Software for dairies.
Mule builds herd and production record systems for dairy operations: EID tag capture at the parlor or the head gate, dashboards on your own milk and breeding data, and field apps built to run in the barn without a signal. We also build websites for dairies that sell direct or need a public presence.
What we know about dairies.
A dairy's records split across more tools than most people realize. The parlor software tracks milk per cow well, but breeding dates, health treatments, calving records and cull decisions often live somewhere else entirely: a whiteboard by the office door, a notebook by the parlor, a running group text between the herdsman, the vet and whoever is on the night shift. Every one of those handoffs is a chance for a treatment date or a breeding record to not make it into the record that actually matters.
Since November 5, 2024, USDA requires the official ear tags on dairy cattle moving interstate to be both visually and electronically readable. That EID read is only useful if it lands against the right animal's history instead of becoming one more number that never gets matched up. We build the layer that ties the tag read to the calving record, the breeding record and the treatment record, in one place, kept by your barn.
Why a dairy picks Mule.
- 01Herd records built around how your barn actually runs, not a template sized for a different operation.
- 02EID tag capture with a paired Bluetooth reader, and manual entry when a tag won't read, every read lands against the right animal.
- 03Field apps that work in the parlor and the barn with no signal, and sync the moment you're back in range.
- 04We bring your existing breeding and calving spreadsheet in with you. Switching systems doesn't mean starting the herd record over.
What dairies usually need.
From dairies.
Does it work in the parlor if we don't have signal out there?
Yes. The field app is built to run offline in the barn and the parlor, entries save to the device and sync automatically once you're back in range of a signal, nothing is lost waiting on a bar or two of service.
Can it read our EID ear tags?
Yes. Animal RFID tags follow the ISO 11784/11785 standards, and we build against a paired Bluetooth reader for a fast read at the head gate or the parlor, with manual entry as the fallback when a tag won't read. The read lands directly against that animal's record, not a spreadsheet row you match up later.
We weigh milk and feed. Can the system use that data?
If your scale head or milk meter can export its data, by file, serial connection or Bluetooth, we can build the system to pull it in and tie it to the animal or the tank, instead of leaving it stuck on the scale's own screen.
We've tracked breeding and calving in a spreadsheet for years. Can you bring that in?
Yes. Bringing in your existing records is part of the build, not an extra step you're on your own for. We map your spreadsheet's columns to the new system so your herd's history comes with you.
Do we also need a new website?
Only if you want one. Software is the first thing we build for a dairy: herd records, EID capture, dashboards on your own data. A website is a smaller, separate line, worth talking about if you sell direct or need a public presence, but it's never the default.