Knowing heifers are secure on an isolated block and receiving instant alerts because an electric fence has shorted are the key benefits Rotorua dairy farmers, the Holdem family, have been delivered by the Tru-Test Fence Monitoring System.
Steve Holdem, who farms across 370ha alongside his wife Paula and parents Jeff and Glenys, has been using the innovative technology, which allows producers to monitor electric fence performance remotely, for the past six months within his 750-head dairy operation at Mamaku, 10km outside of Rotorua.
Cows are grazed on the dairy farm located on the Mamaku plateau, 500m above sea level where an average 2100mm of rain falls each year and his young heifers are reared on a 70ha leased block about 20km away.
Currently, the Tru-Test Fence Monitoring System is being used on his leased land across 30, two-wire electric fenced paddocks.
“The fence monitoring system has been absolutely terrific for us because this is a block where no one is living, and it’s often the case you don’t realise the cows have broken out overnight until you arrive to check on them the next morning,” Steve said.
“A few weeks ago, we received a notification there was a problem, and our manager, Glenn McFarland, was able to get up there straight away.
“He noticed there were two heifers who had jumped the fence and caused it to short. Receiving the alert allowed us to fix the problem and prevent the whole mob from breaking out.
“It’s been invaluable.”
Easy installation
Mr Holdem first had the technology installed on his property in Rotorua in February. Adopting the technology, he purchased a prepaid mobile hot-spot device, costing less than $100, to power its internet.
“It’s incredibly cheap to run as it doesn’t use much internet at all. In the last four months, I have topped up the hotspot once, which cost me $30, and it has worked consistently for me,” he said.
The Tru-Test monitoring system works in conjunction with any brand of fence energizer, and during installation, users can set low-voltage thresholds for which they want to receive alerts and 24/7 monitoring.
“The setup was very easy, as the system can be monitored from a mobile device. It’s just like logging into any other app,” Steve said.
“The system allows you to set your own parameters for the notifications and we chose to be alerted when the power drops. This means if there is any issue, either stock rushing over a fence, or something being wrong with the fence line, like a short, we can fix it immediately.
“It’s an effective preventative measure for bigger problems because you are notified there is an issue before the livestock have realised the fence is down.
“Before using this system we would have to check our fences frequently, so it has freed up our time and given us great peace of mind knowing everything is secure.”
Leveraging technology
The Holdems have owned their 300ha dairy farm for five years and expanded with the lease of an additional 70ha for their young stock only last year.
Previously, Steve and Paula had been sharemilking but always had ambitions to own their own farm.
“The opportunity came up, and my parents chose to buy with us too so we were able to purchase a farm with scale,” he said.
As the property is located within the Lake Rotorua Catchment, the business has to adhere to strict environmental requirements and regulations.
“At the time, there were farmers who were avoiding this area because of the regulations, but we could see the potential so pursued it as an opportunity,” he said.
“We have exceeded our original expectations for the business and looking into the future we feel it’s about using the new tools and technology available for us to be super profitable, while meeting our environmental targets.
“We are impressed with the Tru-Test Fence Monitoring System, and it’s our intention to fully install it across our main farm as well.”