Stick-on patches provide treatment key

A Tomarata dairy farmer has come up with innovative stick-on patches which quickly identify cows on medication or requiring treatment.

Stuart Paterson’s identification stickers will be on display and for sale in the Innovation section at this year’s Fieldays, at Mystery Creek, from June 16-19.

The patches are divided into four quadrants to correspond with left, right, front and rear and can be used to identify hoof or udder problems when stuck onto a cow’s hindquarters.

They provide instant, easy reference to the cow’s condition without the need for a more expensive computerised system or the often-used spray can/chalkboard combination.

Stuart and wife Melissa moved onto their 220 acre farm in Waiteitei Road in 2008.