Feedlot ear-tag systems and methods

A method for monitoring the activity of a plurality of livestock in a feedlot, the method comprising:

• attaching a plurality of RFID asset tags to the plurality of livestock to be monitored, each RFID asset tag having a unique identifier that is transmitted in response to an energizing signal from a detector station;
• positioning a plurality of detector stations in the feedlot, each detector station comprising an RF reader, wherein at least one of the plurality of detector stations is positioned proximate to at least one water trough, and wherein at least one of the plurality of detector stations is positioned proximate to at least one feed trough, wherein each of the plurality of detector stations comprises a detector-station processor and a detector-station memory, and wherein each detector station of the plurality of detector stations has a detection zone in which the detector station can read RF asset tags;
• providing a gateway that receives signals from the plurality of detector stations;
• providing an asset management system comprising a management processor and management memory, wherein the asset management system receives signals from the gateway over a network;
• recording detection events for each detector station of the plurality of detector stations and determining the location of each detection event;
• transmitting detection event data to the asset management system;
• determining motion vectors for each of the plurality of RF asset tags;
• and
• monitoring the status of movement, drinking, and eating behavior of the plurality of livestock using the motion vectors, wherein monitoring the status of movement, drinking, and eating behaviors of the plurality of livestock using the motion vectors includes using speed and direction information of the motion vectors to determine feeding or drinking start events or feeding or drinking stop events for each of the plurality of livestock;
• recording time intervals that each RF asset tag is in a water trough zone for the at least one water trough or a feed trough zone for the at least one feed trough;
• and
• wherein transmitting detection event data comprises assigning a one or zero for a feeding or drinking event at the at least one water trough or at least one feed trough and an opposite either one or zero for absence at the at least one water trough or at least one feed trough and sending a bit message of ones and zeros representing feeding or drinking events or an absence thereof.

A feedlot asset-tag system for developing data concerning a plurality of animals in a confined space having at least one water trough and at least one feed trough, the feedlot asset-tag system comprising:

• a plurality of RF asset tags attached to the plurality of animals, wherein each of the plurality of RF asset tags comprises a non-volatile memory having a unique identifier code that can be transmitted when the RF asset tag is energized by a radio signal;
• a plurality of RF detector stations, wherein at least one of the plurality of RF detector stations is positioned at least within 3 meters of the at least one water trough and wherein at least one of the plurality of RF detector stations is positioned within 3 meters of the at least one feed trough, wherein the RF detector is configured to transmit a radio signal to any of the plurality of RF asset tags within a detection zone for that RF detector and receive a returned signal with the unique identifier code, and wherein each of the plurality of RF detectors has a detector-station processor and a detector-station memory, which is a non-transitory memory, for executing programmed code;
• an asset management subsystem comprising a management processor and management memory, wherein the management memory is a non-transitory memory;
• a communication link for receiving transmitted signals from the plurality of RF detector stations and delivering the transmitted signal to the asset management subsystem;
• and
• wherein for each of the plurality RF detector stations, the detector-station processor and the detector-station memory include programming to receive a returned signal with the unique identifier code from any RF asset tags in its detection zone and transmit the unique identifier code using the communication link to the asset management subsystem;
• wherein the detector-station memory comprises stored instructions, which when executed by the detector-station processor, cause the detector-station processor to only transmit detections of RF asset tag detections above a detection threshold for a given time period;
• wherein adjacent members of the plurality of RF detector stations communicate with one another and only send one signal with data over the communication link to the asset management subsystem to save energy for one of the adjacent members;
• wherein each of the plurality of RF detector stations comprises a synchronization clock and the plurality of RF detector stations are programmed to transmit at unique times to avoid interference;
• further comprising a gateway, and wherein the communication link comprises wireless communication to the gateway and wireless communication from the gateway to the asset management subsystem;
• and
• wherein, for a member of the plurality of RF detector stations, the detector-station memory comprises stored instructions, which when executed by the detector-station processor, cause the detector-station processor to read the current position of a member of the plurality of RF asset tags in the detection zone of the member of the plurality of RF detector stations, store the current position, check if an eating or drinking flag is true, and if true continue to check based on the current position to see if the RF asset tag is within a trough zone, and if so, continue the flag as true and otherwise change the flag to false.