Automatic cattle sorting

Aug 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Larry Stalcup

How it works
The system features fully automated real-time technology that continuously monitors and measures individual animal performance in the pen. One unit is equipped with six watering positions. It measures one pen, typically containing about 40 to 300 animals.

As cattle arrive at the feed yard, they receive an electronic ear tag. When the animal steps to the water, system hardware automatically reads the ear tag. The system converts partial body weight to full body weight. Data acquisition is continuous and is sent by a wireless system to a data acquisition computer, with up to a 30-mile line-of-sight range.

“Software automatically analyzes data to determine poor performers, animals requiring treatment and animals ready to be marketed,” Sunstrum says.

When an animal becomes sick, it is automatically marked with spray paint at the waterer station. “Pen riders can easily remove the marked animals,” she says.

Residual feed intake
Beef producers have historically measured feed efficiency as a feed-to-gain ratio. Sunstrum says the feed-to-gain ratio is a good pen measurement. “But if you want to know how efficient an individual animal is, it will likely give you a confusing result, as this ratio is tied both to intake and rate of gain,” she says. “For a genetic selection program, feed-to-gain [ratio] is just not accurate enough.”

Residual feed intake (RFI) was proposed in the early 1960s as an alternate measure of feed efficiency. In contrast to feed-to-gain ratios, RFI is independent of growth and maturity patterns.

“RFI is defined as the difference between actual feed intake and the expected feed requirements for maintenance of body weight and for weight gain,” Sunstrum says.

In the system, efficient animals eat less than expected and have a negative or low RFI. Inefficient animals eat more than expected and have a positive or high RFI. Selection for low RFI can reduce feed intake by up to 12%, or 3 to 5 lbs. of feed/day. This and other data can help producers know which bulls or cows produce the best-performing calves.

Optimum end point
Micro Beef was a pioneer in using electronic animal ID to manage performance. Accu-Trac started in 1994 and has continued to improve. “ECM allows us to ID individual animals and manage them to their optimum economic end point,” says Allen Jackson, ECM representative, adding that the system costs about $9.00/head.

“The system can manage an existing population to a higher value. But the real value is in using that animal's ID to get data back to the producer so he can make genetic and management changes and upgrade his production in the future.”