Farmplan Cattle Manager about to become Herdwatch

[Farm Matters Ltd]

I meant sheep not cattle as you were referring to sheep I presume. And as you know sheep tags are EID anyway. Customers just find the reader a lot more robust and comprehensive and specific for the purpose once set up correctly. Using an app and a reader is also a two / three handed job !

 

[SUM-IT]

Hey guys, SUM-IT have been in the game for over 40 years (and we are still fully independent with in-house development).

For those of you looking for other cattle management software options, we are offering a special migration offer (30% off & free data transfer) to all Farmplan Cattle Manager Users.

We feel our Total Beef program may tick the boxes for a few of you:

• Option to choose the economical Starter Level which covers all the essential record keeping and legislative aspects at a low cost
• Super simple to navigate, input data and analyse
• In-depth performance reporting enabling you to identify profit/day and profit/kg
• Link with Electronic ID’s and Weighers (Tru-Test, Gallagher and Te Pari)
• Optional smartphone app (works offline)
• Optional integration with Total Accounts program, eliminating data entry duplication and maintaining high accuracy
• Affordable annual support costs from just £70 + vat per year

We are offering free demos, so feel free to give us a call on 01844 213 003 or book online at www.sum-itsoftware.co.uk/demo-request

 

[Cluny]

So it seems that Farmplan Cattle Manager is about to be integrated into Herdwatch software. That explains their reticence at any upgrading of the software. So can any users of Herdwatch tell me if it’s a good programme and easy to use with good reporting. Does it have a mobile app that can synchronise with main programme?
Be interested in any comments.

I went from Farmplan to farmmatters
4 years ago and it was a great move very easy to download from either BCMS or Scoteid onto the demo and the great thing was I was using my own cattle. It was a very straightforward simple exercise laid out in the way a farmer thinks which is the way it should be but not the case with others this is a program that immediately takes care of any changing legislation and simplifies what needs doing. Another great benefit from farmmatters is the helpline not that it’s often needed Neil and Paul are available whenever needed and more often than not I say to myself why did I not do that. Gathering information on any livestock farm is vitally important to gain greater efficiency, although prices may be better it is as we all know still tough going, farmmatters sorts the wheat from the chaff and any animal that is not performing as you would like it can easily removed. Anyone that is looking to change farmmatters needs to be looked at before any decisions are made for me farmmatters has made a chore that was often put off into something I actually look forward to doing as it’s quick straightforward and easy to do. Hope this helps anyone that are thinking of change.

 

[Cowpoke82]

Hope shearwell make some major changes soon.

It's awful.

I went from Farmplan to farmmatters
4 years ago and it was a great move very easy to download from either BCMS or Scoteid onto the demo and the great thing was I was using my own cattle. It was a very straightforward simple exercise laid out in the way a farmer thinks which is the way it should be but not the case with others this is a program that immediately takes care of any changing legislation and simplifies what needs doing. Another great benefit from farmmatters is the helpline not that it’s often needed Neil and Paul are available whenever needed and more often than not I say to myself why did I not do that. Gathering information on any livestock farm is vitally important to gain greater efficiency, although prices may be better it is as we all know still tough going, farmmatters sorts the wheat from the chaff and any animal that is not performing as you would like it can easily removed. Anyone that is looking to change farmmatters needs to be looked at before any decisions are made for me farmmatters has made a chore that was often put off into something I actually look forward to doing as it’s quick straightforward and easy to do. Hope this helps anyone that are thinking of change.

Agree totally, spoke with Neil today (more than once ) , straightforward no nonsense good old fashioned customer service

 

[Red Baron]

Well, I’ll chuck my hat in the ring now…

I’ve been a Farmatters customer for a long time now, cattle, fields, NVZ it’s all in one place.

Recently had a query about how to log locations for recording paddock grazing to comply with countryside stewardship lenient grazing.

Neil replied to my email at a silly time of night, and the job is sorted! Of course the software can do it, it’s just understanding how to operate it.

Similar to buying a piece of machinery, the backup is as important as the machine itself.

I’ve no complaints for this software, only praise for the stress and time it saves me!

There’s a free demo to download and import your data into and have a dabble, try before you buy!

 

[Red Baron]

Hi Neil, couple of questions. As its windows based do you know if it works well on a Mac running Windows over parallels? The previous Cattle manager iteration worked faultlessly. Their last upgrade not at all well
Secondly you talk about a "web based app" for outside use. Does that mean that it will only work when you have a data connection on the mobile? Its a bit of an issue inside some of the livestock sheds where the phone cannot pick up a data signal.

I’ve had Farmatters working ok on an IMac with parallels booting windows 7, but I moved to a simple cheap win 10 laptop years ago, which is dedicated to farm based work.

 

[Farm Matters Ltd]

Thanks appreciate the generous feedback
I am HUGELY passionate to let farmers know how genuine our service and support is and the fact that there is zero obligation to getting in touch anytime any day for a chat. Yes there are many great options out there now and I would happily praise them for their merits but at least explore your options thoroughly. For all those out there searching for a new system that will transfer history just get in touch I am happy to help

 

[Holsteinfriesian90]

Thanks appreciate the generous feedback
I am HUGELY passionate to let farmers know how genuine our service and support is and the fact that there is zero obligation to getting in touch anytime any day for a chat. Yes there are many great options out there now and I would happily praise them for their merits but at least explore your options thoroughly. For all those out there searching for a new system that will transfer history just get in touch I am happy to help

Does you system work on iPad or iPhone?

 

[Cowpoke82]

I’ve had Farmatters working ok on an IMac with parallels booting windows 7, but I moved to a simple cheap win 10 laptop years ago, which is dedicated to farm based work.

@Holsteinfriesian90

 

[Farm Matters Ltd]

Our main program is Windows based so needs Windows operating system or Parallels as previous message from Red Barron but the app is web based so can be used on any device. Thanks for asking though

 

[An Gof]

Our main program is Windows based so needs Windows operating system or Parallels as previous message from Red Barron but the app is web based so can be used on any device. Thanks for asking though

But web based means you need a data signal for it to work. That doesn’t always happen inside cattle buildings.

 

[Farm Matters Ltd]

I am aware of that and I do not expect to be all things to all men so I would happily suggest either Herdwatch Agriweb or Breedr as options and to show my sincere impartiality. The industry is way too small for companies to aggressively fight amongst themselves and I am here to advise and help people even if they don’t find our services suitable

 

[An Gof]

I am aware of that and I do not expect to be all things to all men so I would happily suggest either Herdwatch Agriweb or Breedr as options and to show my sincere impartiality. The industry is way too small for companies to aggressively fight amongst themselves and I am here to advise and help people even if they don’t find our services suitable

Apologies if you interpreted my post as abrupt and critical. Wasn’t meant that way, rather just a statement of how I understand it.

 

[James RHF]

Well, I’ll chuck my hat in the ring now…

I’ve been a Farmatters customer for a long time now, cattle, fields, NVZ it’s all in one place.

Recently had a query about how to log locations for recording paddock grazing to comply with countryside stewardship lenient grazing.

Neil replied to my email at a silly time of night, and the job is sorted! Of course the software can do it, it’s just understanding how to operate it.

Similar to buying a piece of machinery, the backup is as important as the machine itself.

I’ve no complaints for this software, only praise for the stress and time it saves me!

There’s a free demo to download and import your data into and have a dabble, try before you buy!

Totally agree, I looked for months for the right program to handle the whole farm, with an emphasis on sheep and cattle.

Farm Matters is really the only program that can honestly tick all the boxes. Remember that any program is only as good as the info you put in, but the Farm Matters program is so flexible and pretty intuitive. Anytime I’ve struggled Neil and his support team are ridiculously quick at helping and normally suggest a better way of doing it too!! They genuinely seem to get pleasure from helping you farm well.

How many companies do you deal with now that you can actually just ring a number and speak to someone who knows the answer instantly, that’s Farm Matters. Brilliant!!

We had our first ever RPA inspection a couple of months ago (farming 40+ years) honestly would have been a nightmare without FM, just hit the reports tab and it all came out, actually got a glowing report from the inspector!! Thanks Neil & Team keep up the great work.

 

[Farm Matters Ltd]

Certainly not I do appreciate your input and truly am aware of our failings in not currently having a "native" App for the iPhone... to be quite honest its the cost and demand ratio as we were quoted at least £60 k for initial app development and there is no way the market can justify that kind of outlay at the moment. So that s why we developed the web version which is in our skill set and can be updated in a responsive timescale for our customers. We like to react as quickly as possible and having control of that is essential rather than calling upon expensive third parties. I sincerely hope you find a solution for your setup and as always I am here to offer my help anytime. Feel free...

 

[Bury the Trash]

Does you system work on iPad or iPhone?

the quick answer to that is no ,not directly. nor on Android either.
Its based on Windows (Microsoft ) operating systems which is quite different.

 

[North Coast]

Pleased to go on board with Farm Matters after 24 years on Farmplan. Neil uploaded our cattle into demo which made playing around more meaningful. Registered calves and movements with ease. Batches and groups no problem. Swift reply to any query, brilliant.

 

[Farm Matters Ltd]

Appreciate that thanks

 

[dairygirl819]

We moved to farm matters around 3 years ago after I’d trialled pretty much everything, it really suits us and our system. All staff have access to the web app for med inputs and can easily look up cattle info if required. We run 1500 ewes and 300 pedigree cattle. Farm matters links to our breed society and Scot eid for easy movements both In house and off farm, can easily create data reports for stock categories that are on farm at specific dates for farm assurance, accountants, census’s etc plus can quickly create csv files for calves eligible for Scottish beef calf support scheme plus links data directly to Scot eid for the beef efficiency scheme. As pedigree breeders we utilise family history, scrotal measurements, myostatin dna data, teat, udder and feet scoring all of which are easily recordable. Neil’s easy to get hold off plus they make tweaks and improvements to the software all the time. I emailed Neil with a new shearwell product compatibility query the other day, less than an hour later he was on the case. I honestly can’t fault the software. We’ve got a sheep brucellosis and cattle vet med residual inspection on Thursday and I know I can pull all the info APHA want to see within 15mins with no stress what so ever

 

[An Gof]

Well at last i found time to try @Herdwatch Finally managed to make contact with them, which wasn't easy at a convenient time, and now have it up and running on my desktop and phone.
I know i need to give it a bit more time but first impressions are not at all good.
The desktop version is just the same as the app and it all appears rather limited compared to what i had with Cattle Manager. But my biggest complaint is that on the desktop you cannot call up a report and just view it on screen in the programme. Instead you have to enter the parameters for the report and it is emailed to you. What an absolute b***ache instead of a report just flashing up, i now have to open my mail programme, select the email and open the attachment ................... whovever thought that was a good idea?

What i have learned is just how good Cattle Manger was. If only they had continued to invest in it. All it wanted was a phone app that would allow on farm recording of events that would synchronize with the programme when you could link them together. I will persevere a little longer until they have the cattle manager history data transfer up and running on Herdwatch so i can see how all the functions work and more of the report structures. However i really think it's time to look at alternatives, not that there are many of them. Guess it's a case of Sum-it Total Cattle, Farm Matters or @Breedr for the requirements i have although none of them seem a perfect fit for my criteria.

Ther has been plenty of good recommendations on here for Farm Matters, anyone using Summit that wants to extol its virtues?