Eyes in the Sky, and in the Barn

New technologies offer increased hands-off cattle management.

- By Gene Johnston

The Beefree drone system is programmed to automatically fly missions to count cattle, check fences, and monitor any other functions you want.

Emerging technologies may make cattle management easier than ever. These systems may reduce the need for on-farm labor and provide greater insights into your herd.

A Scanner to Weigh Cattle

ClicR Technologies, a Florida-based imaging company, has developed a scanning system it said can measure individual cattle weights with 98% or better accuracy — without scales! ClicRweight Bovine Solution is a 3D camera mounted above a watering or feeding station. Every time an animal comes to drink or eat, the system identifies it and takes multiple scans. Then, a patented algorithm sorts the scans and calculates animal weights, said Joey Spicola, CEO of ClicR Technologies. Information is stored in the cloud and can be accessed on demand by computer or remote device.

Recent tests compared results from ClicR scan weights with those from traditional scales at the University of Florida. On 20 market-ready animals, each weighing around 1,500 pounds, the average of the 3D scan weights was within 0.3% of the scales, or about 4.5 pounds per head. The greatest discrepancy was 4%.