Manually drafting out cows takes time and inevitably it ends up interrupting the flow of milking and cause frustration for farmers.
Whether it's drafting cows for AI or veterinary treatments, it often means needing a second person in the yard or running the risk of missing cows. That’s where an automatic drafting gate comes in handy.
The system identifies cows through electronic tags or collars as they leave the parlour. Cows selected for drafting are automatically diverted into a separate pen, while the rest of the herd continues out to the paddock.
Any farms with collars will already have a drafting gate as it’s as essential component of the system.
Cows can be selected for drafting through a computer, phone app or from the milking parlour itself, depending on the system installed.
Costs
The cost of installing an automatic drafting gate will obviously depend on the system and the layout of the existing yard.
As a guide, farmers could expect to pay in the region of €15,000 to €20,000, although additional work to the drafting race could increase the cost.
Automatic drafting gates are eligible for TAMS grant aid, with a reference cost of €13,500.
At the standard 40% grant rate, this could provide a grant of up to €5,400, reducing the cost of a €13,500 investment to €8,100.
For eligible young farmers and women farmers, the 60% grant could reduce the investment to €5,400.
Labour-saving is the main benefit of a drafting gate, although the level of saving will depend on herd size and how regularly cows are being drafted.
The real value is not so much in the hours saved, but in the flexibility, it gives farmers.
At Dairy Day, the Irish Farmers Journal will have a demonstration area showcasing each of the top 10 labour-saving technologies and ideas from this series. There will also be a session in which a panel of three judges will rank the investments from one to 10.
Dairy Day 2026 takes place on Saturday 14 November in the UL Sports Arena in Limerick. To get your tickets, go to here.
