Halter enhances virtual fencing with new calving detection feature to improve herd management

Halter has integrated calving detection into its virtual fencing platform, providing farmers with early alerts to assist new-born calves and optimise herd health monitoring.

Halter has added calving detection to its virtual fencing platform, broadening a system that is already being used for herd movement, pasture management and health monitoring. The company says the feature analyses collar behaviour data to flag cows likely to be calving, giving farmers an earlier cue on which animals to inspect first.

Toby Hurley, Halter’s director of product, said the tool is intended to support, not replace, established routines. The company says it is built into the existing collar and app, so users do not need separate hardware to access the new function.

The launch comes as Halter continues to extend the reach of its cattle-management system. In April, the company said it had introduced direct-to-satellite connectivity, removing the need for cell towers or on-farm infrastructure and making the collars usable in remote country where a sky view is available. In the United States, Halter has also said its smart collars have enabled more than 11,000 miles of virtual fencing since launch, with the company estimating substantial avoided fence costs.

Taranaki dairy farmer Aaron Fisher said the calving alerts had so far been “100% accurate”. Farmers can pause the collars of cows flagged as calving, let them move freely, and log whether assistance was needed, creating a fuller record of the season.