The True Value of Livestock Production Data Collection

Cutting-edge technology is now being used across the livestock production industry to improve efficiency, reduce human error, and help to target specific issues for better performance. When compared with more traditional methods, such as a basic pencil and paper, it’s a “no-brainer” to instead use this technology to automatically collect animal data that can be turned into actionable next steps.

Digitalizing Livestock Management

Livestock management has always required immense amounts of data, from keeping accurate financial records to ensuring proper care of animals. There are several livestock technology products that improve productivity and ensure livestock is being properly fed and maintained.

Osborne is well-known in the design and manufacturing of automated livestock equipment, with management systems for several areas of production including gestation and finishing. These management systems include TEAM^® electronic sow feeding (ESF), FIRE^® (Feed Intake Recording Equipment) pig performance testing, and Weight Watcher^™ automatic sorting and growth management.

TEAM^®

The TEAM (Total Electronic Animal Management) System is a complete livestock management system for animals in large pen gestation. With easy user experience and components that are built for years of use, it is a trusted ESF (Electronic Sow Feeding) system in North America. This system is less expensive when compared to traditional crated systems, with facility design requiring significantly less space per animal, giving them room to move freely for more better animal management.

TEAM Benefits

• Eliminates unnecessary feed waste
• Controls feeding in large pens
• Optimizes animal health
• Provides comprehensive records for pig management
• Eliminates feeding anxiety, aggression, and competition
• Utilizes space better than stalls

FIRE^®

Osborne’s FIRE (Feed Intake Recording Equipment) pig performance testing system automates the measurement of individual animal feed intake and other performance characteristics of growing animals. This system identifies the most efficient animals (whether that be pig, sheep, or goats) to improve genetic selection of herds, and has been successfully used to test the performance of livestock for over 25 years – in fact, it is currently used by more genetics companies than any other system and stands as the acknowledged standard for pig performance testing.

A sensitive load cell continuously weighs the trough, allowing the FIRE System to record both time and duration of each trough visit, as well as the amount of feed an animal consumes. This information is transferred to a computer in real-time for data analysis. By creating transparency and efficiency around performance characteristics, you can identify clear insight into the breeding lines that lead to superior animals.

FIRE Benefits

• Provides full automation of the measurement of individual feed intake and growth performance
• Improves accuracy over manual testing animals in single pens
• Eliminates human data collection errors and operator bias
• Provides immediate diagnostics for animal behavior patterns and health
• Durable and strong, perfect for years of use

Weight Watcher^™

Osborne’s Weight Watcher Growth Management System is more than just an automated scale for sorting animals at market time – it continuously sorts finishing pigs by weight to enable more targeted feeding for complete growth management. Using this system, water and feed are spread throughout barn “zones” where animals can move freely from one zone to another and are automatically weighed and sorted as they pass through the scale. Pigs that are lighter weight can automatically be fed a high-performance feed to accelerate gain, while heavier pigs can simultaneously receive feed that maximizes the return on gain. With the Weight Watcher system, you can monitor the growth of each group to help accurately predict market weights.

Weight Watcher Benefits

• Cuts market sort loss
• Reduces feed costs by using target feeding
• Allows for control of animal growth
• Reduces weight variation and cuts time to market
• Easy to use, manage, and retrofit to existing facilities

Contact the Experts at Osborne

Osborne Industries has been an industry leader in the design, development, and manufacturing of innovative livestock production equipment since 1973. Our systems were designed to facilitate more informed operational decisions and increased efficiency, ultimately helping to improve profit and the overall health of livestock.

To learn more about Osborne’s livestock production data collection equipment, please request a quote today.