One industry that is taking full advantage of IoT-based solutions is the livestock industry. As has been the case for over a century, almost all livestock operators use pen riders, or cowboys, to monitor their herds. In essence, these pen riders basically scan for sick animals by physically riding around on horseback and performing visual inspections. For larger herds, this is not only time consuming, but largely as ineffective as it is inaccurate. The article below provides in depth detail on how the livestock industry is upping their game using IoT technologies to build a healthier and more sustainable business.
The livestock industry has a lot to gain with modern technology — IoT devices paired with even the simplest software platforms can help ranchers track and manage their inventory. Yet until recently, many ranchers were tracking their cattle using just pen and paper, according to Brian Schupbach, co-founder and CTO of Quantified AG.
“In the last five years, the cattle industry has made leaps and bounds in technology advances,” Schupbach said. “But five years ago, there was really, truly nothing. I remember getting into it and thinking, this is the industry technology forgot.”
Schupbach is trying to change that with Quantified AG, a Nebraska-based livestock data analytics company. They make smat ear tags for cattle — which Schupbach likens to “Fitbits for cows” — as well as a web and mobile-based software platform that ranchers can use to monitor the health of their animals.
