Electronic systems for improved collection of animal liveweights

Abstract

Electronic identification (EID), with appropriate software and hardware, provides the basis for the automated collection of machine-readable measurements for individual animals. The use of EID should overcome many of the problems associated with visually read ear tags, such as reduced tag readability and operator errors when reading and transcribing the numbers. The cost effectiveness of EID will depend in part on the labour saving resulting from automating one or several tasks, and the benefits derived from improvements in the speed and reliability of record keeping. This paper reports preliminary data on the relative labour efficiency of automated versus conventional weighing systems for cattle and sheep.