Sheep EID and recording

[Mcnulty24]

Evening

At the minute I record at lambing, issues during the year and lamb weights using spray on numbers and a note book that gets put into a spread sheet at home on the computer. It works but is time consuming and at certain times of year it is difficult to link lambs to ewes as the spray wears off or the ewes are sheared. I use the info to cull out poor perfomers/issues and try to be proactive dealing with lambs that aren't growing as they should.

Numbers have increased and the time it takes to do it on paper is becoming unrealistic. I am looking at some sort of stock recorder to use in the field and to make notes whilst doing tasks in the race, I also want to get a weigh crate and head that will read tags, take weights and give me a g/day growth rate. Being able to draft from the crate would be useful, also being able to attach the crate to the prattley would be a bonus, having to go back and collect the crate would be a pain.

Having looked at the options on the market they look pretty much the same, I would appreciate any thoughts or experiences, looking at shearwell and border software.

Thanks

 

[exmoor dave]

Shearwell farmworks here, using the stock recorder/psion, it's all very good.

The bit I'd say really marks it out is the phone app, you'd be surprised how much you use it!

(Phone app doesn't do weights, drafting etc, but is excellent for recording comments, treatments, looking up records etc etc)

 

[jemski]

Border software have been great for me. They are fab helping over the phone and don't get exasperated with me forgetting how to do stuff!!! Their weigh crate is brilliant, I love it. Lambs run through it really well and it's very quiet. I had an IAE one and it drove me mad - so noisey, lambs would struggle and struggle in it, took forever for the needle to settle, and the number of times I had my hand crushed when marking them...

 

[Mcnulty24]

Thanks, does the shearwell crate allow manual drafting? Is it possible to mix and match, say a border crate with shearwell stockreader and software?

 

[tepapa]

I'd say pick your preferred software (personally its border software) and buy kit from them that all talk to each other. Also buy the best you can afford, stick readers are fine just for movement lists but if your keen on recording buy a psion as you will want one after a few years.

 

[TGMJane]

Hi there - if you prefer a stick/wand type reader the Agrident AWR300 and AWL200 can be used for full management recording. We have some customers who use the Psion and others who use the wand/stick readers for full management recording.

 

[neilo]

Shearwell or Border have little to choose between them imo, and both very good. Both also do demo discs, so you can have a dabble first.

IME, the Psion is the dog's doodahs when it comes to a waterproof reader/ data collector. I've had one, on Shearwell software, for about 7 years now, and in almost daily use.

Personally, if I was starting from scratch now, I'd probably opt for Border, but the difference has never been enough to warrant changing
, then checking, several years of back data from the Shearwell system I run.

 

[Mcnulty24]

Will the psion act as an eid reader and talk to a weigh head on a crate to show dlwg or do I need a separate antenna and reader in addition to the psion. I am starting from scratch, the less I have to buy the better.

Thanks

 

[JD-Kid]

big thing i find as a bit of a pisser is alot of products not crossing over with out some changes
in formats etc
there just dose not seem to be the ways to mix and match products to make the systems work as eazy as it should
bit like years ago JD have hex shaft bearings hey cool idea to forse people to buy only your bearings but it's a bitch if no dealer in local area

 

[exmoor dave]

Will the psion act as an eid reader and talk to a weigh head on a crate to show dlwg or do I need a separate antenna and reader in addition to the psion. I am starting from scratch, the less I have to buy the better.

Thanks

Yes the psion will talk to a weigh head (te pari & truest at least)
You can also read the tag by sweeping the psion by the tag.


IMO....... measuring DLWG gets addictive so you'll soon be weighing more, then a panel reader to automatically read the tags comes in to its own.

You can get weigh heads with built in readers (just needs a antenna panel).

 

[exmoor dave]

Shearwell or Border have little to choose between them imo, and both very good. Both also do demo discs, so you can have a dabble first.

IME, the Psion is the dog's doodahs when it comes to a waterproof reader/ data collector. I've had one, on Shearwell software, for about 7 years now, and in almost daily use.

Personally, if I was starting from scratch now, I'd probably opt for Border, but the difference has never been enough to warrant changing
, then checking, several years of back data from the Shearwell system I run.

Agree about the psion


Don't have any experience of Border, but do they have a phone app to use along side the psion &laptop software?

If they don't then I'd say that puts shearwell farmworks ahead, the app really is so so.....so useful, both for sheep and cattle, can't rate it highly enough even if it could do with a few more features.

 

[TGMJane]

We have a number of people who use an extension wand for the Psion, it can be attached to the weigh bridge for a cost effective semi-automated system. The apps are great to have in addition to the Psion (or for small flocks) as you tend to have your phone with you at all times. If you are trying to keep costs down and want a Psion we supply refurbished ones as well as new ones.

 

[Onwards and Upwards]

The psion is a good bit of kit and border/shearwell useful programmes. But.....
All are run on antiquated software. Use your phone with a App and Bluetooth into your weigh head. The capacity within your average smart phone is massively more than a psion and when used in conjunction with a web based programme everything is done realtime.

 

[Poorbuthappy]

The psion is a good bit of kit and border/shearwell useful programmes. But.....
All are run on antiquated software. Use your phone with a App and Bluetooth into your weigh head. The capacity within your average smart phone is massively more than a psion and when used in conjunction with a web based programme everything is done realtime.

So what app are you suggesting?

I spoke to shearwell at NSA event as I want to upgrade my software. They acknowledge the psions are old technology but are reluctant to put full capability of Psion software into an app.

 

[Mcnulty24]

I would also be keen to know if there is a particularly good app out there. I expect that within the week of me investing in a system a new, cheaper and more effective one will be unveiled!

Currently thinking, crate with weighhead, extension rod from psion on the side of the crate as an antenna/reader substitute and the psion which collects the ear tag and weight info. All to be fed into as yet undecided software package.

Something along the lines of this

 

[teeps17]

The app made by allflex looks quite good also, if you were wanting to just get a stick reader with an app to record information. I am thinking of doing this. I invested in a richie combi clamp last year, expensive, but life-changingly brilliant I've got a tru-test weigh kit attached to it, I can record group weight gains on this. But I havent been able to bring myself to spend any more money on the EID reading kit yet. Its hard to know which to go for. I agree with owardsandupwards memeber; the capacity of your smart phone is better and will be constantly up to date. Plus you always have your phone on you. Im also wondering about what is most convenient and efficient to use during lambing, to record info. Why spend the money on a hand held EID device when you can do all the same things using a stick reader and an app? or am I wrong on this?

 

[tepapa]

The downside with phones and apps is battery life and fat fingers for some that make typing hard. But then again not always a problem for everyone.
Running out of battery in the middle of recording could be a pita especially at lambing.

 

[Mcnulty24]

A battery pack will do the trick if you are running short of juice.

Thinking about weighing using the ilivestock app, if i have a stick reader will it talk to both the weigh head and the phone via blue tooth? I assume that I will need to type the weight into the phone at the time or download the weights from the weigh head later.

 

[TGMJane]

If it is of help we have a two week free trial of our app and it can be downloaded from http://www.tgmsoftware.com/sheeptrial/apptrial.htm

 

[teeps17]

I think that if you are recording using the app, you have to manually enter the weighing data into it from what I can gather. The stick reader will communicate with the weigh head and your phone if they are both bluetooth enabled. You can record weights on your weigh head, depending on what type you have. If it is one that has bluetooth capabilities on it then it would generally be one that is designed to record weights.