Introduction
The Protrack Drafting Gate was introduced by LIC (Livestock Improvement Corporation) in September 2012 as part of its farm automation solutions.
NOTE: LIC sold its Protrack Automation business to Allflex Livestock Intelligence (MSD) in mid 2021 for $38.1 million (now Sensehub Dairy).
The drafting gate is a hardware product that is installed on farm to help streamline and automate the cow drafting process. The system can be linked to either your phone (wireless communication) or an in-pit screen, allowing farmers to input cow numbers to draft, see what is going to be drafted, or see what has been drafted (this includes what has walked through the gate).
Having the gate on farm means a task that would have normally needed two people to perform, and cause stress to the cows, is now a task that does not require anyone to complete, only requiring cow data to be inputted in.
How it works
The Protrack Drafting Gate will be placed in the exit race of the cowshed, funnelling cows into a single file line as they walk through. The gate is equipped with an RFID reader, which will read the EID tags that are in the cow’s ear to figure out what cow is walking through the gate, and based on the inputted farmer data, will draft or not draft the cow.
The gate used pneumatic rams to control both shutter gates and drafting gates, allowing cows to be drafted or right, and making sure that only the required cow is drafted, and not cows behind that are not needed.
The gate then uses photo eyes (invisible, non-harmful lasers) which help ‘track’ the cow through the gate. When the cow walks between the photo eyes, the laser is broken, and the gate will make the decision to close the shutter gates, close the drafting gates (the cow is drafted into the required pen) or set the gate back to its default (straight through).
Gate Information
- Gate price: $49,990 + GST (as of March 2025) Includes:
- Automatic EID sorting
- MINDA integration
- Cow counting and missing cow report
- Sort animals via Protrack software
- Remote control
- 3-way drafting
- NOTE: There is a yearly fee of $910 for the gate (as of March 2025)
- Size: 3.8m L x 1.5m W x 2.2m H; 0.75m W internal race
- Drafts using EID tag (HDX only)
- App drafting
- Internet is required
- Integrates with Cow Wearables to have drafts set
- Installation time: 2-3 days (depending)
In addition to the drafting gate, an in-shed touchscreen can be purchased on top of the gate price. This is a waterproof screen that can be mounted in the pit so that you can easily add cows to draft, see MINDA treatments, complete MINDA treatments, see who has been through the gate, and more!
Photo by Sensehub Dairy
Advantages/Disadvantages
Advantages:
- Smaller footprint meaning it will suit smaller sheds
- Integrates with MINDA
- High draft accuracy
- Drafts off EID tags
Disadvantages:
- If a cow backs out, she is taken off the list, thinking she is ‘drafted’
- A backing bar can be installed to stop this
- Does not draft off wearables (collars or tags)
- Cannot draft cows that have a missing EID
Additions needed that are not included
- Compressor
- Compressor airline to the gate
- Mains power to the gate
- Building modifications (out-of-scope engineering)
- Internet broadband connection
