) so it will auto read as animals enter the crate

You can save money by getting a stick reader of some sort but then i think you need a better/more expensive weighhead?
I think that in a few years there will be better options for readers that connect to your phone but that may not help you now

 

[Six Dogs]

Agriwebb is an excellent app for whole farm recording but unsure how much it does in terms of individual and dam/sire matching as I don’t individually record. @CampbellMauchan is the one to speak to about Agriwebb.

Just taken delivery of a Border Software FARMIT3000 weigh crate with top load cells, absolutely incredible piece of kit with a EW7i weigh head incase I go down the dlwg route with store lambs etc. Insanely quick how it gets the weight compared to a spring balance and combi clamp weigher. Lambs are happy in the new crate, weighed some lambs this afternoon that had never seen a weigher, I had an emergency with a child and left a lamb in the crate for 5 minutes and it was still happily stood there when I got back. Very smooth and quiet to use.

Sounds good,ours is an older model-can you explain or show a picture of what you mean by top load cells
Thanks

 

[yellowbelly]

Have seen the Tru Test and it looks good, interested to see if any other users on the forum have feedback on it!

TruTest XRS stick reader and XR3000 on the Combi Clamp. Read a tag and it gives you this (weigh cells not connected on this pic but when they are, it shows weight and DLWG since last weighing)....

All above is probably self explanatory apart from LID...2598T U is Tag No. T=twin, U=born unassisted.

Don't have any software (probably should have something to link it all back to the ewes/tups), just download files from XR3000 onto spreadsheets on PC. Can pick out most of what I want from there.

 

[Al R]

Sounds good,ours is an older model-can you explain or show a picture of what you mean by top load cells
Thanks

Top load cells are like the ones below but not sure if there the same.

These are what most crates/combiclamp has at £1100-1200 for the pair and are known for being troublesome.

You can see on my photo below the turquoise sticker is on the load cell, there’s 1 in each corner which then feeds the silver boxes ontop before going to the weighhead. I can’t remember the price but their half the price when new and if 1 goes it’s £150ish to replace and not £600 each.

 

[JD-Kid]

TruTest XRS stick reader and XR3000 on the Combi Clamp. Read a tag and it gives you this (weigh cells not connected on this pic but when they are, it shows weight and DLWG since last weighing)....

All above is probably self explanatory apart from LID...2598T U is Tag No. T=twin, U=born unassisted.

Don't have any software (probably should have something to link it all back to the ewes/tups), just download files from XR3000 onto spreadsheets on PC. Can pick out most of what I want from there.

have stick reader and XR5000 along with panel reader on auto drafter can get alot of info on the head unit or on spread sheet
biggest thing is putting in a lot of info more in there the more use and some info is worth gold
used to have a older 3000 before up grading was ok have not seen or used the newer 3000

 

[North East Crofter]

We use the shearwell stick reader and software, has taken a while but really useful information produced for lamb weight gains, relatively simple system to use. we have a small flock as well

Gavin

 

[exmoor dave]

If using anying app related on a touch screen mobile..... just be mindful that it will drive you nuts A. If it's raining and the screen gets wet
B. your fingers are cold, thus you can't work the screen quite the same.
C. Both of the above at the same time.


Use both a stock recorder and a app for shearwells farmworks program, the Stock recorder is the business in all weathers. But a nightmare for typing any amount of comments.

 

[Wolds Beef]

@Sammos80 Where are you based? PM me if you wish! I have an ex student who may be able to help you.
WB

 

[Matthew Blyth (B.L.A.S)]

Hi all!
Hoping you can help give me some tips on EID reading kit as I am thinking of taking the leap. I know it is often a matter of personal preference but I have literally zero experience of them.
We only have a little farm of 200 breeding ewes but we are trying to do everything as well as we can. I am just not finding performance recording with manual methods practical and accurate enough. Things like assessing weight gain in lambs is very difficult as weighing and recording takes ages.
What I imagine I want from my setup is:

- a stick reader or recorder initially
- Pc software interface ideally that will pump the data into a .csv format and ideally import from .csv or copy an paste table data into
- some kind of mobile app would be a good idea but possibly not essential as long as I an view records on the unit
- link lambs to ewes and maybe rams so I can e.g. assess ewe performance by the weight gain of her lambs
- allow lambing notes to be added in and ideally viewed in the shed
- be compatible with a digital weigh crate in case we can afford one or they bring the grant scheme back... any recommendations on these appreciated too!
- any other features that will be useful that I am unaware of!!

Pardon and ignorance or stupidity and feel free to educate me in this new world of 21st century stock management!
Cheers!
Sam

Hi all!
Hoping you can help give me some tips on EID reading kit as I am thinking of taking the leap. I know it is often a matter of personal preference but I have literally zero experience of them.
We only have a little farm of 200 breeding ewes but we are trying to do everything as well as we can. I am just not finding performance recording with manual methods practical and accurate enough. Things like assessing weight gain in lambs is very difficult as weighing and recording takes ages.
What I imagine I want from my setup is:

- a stick reader or recorder initially
- Pc software interface ideally that will pump the data into a .csv format and ideally import from .csv or copy an paste table data into
- some kind of mobile app would be a good idea but possibly not essential as long as I an view records on the unit
- link lambs to ewes and maybe rams so I can e.g. assess ewe performance by the weight gain of her lambs
- allow lambing notes to be added in and ideally viewed in the shed
- be compatible with a digital weigh crate in case we can afford one or they bring the grant scheme back... any recommendations on these appreciated too!
- any other features that will be useful that I am unaware of!!

Pardon and ignorance or stupidity and feel free to educate me in this new world of 21st century stock management!
Cheers!
Sam

Hi all!
Hoping you can help give me some tips on EID reading kit as I am thinking of taking the leap. I know it is often a matter of personal preference but I have literally zero experience of them.
We only have a little farm of 200 breeding ewes but we are trying to do everything as well as we can. I am just not finding performance recording with manual methods practical and accurate enough. Things like assessing weight gain in lambs is very difficult as weighing and recording takes ages.
What I imagine I want from my setup is:

- a stick reader or recorder initially
- Pc software interface ideally that will pump the data into a .csv format and ideally import from .csv or copy an paste table data into
- some kind of mobile app would be a good idea but possibly not essential as long as I an view records on the unit
- link lambs to ewes and maybe rams so I can e.g. assess ewe performance by the weight gain of her lambs
- allow lambing notes to be added in and ideally viewed in the shed
- be compatible with a digital weigh crate in case we can afford one or they bring the grant scheme back... any recommendations on these appreciated too!
- any other features that will be useful that I am unaware of!!

Pardon and ignorance or stupidity and feel free to educate me in this new world of 21st century stock management!
Cheers!
Sam

 

[Matthew Blyth (B.L.A.S)]

Hi all!
Hoping you can help give me some tips on EID reading kit as I am thinking of taking the leap. I know it is often a matter of personal preference but I have literally zero experience of them.
We only have a little farm of 200 breeding ewes but we are trying to do everything as well as we can. I am just not finding performance recording with manual methods practical and accurate enough. Things like assessing weight gain in lambs is very difficult as weighing and recording takes ages.
What I imagine I want from my setup is:

- a stick reader or recorder initially
- Pc software interface ideally that will pump the data into a .csv format and ideally import from .csv or copy an paste table data into
- some kind of mobile app would be a good idea but possibly not essential as long as I an view records on the unit
- link lambs to ewes and maybe rams so I can e.g. assess ewe performance by the weight gain of her lambs
- allow lambing notes to be added in and ideally viewed in the shed
- be compatible with a digital weigh crate in case we can afford one or they bring the grant scheme back... any recommendations on these appreciated too!
- any other features that will be useful that I am unaware of!!

Pardon and ignorance or stupidity and feel free to educate me in this new world of 21st century stock management!
Cheers!
Sam

Hi Sam,

Best tip I can give you with over 13 years of experience of collecting data on livestock is starting simply and building like Lego put blocks on top of blocks as you get more experience you add more layers to it. The most used weigh heads and stick readers are the Tru test range in the UK. True test and Gallagher import into most software then there’s Agrident and Psion handheld readers as well. Most software imports and export into a CSV format. One of the big question’s is would you like the capability on your mobile phone and what operating system you run that may limit your options.

Sit down build a plan of what information you would like to capture and when and build it into your flock health plan when you are building this with your vet. One of the big things you need to consider is what information you want to get out and when. Like maybe for your flock health and performance review. Plus setting up a database properly at the start is extremely critical with definitions lists and weight targets.

Ask load of the major software companies to give you demonstrations of their software. As there is a bit of a difference in the capabilities, which will give you an idea of what hardware will interface with the software you like, then slowly build it up to your needs to what your finances can afford.

I have put a link to a YouTube video I did with flock health Ltd and for the sheep vets society,

and one I did for AHDB on the key performance indicator project

may be worth a watch to give you some ideas how to bring it all together. Just take your time work out what’s right for you. More than happy to give you advice and help if needed.

Matt

www.blas-uk.com

07768026380

 

[Wolds Beef]

Matt, your reply has not come through try again!
WB

 

[gwi1890]

Is the allflex rs420 any good with the app? I don’t want to pay yearly for an app though

 

[Matthew Blyth (B.L.A.S)]

The allflex RS420 is a good stick reader. Both allflex and Tru test do free apps. But there are limitations with both apps (just remember you don’t get a lot for free). But it a good starting point or building block to get your confidence in collecting and using information.