Fencing a mountain is never easy. The terrain on Foyle Food Group’s hill farm in Northern Ireland is steep, boggy, and broken—conditions that make traditional fencing both costly and impractical. For years, large areas of land were left ungrazed.

That changed when the team trialed Monil’s virtual fencing collars.

Unlocking more land

“The mountain area spans over hundreds of acres, and making use of all of that land was quite an issue. With the collars, cows are now grazing areas they never would have visited before.”

By moving cattle into rougher ground, patches of heather and poorer grasses are trampled and grazed, allowing sweeter grass to grow back the following year. This means more land in use and better quality from the land that was already grazed.

Improving safety

The collars have also helped with animal safety. On the steep and boggy hill ground, dangerous areas can be fenced off to keep cattle out of trouble. This gives the team peace of mind, knowing the herd is grazing safely even in the most challenging terrain.

Better conception rates

One of the unexpected benefits of using Monil collars has been improved breeding results. By creating smaller, controlled grazing areas, cows stay closer to the bull during the breeding season. This reduces the chance of missed heats and helps ensure more cows are served at the right time.

“Another major advantage is that cows can be fenced within a small area, allowing the bull to pick up cows that are on heat. Off the back of this, we have seen improved conception rates within the suckler cows,” Wilson explains.

Simple technology that saves labour

Beyond land and herd management, Monil brings time savings to the farm. The collars connect to the Monil app, which is designed to be simple for everyone to use. Multiple staff members can log in, check the herd’s position, and adjust fences when needed.

“We have found the app to be very user-friendly. It was easy to train our staff, and having multiple users on the app is a massive benefit.”

Cost-effective innovation

With fencing costs continuing to rise, virtual fencing offers a clear financial advantage.

“I would recommend Monil due to the increased grass utilisation, reduced labour requirement, and because it’s really simple to use.”

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