Cattle and livestock tracking: 5 things your devices should have

Internet of Things (IoT) has brought about a drastic change in agritech landscape. The IoT devices have already entered all walks of life, including home automation, logistics, health, and industrial applications. The entry of IoT and connected devices, including automation in agriculture, improves several farming practices.

Farming as trade has witnessed several technological improvements over the recent years.  It is observed to have become much more industrialized as well as driven by technological advancements. IoT-enabled devices help farmers gain control over the farming processes, livestock management, crop management, and running predictive analytics.

Smart Farming advantages

• Data collection at different points in the process – IoT sensors can be installed at various farming processes. These IoT-enabled devices record soil quality, weather, livestock health, and movements, etc. IoT devices transmit the collected data to their cloud servers, where it is processed for predictive analytics. Performance monitoring and real-time alerts can be enabled within the processes.
• Real-time control – As each aspect can be tracked and monitored, it brings about an enhanced efficiency in the processes. E.g., materials stored on pallets in the farm can be tracked and monitored round the year. In case the material is lying unused, the system will send out an alert to the concerned stakeholders prompting an action. Unsold goods can be tracked and disposed of before they hit the end of their shelf life.
• Cost-effectiveness in processes – IoT devices are intelligent and monitor the movements of livestock. In case they move out of set physical boundaries, the systems alert the stakeholders. This helps avoiding loss and to bring efficiency.
• Automation – IoT devices can be made to work by themselves as you set the rules of operation. The devices work round the clock and reduce human intervention and avoid risks due to human negligence. e.g., irrigation, storage temperature control, or even pest control.

Sensors for Cattle Monitoring and Management

Livestock management adds a few more variables over in addition to the Crop Management discussed above. Cattle move around the farm, and the GPS sensors track their physical movement. Sensors can pick up body temperature variations and even levels of physical activity. This data can be used to regulate outing activities for the cattle and the regulation of feeding activities.

With IoT devices gaining popularity in the agriculture sector, several players have entered the industry. Each developing and offering different types of devices that cater to other problems faced by the agriculturists. You can look at customizing your IoT Agriculture sensors and devices. They help with recording and monitoring different data in the agriculture ecosystem. Such data thus collected can be deployed to understand your operations and to optimize them accordingly.

The use cases of these sensors and devices vary depending on the type of work being carried out. For example, Equipment Tracking is done to track the running hours for farm equipment. You can manage and schedule preventative maintenance for each piece of equipment. As discussed above, Livestock Tracking involves the use of GPS devices for location updates on the cattle. You can get movement history as well as geofencing. Monitoring of fluids in tanks used for different purposes can help avoid delays in process execution. The tank level sensors can alert you about refill times based on configurable alerts. Temperature Monitoring helps to optimize water usage. It also plays an essential role in maximizing crop yields with remote environmental monitoring and real-time alerts.

Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/263979/global-cattle-population-since-1990/

Cattle and Livestock tracking 5 things your devices should have

1.      Disease Prevention – It is a challenging task to check and examine each animal individually. It is not only time taking but also sometimes you fail to find out the actual problem and its cause. GPS tracking of livestock allows farmers to be able to check on the well being of their animals and send alert notifications in case animal is sick or hurt. This avoids extra expenses in employing a full time verternarian.

2.      Secure Your Farm – The farm animals and other assets such as buildings, equipment, feed, and other necessary stuff can be secured with GPS tracking beacons. Even as the farm is remotely located, GPS systems help to keep it safe and secured. It is necessary to have GPS tracking devices for cattle to maintain full security. Farm animals graze while the farm managers can focus on other more productive tasks. Managers can keep an eye on livestock through their smartphones and tablets as well as their computer systems.

3.      Reducing The Need For Manual Labor – When you have everything under control and have such a strong cattle GPS tracking system installed. You do not need to depend on manual labor to keep an eye on the animals. You get all the required information in real-time, so you need fewer laborers to assist you with farm processes. It provides you strong support to handle things with just a few people.

4.      Increase Productivity – With the heat detection feature, you can ensure a maximized rate of cattle production. You exactly know and monitor the right time for insemination. This helps boost the pregnancy rate of the livestock and increase your productivity of the farm population. This helps to minimize the rate of losses by increasing the profitability of your farm.

5.      Calving Detection – Detection of calves can help you enter them into the system and monitor live births. It saves you from many complications. You can monitor the cow that is about to give birth more closely and regularly.

Features of IoT Sensors for Cattle and Livestock tracking

1.      The most popular feature of IoT sensors used for agriculture is to track the environment. IoT sensors monitor temperature, humidity, moisture, etc.

2.      The IoT devices come with a range of interface variations for a range of devices. They include simple activities like opening and closing of valves and doors to complex operations.

3.      GPS enabled IoT devices to help provide precise geographical location coordinates that go a long way in the analytics.

4.      Connectivity with the latest technologies like Cellular (including 2G, 3G, 4G LTE-M / NB-IoT), Wi-Fi, Wi-Max, and Bluetooth help IoT devices to relay real-time updates to the stakeholders.

5.      As the agricultural environment is not always stable, the devices are rugged and waterproof to withstand different weather conditions. They should also be able to wither dust, pressure sprays, and water splashes.

6.      Run cycle monitoring helps keep the equipment in top running condition through effective preventive maintenance.

7.      The devices are even capable of assisting with theft recovery as they are GPS enabled and switch to recovery mode to detect theft.

8.      Geofencing is an inherent feature that works wonders for farmers. The stakeholders can create custom alerts when assets move out of the set geographical boundaries.

The present age is all about technologies. To remain up to date in every aspect, farmers must adopt advanced technologies to improve their farm practices and enhance their profitability. IoT technology makes every work easier, and farming is indeed a tough job. Farm practices, especially livestock management, can be made easier by using advanced tools and systems. They also help in reducing human effort and give positive, profitable outcomes.