University of Kentucky researchers are nearing the end of a study that has focused on the use of radio frequency technology to detect potential health issues in cattle.
Using an electronic ear-tag transmitting system, the research has shown the ability to identify the presence of illnesses through motion in cattle and to do it sooner than can be done by human observation.
The Animal Monitoring and Tracking System (AMATS) uses an accelerometer, temperature sensor and radio-frequency (RF) transmitting antennae packaged into an ear tag that is not much larger than current ear tags used for visual identification of cattle, according to Craig Carter, director of the University of Kentucky Veterinarian Diagnostic Laboratory and professor of epidemiology at the College of Agriculture.
“This grew out of a Homeland Security project we started in 2005. We were looking to see if we could somehow electronically monitor the health status of cattle,” he said. “Homeland Security was interested in this because a lot of times, when you’re under attack, animals might be the first to be affected.”
By identifying health issues earlier, benefits beyond that of security can be realized by producers. Activity data collected also indicated that after antibiotic treatment, ill steers recover to similar activity levels of steers that remained healthy the entire time, noted Carter.
“We thought this had a very practical goal beyond the security focus,” he said.
The project incorporated the help of commercial partner Netquest Inc., which had created an ear tag that measured temperature and activity levels in any animals in which it was installed.
“We took that tag and ran it through a couple of groups of about 100 steers each,” Carter said. “What we tried to do was see how to utilize the data we collected, and we could pick up that data from up to two miles, so you don’t have to specifically have the animals within several feet of a [tag] reader.”
The information transmitted from the ear tags was captured 24/7 on a computer server. It has taken years to glean that information, but the “activity data has shown a statistically significant difference in the activity of healthy versus ill steers,” according to Carter.
Jackie Smith, an epidemiologist and Ph.D. student at the lab, created a novel algorithm to look at the activity data in the animals. She said she was surprised at how well the results turned out.
“I correlated the tag data output to actual physical activity of the animals. We can actually correlate physical activity depression to health status and also show correlation of increase in physical activity to recovery from sickness, with high statistical significance,” said Smith. “I feel that we have truly achieved a potentially useful piece of equipment and mathematical probability to reduce morbidity and mortality rates in cattle. I’m very pleased with the results.”
She added that it took her about seven months to build the model used to determine the statistical evaluations. Smith also said that by using the technology to discover problems, earlier treatment could lead to lower veterinary and health- treatment costs, giving producers higher returns.
In that same economic vein, Carter noted that the system will create what amounts to a lifetime of medical records for the animal, which could possibly be used to assess the carcass value. The tags could also be used to track movement in an animal for traceability purposes.
The next step for the project, for which the university has filed for patent protection, involves using the technology on a much larger scale.
“We really want to do a major field trial on the technology. The biggest group of animals we’ve had so far has been about 100. We’d like to go to maybe 1,000 in an actual feedlot kind of environment to be sure we can reproduce our results in that kind of environment,” Carter said.
He added that while discussions have taken place to find such a test lot, no one has committed yet. As Homeland Security money for the project has run out, a new funding source is being sought to conduct such a trial.
“We’ve had some discussions with investors, and I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to get there; it’s just a matter of where and when,” Carter said.
As important as the cattle industry has become to Kentucky, this type of research could certainly help to maintain that level.
According to information from the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association, the commonwealth is the largest cattle-producing state east of the Mississippi River, home to more than 1.1 million beef cows and ranking fifth nationally in total number of farms.
But the system could benefit any livestock producer, especially those that may not live next door to their animal lots.
“A lot of farms in Kentucky, like around the country, are very small and quite often are time ventures for individuals. And sometimes they don’t even live near the acreage where the cattle are,” Carter said. “This system could do electronic alerts to the farmers in situations where animals are having a problem.”
He also said the horse industry could benefit from this technology, although placing the detection device in the ear of a Thoroughbred horse may need to be changed in some other creative way.
While the project has proven to have value in many different areas, be it for traceability purposes, economic or security purposes, the primary purpose is to ensure the health of the animal by early detection.