USDA researchers have developed an animal feeding behavior-monitoring system that employs radio frequency identification readers, antennas and multiplexers to gauge the health of livestock. The system has been in operation for several years at the Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC), located in Clay Center, Neb. It is intended to capture the unique tag ID number of each animal that puts its head into a feed bunk or trough, and to do so without altering or restricting the way in which the animals feed. Learn how the system uses standards-based LF RFID technology, enabling it to read the ear tags of 128 to 240 animals within seconds, identifying when and for how long cattle or pigs eat, as well as what that means about their health and environmental conditions.
