Remote Monitoring of Cattle Performance: A Path Forward to Long Term Sustainability

Multispectral cameras may improve remote monitoring of cattle and measurement of performance traits in both drylot and extensively managed cattle herds

Feed intake, growth, carcass yield and fatness, methane production and cattle behaviour can be measured by a range of technologies to identify the best animals for breeding or production, or to identify those animals which are sick and require treatment. Currently this requires specialist equipment that are relatively invasive and require significant handling and labour. A new generation of monitoring technologies are based on imaging. Imaging systems offer a number of potential advantages: reduced labour, increased accuracy of measurement or prediction, new phenotypes, and improved animal welfare. This project aims to validate the remote monitoring of cattle using multispectral cameras to determine health, growth and production efficiency. Successful remote monitoring and collection of data on cattle will support the competitiveness and development of precision beef production in Alberta.

Download the full project summary here.


For more information on this project contact Livestock Gentec:

Phone: (780) 248-1740
lsgentec@ualberta.ca

Institution: University of Alberta

Primary Investigator: Graham Plastow

Term: 2021 - 2023

Funding: $196,000 from RDAR

Posted in Animal Health, Beef, Efficiency, Research Topic, Tech Adoption.