"Virtual fencing allows animals to be managed without direct human labour," Collie co-founder Chris Bloomfield tells Renewable Matter. "By training not only cattle, but animals in general to respond to sounds and vibrations, grazing cattle can be guided remotely at no additional cost, simply by tapping a smartphone."
A Dutch startup formed within Fresh Ventures, Collie is revolutionising herd management, positioning open grazing as the most practical and sustainable choice for farmers. "Many farmers avoid letting their cows outdoors because of challenges related to high labour costs and limited control over feed intake," explain founders Bloomfield and Reisman. "By keeping them in a cattle shed, it is possible to know exactly what and how much the animals eat. Even those who allow cows to graze tend to do so only for brief periods, since certification standards require just 25% of time spent outdoors, equivalent to 720 hours per year. In reality, they could spend 3,000 hours outdoors."
Collie's virtual fencing system allows its users to map digital fences using mobile devices: the animals wear smart collars that, through sounds and vibrations, guide them to the right pastures and when returning to the cattle shed or the milking parlour. When the animals approach the virtual perimeter, the collars emit a sound that gradually intensifies and, if ignored, is followed by a gentle vibration, which serves to dissuade the animals from crossing the boundary.
Collie's goal is to make grazing not only more efficient, but also more natural and accessible. By offering farmers a tool that is easy to use and animal-friendly, the system enables management that supports animal wellbeing and strengthens the connection between people and the land.
The solar-powered collars are designed to mesh with cows' natural behaviour, while the cloud platform allows farmers to constantly improve through in-depth and up-to-date data. Through an app, farmers can keep everything under control, but with more ease, more space, and more time to observe their livestock and accurately calculate grazing areas and timings, in order to manage the productivity and behaviour of each individual cow.
Name:
Collie
Website:
Sector:
Farming technology
Pros:
Smart collars that use sounds and vibrations to guide cows
Features:
Virtual fencing technology to help farmers manage grazing more effectively
Cover: photo by Collie