any cheap tracking device you can think of!?

Bodacious

I put 5 in calf heifers out onto hill again this year, they swelled abroad in it.. I intend to put rest of cows with them in next week or so.


as evenings close in and with time change imminent finding them in the evenings after work or before as dark also can be a problem.


any tech head suggest a device that I could attach a collar or something that would show me where one of them was lying/located as they always seem to stay together.. its all sheltered valleys and over 200 acres in it, nights last year I started walking completely the wrong end.. other foggy nights I missed them by 50 metres in a pocket and kept searching.


any info suggestions welcomed

tanko

A bell hanging from their neck?

bogman_bass

https://www.thetileapp.com/

It'll even flash when you call it!

dharn

Where will the cow keep her phone

Miname

You could put some of them neon glow sticks on them and really get the neighbours talking

Del2005

Can you attach some type of solar light to some of them? Getting it to stay on the cattle might be hard but a collar for a bell could be adapted.

Bodacious

There is some yoke pet tracking thingy on eBay that you put a SIM card in it and when you ring the sim it texts out the longitudinal and latitudinal coordinates which when yoy type it into goole earth will pin point where she is at !

Battery life could be the thing though and ideally logging onto google earth on way from work could be a pain as would have to fire up laptop on house wi fi to load that

Dawggone

The technology exists in the canine world.
Can be purchased on line in American hunting stores.
It's used to find dogs on point in cover and high prairie grasses.

Bodacious

Wouldn't it be an idea for a tag company to make tiny tracker/ chip and simple app to phone to back it up.

Mighn't be many lads looking to put few cows up on vast commonage for 3 months of the year though . I didn't feed until Xmas eve last year and it was a great boost/shorten the winter / cows came down very strong and healthy

Genghis Cant

I've used radio tags with great success. You see them used a good bit on wildlife programmes. The problem is the set up costs of the receiver and the tags are around 200 quid a pop. Battery life is a problem too. Around 9 months and its dead.
All in all a complete non runner in this situation.
Is it only in the dark you've a problem?

Username John

Genghis Cant wrote: »

I've used radio tags with great success. You see them used a good bit on wildlife programmes. The problem is the set up costs of the receiver and the tags are around 200 quid a pop. Battery life is a problem too. Around 9 months and its dead.
All in all a complete non runner in this situation.
Is it only in the dark you've a problem?

I wonder could something that recharge the battery, like those kinetic watches be developed?

Edit : sorry Bod, no help to your current problem tho

Bodacious

Genghis Cant wrote: »

I've used radio tags with great success. You see them used a good bit on wildlife programmes. The problem is the set up costs of the receiver and the tags are around 200 quid a pop. Battery life is a problem too. Around 9 months and its dead.
All in all a complete non runner in this situation.
Is it only in the dark you've a problem?

Well I can come at them from 3 different roads/ locations if I happened to know where they were ! If it's bright I can look up or across from 3 locations without leaving the jeep

lalababa

Tile only does 100ft I think. Look up motorbike tracker with internal battery on ebay. Around 20euros I think. Put it on a collar.

AntrimGlens

Bodacious wrote: »

I put 5 in calf heifers out onto hill again this year, they swelled abroad in it.. I intend to put rest of cows with them in next week or so.


as evenings close in and with time change imminent finding them in the evenings after work or before as dark also can be a problem.


any tech head suggest a device that I could attach a collar or something that would show me where one of them was lying/located as they always seem to stay together.. its all sheltered valleys and over 200 acres in it, nights last year I started walking completely the wrong end.. other foggy nights I missed them by 50 metres in a pocket and kept searching.




any info suggestions welcomed

Bod,
just after reading somewhere last night that a drone could be purchased for as little as £300 now, would there be the potential for you to use one to check the cows, you could possibly get one with a video recording device for less money than one with a display unit that you would watch in live mode as the drone flew over or hovered over the cattle. It may work out as cheap as a tracker device or gps collars and also save the legs from walking in the wrong direction? Could also be a bit of fun as well and check your neighbours cows for him too.

frazzledhome

tanko wrote: »

A bell hanging from their neck?

First thing I thought of.

coolshannagh28

for a situation where stock go missing or are stolen has anyone out there any ideas for a tracker with reasonable battery life which would not be that obvious on the animal

Ard_MC

coolshannagh28 wrote: »

for a situation where stock go missing or are stolen has anyone out there any ideas for a tracker with reasonable battery life which would not be that obvious on the animal

I would buy one in the morning. For tracking ewes on the mountain and seeing where the missing 1's actually end up in their new home!!

AntrimGlens

Ard_MC wrote: »

I would buy one in the morning. For tracking ewes on the mountain and seeing where the missing 1's actually end up in their new home!!

Would be hilarious to land into the "suspects" yard and say I think I've a couple of ewes on with you and listen to his response, No I've just been through them ewes this morning and there's no strange sheep with them. Sure you don't mind if I check says you as this hasn't stopped beeping, whilst you produce a tracking device. Priceless.

Remember a neighbour a lot of years back had a pen of lambs for sale in our local sheepsale and my father spotted a lamb of ours in the pen, which had been missing for about a week. Neighbour denied all knowledge of it, said it was his etc etc. Got very heated and noisy about it, so dad called over our next door neighbour and asks him does he recognise the lamb, and he said, sure that's the foster lamb you got off me in the spring. The accused still denied all knowledge so I was sent home to fetch the lambs mother. Brought her back and the whole pen of lambs was let into the field and the lamb ran straight to its mother for a suck.
Never saw such a red face with everyone watching.

Ard_MC

AntrimGlens wrote: »

Would be hilarious to land into the "suspects" yard and say I think I've a couple of ewes on with you and listen to his response, No I've just been through them ewes this morning and there's no strange sheep with them. Sure you don't mind if I check says you as this hasn't stopped beeping, whilst you produce a tracking device. Priceless.

Remember a neighbour a lot of years back had a pen of lambs for sale in our local sheepsale and my father spotted a lamb of ours in the pen, which had been missing for about a week. Neighbour denied all knowledge of it, said it was his etc etc. Got very heated and noisy about it, so dad called over our next door neighbour and asks him does he recognise the lamb, and he said, sure that's the foster lamb you got off me in the spring. The accused still denied all knowledge so I was sent home to fetch the lambs mother. Brought her back and the whole pen of lambs was let into the field and the lamb ran straight to its mother for a suck.
Never saw such a red face with everyone watching.

Ha ha, priceless...proper order! I really dont know how those lads can have any luck to be honest, drives me mad. Kinda know the suspects but getting the proof is next to impossible.

Connemara Farmer

AntrimGlens wrote: »

Would be hilarious to land into the "suspects" yard and say I think I've a couple of ewes on with you and listen to his response, No I've just been through them ewes this morning and there's no strange sheep with them. Sure you don't mind if I check says you as this hasn't stopped beeping, whilst you produce a tracking device. Priceless.

Remember a neighbour a lot of years back had a pen of lambs for sale in our local sheepsale and my father spotted a lamb of ours in the pen, which had been missing for about a week. Neighbour denied all knowledge of it, said it was his etc etc. Got very heated and noisy about it, so dad called over our next door neighbour and asks him does he recognise the lamb, and he said, sure that's the foster lamb you got off me in the spring. The accused still denied all knowledge so I was sent home to fetch the lambs mother. Brought her back and the whole pen of lambs was let into the field and the lamb ran straight to its mother for a suck.
Never saw such a red face with everyone watching.

Story goes in these parts one shearing time a bunch of lambs were branded and let out to the hill. Same lambs went under and sucked ewes with different brands altogether.

I've a feeling some of my lamb losses in '13 could have gone to the same farm as foster lambs but as Ard_MC says, hard to prove.

jerdee

I bought two bells with leather collars from catalogue in our local pet store 20 euro a pop stick them on incalf heifers calving this time of year great job will stick a photo up later on .rings away all the time and I know exactly where she is even far from the house.

jerdee

Very easy hear were the black cattle are hiding!!!!!

Base price

In fairness to Swiss/Austrian dairy farmers and the adversing campaign - the purple cow - http://www.google.ie/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fnorulesjustwords.files.wordpress.com%2F2013%2F03%2Fmilka-cow.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fnorulesjustwords.wordpress.com%2F2013%2F04%2F16%2Fthe-resurrection-of-the-purple-cow-of-milka%2F&h=298&w=400&tbnid=QTdE4qU4bVHMvM%3A&zoom=1&docid=225jC5Wcw1PvqM&ei=c91KVLHKJsToaO6RgJAO&tbm=isch&client=firefox-a&ved=0CDIQMygDMAM&iact=rc&uact=3&dur=2241&page=1&start=0&ndsp=10
A true story - apparently European purple cows/weanlings are easier to locate in fog and during the darkness of night - kid you not

Farmer

http://www.agriland.ie/news/cattle-sheep-may-soon-graze-without-fences/

Someone must know somebody working on this, just to get some info about the units, battery life etc.

_Brian

http://www.hawkeyepatrol.com/minigpstracker.html

Saw this and thought of this thread.
Probably need a bigger battery shoe horned onto it.

Farmer

Right

Ideally I think this is what we want. Long battery life but heading towards €350 when delivered, Is it worth it?

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Haicom-GPS-Tracker-GPRS-GSM-Internet-Lorry-Van-Realtime-Tracking-System-/151452035425?pt=UK_Car_Accessories_Safety_Security&hash=item23433ea961

At that price I'd be anxious about it falling off and getting trampled into a gap where it would be out of coverage for finding

DIY option would be what Brian suggested, cheap Chinese versions as low as €30 but probably crap so take Brian's unit at 80, add additional battery 10 - 40 euro depending on capacity, and a waterproof case. It might be feasible to add a few of these mini solar cells on the neck band but that'ld be getting messy

By the looks of things, the cattle will be in shortly so maybe there will be better options come Spring

_Brian

Bodacious wrote: »

I put 5 in calf heifers out onto hill again this year, they swelled abroad in it.. I intend to put rest of cows with them in next week or so.


as evenings close in and with time change imminent finding them in the evenings after work or before as dark also can be a problem.


any tech head suggest a device that I could attach a collar or something that would show me where one of them was lying/located as they always seem to stay together.. its all sheltered valleys and over 200 acres in it, nights last year I started walking completely the wrong end.. other foggy nights I missed them by 50 metres in a pocket and kept searching.


any info suggestions welcomed

I spotted this and wondered if it might be any use..
I've no idea of its range or anything but it might be worth researching further..
https://www.thetileapp.com/how-it-works

Farmer

_Brian wrote: »

I spotted this and wondered if it might be any use..
I've no idea of its range or anything but it might be worth researching further..
https://www.thetileapp.com/how-it-works

Bluetooth, 100 foot , it says unfortunately Seems to be more for losing your keys around the house
.

Kovu

How quiet would they be bod? Plenty of them out there but a week seems to be average battery time. Would you be able to handle them to take it off for a charge?

Bodacious

Kovu wrote: »

How quiet would they be bod? Plenty of them out there but a week seems to be average battery time. Would you be able to handle them to take it off for a charge?

Oh yeah I've a red white head Hereford in calf heifer out there that I can get into regular bear hugs with .. I bought her in to replace a calf that I lost and cow never took to her so she kinda a pet

Kovu

Wouldn't be too sure of authenticity until I read more reviews but this could be an option in a drybag harnessed to one.

This one had a 7-10 day battery life and is teeny tiny, but there's a small charge for tracking services. However there's no contract so 1 month/3 months/1 year, whichever you need.
It also routemaps their movements so you can see if they have a pattern.

This is about five days if you don't use it to tell you where they are but only as a tracker off a laptop/phone.

Again- Tractive is 2-5 days battery, pretty much same as above. Also here.



Or......knock up a waterproof radio holder on one of them. Fiddley-dee music to keep them happy!

keep going

Would it not be easier to take a small bag of ration and call them , once they have the habit of a bit of ration they would come along way and saves you trapsing thrhough the mountain.
L

Bullocks

keep going wrote: »

Would it not be easier to take a small bag of ration and call them , once they have the habit of a bit of ration they would come along way and saves you trapsing thrhough the mountain.
L

I was doing that over the summer but there were days when I could see them over the hill but they wouldn't make the journey as far as me . It was only a small hill , I'd say over 200 acres they wouldnt come to the one spot daily .
Binoculars would be a help maybe