How beef units could improve efficiency with camera tech

A camera and electronic identification system that has been successfully used in the dairy sector to measure body condition scores and mobility of cows is now being trialled in the beef industry.

The recent Farmers Weekly survey of beef farmers revealed that only 42% of respondents currently use farm software to record key performance indicators (KPIs), while a larger number (48%) rely on pen and paper. 

Hoping to change that and show the benefits of weighing technology is the developer of Herdvision, which uses an algorithm to determine bodyweight gains and predict slaughter outcomes.

It combines camera technology and data analysis to provide real-time information on KPIs, delivered to a farmer’s phone or computer.

See also: Why radical change is needed for sustainable beef industry

Data gathered can reveal opportunities for feeding, labour and time efficiencies, according to technology business Agsenze, which has been developing the technology for beef farmers for the past year, using funding from Innovate UK.

“We believe this is going to revolutionise how cattle grow and are managed, not just here in the UK, but also for a global audience,” says Agsenze chief executive Matt Dobbs.

Having key metrics to hand on an app or web portal will allow farmers to make more informed management decisions, he adds.

How it works

A small, waterproof camera is positioned 2.8m above ground, within a building or outside and connected to an electronic identification (EID) reader.

Research has been focused on pre-weaning, weaning and growing animals in a dairy beef system. The technology measures an animal’s surface area and height and uses these to calculate the animal’s weight.

“We’ve proven that our camera can work at all stages of growth,” Matt says.

On the Surrey trial farm (see “Farmer feedback” below), the camera has been set up parallel to the water trough. Barriers guide the cattle to stand at right angles to the trough when drinking.

This aligns them perfectly under the lens while the EID reader identifies them. Future plans include using a camera able to work at any angle.

© Agsenze

“We also know that we can [identify] the animal using the 3D image, so in the future we might not need an EID tag,” he says.

The camera also contains a microprocessor producing data that can be reported instantly to the farmer. Using infrared light, the lenses – both 2D and 3D – can work 24 hours a day.

And with poor rural connectivity in mind, it will operate at low wi-fi frequency or can be setup with a 3G or 4G connection.

“Ground truth” data, collected by physically weighing trial animals, show there is less than 4% deviation from the weight estimated by the camera.

“I’d love to be able to get one out in the field because nobody wants to bring cattle in from outside to weigh them. The camera is low power, so only needs a small solar panel,” he adds.

Informed management decisions

In addition to identifying animals fit for slaughter more quickly, the theory is that animals should hit specification earlier with better management and by reducing the negative impact of physically weighing cattle. 

“We identified that automated weight estimation for cattle can enable daily growth tracking, which makes it easier for farmers to ration food and track their animals,” says Heather Sanders, head of science at Agsenze.

“We understand there can be up to two days’ growth loss as a result of the physical stress of weighing, so an automated, non-invasive system prevents that happening,” she adds.

The daily updates, with data on each animal, would likely flag potential health or welfare issues, so farmers could take timely actions to rectify any problems.

Changing beef sector

Gabby Emery from Agsenze says that with the UK only 80.9% self-sufficient in beef, there is an opportunity to fill that gap with sustainable, efficient production.

And with dairy beef becoming a bigger proportion of the overall beef market, as a result of the increased use of sexed semen, technology can aid efficiency in that production system.

“We need to ensure that while [dairy beef cattle] are housed, and while inputs are going through the roof, we are on top of data collection from those animals,” she says.

A recent research paper showed that if the average age of slaughter can move from 27 months to 24 months, there is a 30% reduction in carbon emissions, she adds.

Route to market

“We’ve got 70 dairy cameras installed and another 50 going in,” says Matt. “On the dairy side, we charge a per cow cost for the use of the technology, which varies from £4-£10 a cow a year, depending on the size of the herd.”

The next phase of product development is sourcing funds to further refine the technology and recruiting more pilot farms from across the beef sector to test the Herdvision system.

Agsenze hopes that, providing it can secure investment, the system could be available for beef farmers to purchase sometime next year.

Beef producers interested in becoming pilot farms for Herdvision should contact gabby.emery@agsenze.com

Farmer feedback

Beef farmer Michelle Waterman, founder and director of beef supply chain Pathway Farming, has been trialling the camera at rearing units in Yorkshire and Surrey.

Pathway takes Angus-cross dairy calves from about three weeks old through to finish for a direct contract with retailer Marks & Spencer.

Efficiency is key to the system, which aims to improve performance every year and reduce environmental footprint, while maintaining an excellent eating experience for consumers.

“What farmers can get back from Herdvision is a weight, as often as you want it, on the cattle standing in a pen,” says Michelle.

© Hayley Chapman

“On a finishing farm, I think you’ll always weigh them on arrival through the crush because you need to handle them for vaccinations anyway, but then you can deploy the camera in the finishing pen to keep a close eye on weight gain because that’s when you want to hit spec.

“Laying down fat is inefficient compared with laying down protein, so there will be an optimum point to slaughter an animal when it hits spec and is still efficient, so you’re not keeping them beyond that time and inputs are used less efficiently,” she explains.

Monitoring

Hugh Broom, who manages the Surrey rearing unit, says: “Only 20% of farmers weigh their cattle. There is no point buying cattle unless you’re going to weigh them.

“Using this camera to weigh every pen, every week, could deliver in spades, in terms of performance data.”

Farms working with Pathway finish cattle to a narrow weight, age and conformation specification across the UK to meet consumer expectations of a consistently high-quality steak.

“This is not a hugely expensive bit of kit, so I could imagine all of the farmers we work with investing in it,” says Michelle.

“And if this technology can be mobile, it would be cool to be able to move it around pens and put the camera out in the field for a day a month to capture all the weights of the younger cattle.”