Feb 20, 2013The Danish Agriculture & Food Council conducted a three-year pilot at five farms using ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) RFID technology to track pigs from a few weeks after they are born until they are sold or received at a slaughterhouse. The project, known as PigTracker, included five Danish pig breeders, with up to 3,000 animals receiving RFID ear tags at each location. The system was tested on individual herds at five different breeder locations, as well as at a single slaughterhouse, with each animal receiving an RFID tag attached to its ear. Farmers could access pig-related information in the software, which featured a graphical display showing which animals were located within each unit or pen, based on data collected by the handheld and fixed readers. Learn how the UHF tags' longer read ranges—up to 2 meters (6.6 feet) with fixed readers and 80 centimeters (31.5 inches) using a handheld device—make it easier to track animals that move quickly in multiple directions.
Speaker: Niels Peter Baadsgaard, DVM, Ph.D., Chief Researcher, Pig Research Center, Danish Agriculture & Food Council