Farm Smart: Automation and technology top of the agenda on Co. Tipperary dairy farm

Farmer Case Study

Holycross, Co. Tipperary dairy farmer Timmy Dwyer milks 120 spring-calving cows largely on his own — and uses automation and Herdwatch to make every job faster, every record accurate, and every Bord Bia inspection stress-free.

Holycross, Co. Tipperary 120 Spring-Calving Cows Herdwatch for 5 Years Automated Calf Feeders

Timmy Dwyer milks 120 spring-calving cows on 123 acres near Holycross, Thurles, Co. Tipperary, with an additional 35 acres leased. After the busy calving period — when a relief milker comes in — Timmy is primarily the only labour unit on the farm. He takes every Sunday off to unwind. As a result, finding ways to reduce workload and improve efficiency has always been a priority.

“Every year we will try and improve on something — just to make life that little bit easier. Automation and technology seem to be the way to go.”

Saving an hour every morning — with automatic calf feeders and a drafting system

Last year, Timmy installed automatic calf feeders on the farm. The impact was immediate. In the evenings, he now finishes up nearly an hour earlier. During the busy spring calving period, that time saving matters significantly — calves are more easily managed and the day ends earlier despite the increased workload.

In addition, a drafting system was installed to make AI easier in spring. Previously, cows had to be drafted manually. Now, cows walk themselves into the draft gate — which means no extra person is needed and the process runs more smoothly. Furthermore, a new feed-to-yield system is being installed in the milking parlour. This will allow Timmy to look after each individual cow better — feeding her according to her own performance rather than a blanket rate. A new meal bin will be in place before calving commences.

Joining Herdwatch — and never looking back

Timmy joined Herdwatch about five years ago. Initially, he heard about it through a radio programme. He gave it a go and it clicked straight away. Since then, he has used it daily for animal movements, remedy recording, calf registration, and breeding management.

“It’s very easy to use — you don’t feel intimidated working it because it’s just nice and user-friendly. It’s simple. ABC stuff.”

Calf registration — tagged and registered as he goes

Dealing with up to 120 calves largely on his own, calf registration needs to be fast and error-free. Herdwatch delivers both. Timmy tags each calf and registers it straight away on his phone. The scanning method removes any risk of getting the breed or sex wrong — everything comes back correctly on the card without any chasing up.

“I go out and tag the calf and then register all my calves as I go along. You have no messing up with breeds or male or female — everything comes back properly on the card.”

Remedy recording — done at the time, not tomorrow

For Timmy, the key discipline is recording remedies at the moment they are administered — not later. Before Herdwatch, it was easy to tell yourself you would record it tomorrow and then forget. Now, the phone comes out while the animal is still in front of him and the record is done.

“If you vaccinate cattle, inject, or dose a cow — you bring out your phone there and then and it’s recorded. Before, you’d walk off and say ‘I must do that tomorrow’ — but you’d forget it. With Herdwatch it’s done automatically, when you’re doing it.”

Moreover, if the Bord Bia inspector calls, everything is already there. Timmy can pull up the reports on his phone or print them off on the spot. Consequently, there is nothing to prepare in advance and no risk of anything being missing.

“Everything is recorded. If the inspector comes in, you can show him the reports straight away — or print them off for him. It’s all there in front of him. Everything is covered.”

Breeding season — serves, repeats, and ICBF linked

Timmy also uses Herdwatch to manage the breeding season. Serves are recorded as they happen and repeats are tracked through the system. The app is linked directly with the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF), meaning scan information flows through seamlessly. In addition, the Watchboard generates a calving report in spring — giving Timmy a clear list of which cows are due and when, so nothing catches him off guard.

“It’s easy to use and the app will prompt you along the whole time. If you make a mistake, it’s easy to go back — it’s not written in stone. Changing it couldn’t be simpler.”

Timmy uses Herdwatch daily across the full dairy operation:

Calf registration — tagged and registered on the spot, correct every time
Animal movements — managed from the phone, compliant with Department requirements
Remedy recording — scanned and recorded at the time of administration
Bord Bia reports — generated instantly, printable on demand for the inspector
Breeding records — serves and repeats tracked, linked to ICBF
Watchboard calving report — due dates visible in advance each spring

Watch Timmy’s story

In the video below, Timmy explains how Herdwatch fits into the daily running of his dairy farm — from calf tagging to Bord Bia inspections and why doing things at the time is the key to making it all work.

You can read more real farmer stories on our farm case studies page.

Do it at the time — and it’s done

For Timmy, the logic behind Herdwatch is simple. Record it when you do it, and everything is covered. There is no chasing up, no preparation before an audit, and no risk of forgetting.

“Before, you’d walk off and say I must do that tomorrow — but you’d forget it. With Herdwatch it’s done automatically, when you’re doing it.”

Join Timmy and over 22,000 farmers using Herdwatch to simplify dairy farm records, stay Bord Bia compliant, and make every job on farm faster and easier.

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