A hot day, a warm night, and the heifers are 40 km from the house
Cattle heat stress monitoring on a station means measuring the heat where the cattle drink, not reading a town forecast. A feedlot has a plan and a weather station. You've got neither out the back.
The Bureau issues graziers' alerts for sheep but not cattle, and cattle heat maps are still being prototyped (University of Southern Queensland). So a bad afternoon gets seen on the next visit.
Warm nights do the damage. An Australian pasture study reports a chance to cool overnight matters more than peak heat hours.
- No cattle heat warning from the Bureau.
- The mob is a long drive from the homestead.
What we fit at the water points and the hill
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Solar weather node
Sits at the trough on a solar panel and battery. No cable run out to the water point.
Reads every 10 min
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Black globe and humidity
Measures the heat load the cattle feel, including sun, not just air temperature.
Cattle height
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LoRaWAN gateway
Sits on the homestead hill or roof and picks up every node by radio.
Survey sets range
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Starlink backhaul
Sends readings and texts out where mobile coverage is poor.
4G where it's good
How cattle heat stress monitoring works at two water points
- 1
A node at each trough
A solar node carries a black globe, a shielded humidity sensor and a wind sensor at cattle height. It reads about every 10 minutes.
- 2
Radio up the hill
Each node sends by LoRaWAN (long range wide area network) radio to the gateway on the homestead hill or roof.
- 3
Starlink or 4G out
The gateway sends readings out over Starlink or 4G, and the dashboard works out the Heat Load Index (HLI) for each trough.
- 4
A text when heat lingers
If HLI stays high overnight, a text goes to the people you nominate. A silent node raises an alert too.
What lands on your phone when the heat won't ease
These are examples, with trigger levels set with you by breed, calf age and condition.
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11:10 pm
Unshaded trough HLI 81 at 11 pm, shaded 74. Heat not easing. Check water and shade.
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11:20 pm, night 2
Unshaded trough HLI 80 at 11 pm, second night above 77. Plan to check the mob at first light.
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5:40 am
Unshaded trough HLI 71, back under 77. Shaded trough 66. Overnight heat has eased.
Messages go to the people you nominate, by SMS to any phone and by email, with the reading and the time in every alert.
Today versus with cattle heat stress monitoring
| Topic | Today | With monitoring |
|---|---|---|
| Heat warning | A town forecast and a hot feeling | A text from your own trough readings |
| Shade check | Guessing if the shade is helping | Shaded and unshaded trough side by side |
| Warm nights | Not seen until the next visit | A text when heat holds overnight |
What it costs
We fix the price after a short scoping call or a site visit. It depends on how many water points, how far they are from the gateway, and how it gets out. Ongoing support is available as a plan after handover.
Get a quote for heat alertsThe fixed price covers
- A solar weather node at each water point you want watched
- Gateway and Starlink or 4G backhaul
- Installation and electrical work under QLD Electrical Contractor Licence 1513082
- Alert set-up, trigger levels and who gets the texts
- An ongoing support plan after handover
On a station water point
Radio range depends on hills and timber, so we survey from the hill or roof before we quote. A water point out of range may need a relay or a second gateway.
A feedlot version of this is on feedlot heat load index monitoring.
A rain gauge at each paddock fits the same gateway: see wireless rain gauge Australia. To watch the troughs themselves, see bore water salinity and the power outage notification device.
What this won't do
- Readings are indicative, not certified, and no substitute for looking at the cattle.
- It won't switch pumps, fill troughs or move stock. It sends readings and texts.
- Bore, pump and trough checks, mustering and welfare stay as they are. A QBCC-licensed contractor we engage does any plumbing.