How Virtual Fences Saved the Lives of Two Calves on Rob Wainwright's Farm
Calving season is arguably the busiest and most important time of year for livestock farmers. Quick action in critical moments can make all the difference. That’s exactly what happened on Rob Wainwright’s farm in Scotland this winter, when two premature calves were born in rough terrain. Thanks to Monil's position tracking, Rob and his team were able to locate the mother cow quickly, giving the calves the best possible start in life.
Monil farmer Rob and his son Alex had noticed something unusual in the Monil app: one of his cows had separated from the rest of the herd. On most farms, that behavior often means one thing: calving is likely about to happen. But the cow was not due to give birth yet. Using the app’s geolocation feature, Rob and Alex were able to quickly pinpoint where she had gone.
“Thanks to the collars, we could actually find her,” Alex says in one of the early videos of the “Calving tale” series Rob posted on his Facebook profile. The mother cow had been with them for over 13 years, and they knew her well. But without Monil, spotting her in the dunes would have been very difficult.
When they reached her, the situation was urgent. She delivered a premature calf, small and weak. Then came the surprise: there was a second one. Twins!
From rescue to recovery
Both calves were rushed to the shed where Rob and Alex began warming them up and bottle-feeding milk. Named Flash and Gordon, the two tiny calves were not strong enough to feed themselves, but they slowly started to latch on. Over several days, Rob and Alex stayed close, feeding them three times daily and making sure the mother was recovering, too.
"They were full of energy and fighting for their share of the teat," Rob says in a later video. It was a hard start, but they made it through, and they’re now happily roaming the fields.
The tech behind the scenes
While Rob’s care and experience made all the difference, Monil played a quiet but critical role. Virtual fencing isn’t just about keeping animals contained, it also gives farmers visibility during the moments that matter most.
- Geolocation: The Monil app alerted Rob to the cow's movement away from the herd
- Search efficiency: On rough, expansive terrain, the app helped them find her fast
- Peace of mind: Instead of spending hours searching, they were able to act immediately
“Would have been very difficult to find without the Monil app,” Rob noted in another update where there’s three other cows calving.
“Geolocation is so useful. There are so many nooks and crannies out here. I could be driving through these dunes for the next hour looking for the last calving one, but I’m not because I see where the third spot is on the app, and I’m off to find the last calf.”
Why it matters for every farmer
Twins are rare in these rough terrains, and premature twin calves even more so. At Rob’s farm, this was the first set of twins in six or seven years. But the real story here isn’t about the odds, it’s about being prepared.
Calving season comes with countless variables: weather, terrain, calving difficulty, predator risk. Farmers are on alert 24/7, and every calf represents a financial investment. No calf means nothing to sell, and that can mean a direct loss. Monil helps take some of that pressure off by giving you eyes on the field, no matter where you are.
Better calving seasons start with better tools
If you’re heading into calving season, ask yourself:
- Do I know where each cow is when it counts?
- Can I respond fast if something goes wrong?
- Am I set up for both containment and visibility?
Virtual fencing with Monil gives you all three.
And sometimes, it gives you something even cuter: two calves named Flash and Gordon.
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To learn more about this story, check out Rob’s Facebook page: Cliad Farm.
