Cattle call
Heifers hook up on ‘Tinder for cows’
Cows and bulls searching for “moo love” now have a mobile app to help their breeders.
A UK farming start-up introduced a Tinder-style app, called Tudder, that lets farmers find breeding matches by viewing pictures of cattle with details of their age, location and owner. Users hear a mooing sound as they swipe — right to show they’re interested or left to reject possible matches.
Hectare, which designed the app, says it “seeks to unite sheepish farm animals with their soulmates.” Selling animals using social media can speed up a process that often involves transporting animals long distances for breeding.
Farmers that swipe right on an image of a particular cow — or group of cows — are directed to Hectare’s livestock-buying Web site, with a chance to contact the owner or make an offer. The listing Web site includes information on the animal’s character and any health issues.
Profile descriptions range from “nice big strong sorts make nice suckler cows” to “quiet well grown young bull ready to work,” and farmers can also restrict their online search by whether the animal is organic, pedigree or on a farm where tuberculosis has been detected.
Marcus Lampard, a farmer in Carmarthenshire in southwest Wales, has one pedigree beef short- horn breeding bull listed on the app and says it’s a lot easier to sell livestock online.
“Going to market is a nuisance,” he said by telephone. “If I go to an open market with a bull, and then maybe bring it back, it shuts everything down on the farm for at least two weeks.’‘
Hectare raised over 3 million pounds ($3.9 million) from investors including tennis player Andy Murray, according to its Web site.