GrowSafe Feed Intake and Behavior Monitoring Systems

GrowSafe's Model 6000® feed intake and behavior monitoring system is a "cadillac" research system".  It is also feedyard robust, and reliable and can be operated simply by typical feedlot personnel in a commercial feeding environment.

The system includes simple, focused software that does just what a user needs, and nothing more if you don't require it. GrowSafe is deployed in commercial feedlots to automatically calculate individual animal intake. Reporting is automated. Typical feedlot crews can collect individual animal intake without disruption to their usual feedlot workflow, without additional labor.

GrowSafe Feed Intake and Behavior Monitoring System capabilities include:

• Proprietary GrowSafe ID reading technology - GrowSafe is the world's leader in providing RFID systems that enable unobstructed individual animal behavior measurement, capable of reading multiple transponders in close proximity.
• Accurate feed disappearance measurement and high volume data acquisition - GrowSafe feed intake nodes are sampled up to 8 times per second at a resolution of 10 grams.
• Portability - The system has been designed in "nodes" to enable multiple research configurations. The system can be used in feedlots, dairies and/or on pasture.
• Wireless - the data acquisition computer can be located away from the system up to 30 miles line of sight.
• Automatic System Auditing - Each day the system automatically audits the total feed supplied to the bunk and the amount of feed assigned to individual animals providing unparalleled data accuracy and integrity.

  Software Routines

  GrowSafe Data Acquisition (DAQ) software includes analysis routines as separate executables which can be accessed directly from DAQ software. All systems have at least one analysis routine that calculates daily individual animal feed intakes bundled into the base system data acquisition software.

  Software Validation

  GrowSafe Software has been repeatedly validated by our customers and in-house through independent functional testing. We design and develop our systems with intrinsic data validation tools that continuously monitor data integrity and accuracy.

  System Measurement

  The system measures and/or calculates:

• Duration and intake for every individual feeding event up to one second accurate (feeding event criterion is user defined)
• Head down and in to out duration during this event up to one second accurate
• Feed disappearance during events up to one second accurate
• Feeding frequency over user selected time interval
• Automatic calculation of feed supply
• Feeding rate throughout feeding event
• Animals standing at the bunk not consuming feed
• Time of the event, one second accurate
• Intervals between events
• Number of animals feeding simultaneously
• Social hierarchy - "who feeds besides who" and "who feeds first"

  GrowSafe Accuracy

  GrowSafe continuously and automatically records every data point to the data acquisition computer hard drive. Data can be viewed immediately and/or be archived for later retrieval. The main advantages of continuous data recording are:

• Data analysis is flexible, allowing a scientist to look at the data in many different ways.
• No data is 'lost' - all events are automatically recorded
• Irregular events can be examined more carefully - micro-observations can be made within an event, interval and/or a study.
• Interstudy and intrastudy comparison are more easily enabled.
• Feed supply events, bunk cleaning, wind, rain and maintenance, can be identified.

  Feed Supply

  GrowSafe continuously records feed disappearance and appearance at the trough, and audits unassigned feed disappearance. We have demonstrated through several research studies that automated feed supply calculation using a GrowSafe is highly accurate.(R2=0.994, P<0.001 Basarab 2002)

  As data is acquired by GrowSafe every second, unaccounted feed disappearance audits routinely demonstrate that very little feed is unassigned during feed supply events. To overcome the inability to collect data during a feed supply event, one of our competitors have designed a costly workaround, a "lock down" mechanism which must be activated before the feed wagon supplies the feed.A GrowSafe system does not require this lock down period and/or expensive feed deflectors which need to be operated before a feed supply event can occur.

  System Diagnostics

  Advanced diagnostic tools, alarms and troubleshooting capabilities have been built into both hardware and data acquisition software. Continuous system diagnostic dialogues can be displayed to assist in system performance assessment and troubleshooting hardware, animals feeding and other components.

  Audit Trails

  In addition to data points collected, null occurrences (instances where data points should have been collected and were not) are also identified. There is no ability for a user to change or amend the raw data collected.When data is acquired there is continuous communication error checking and status reporting occurring (this can be viewed in real time and or can be historically reviewed) This includes the following:

• Weight scale status monitoring
• Communication
• Weight data integrity (audit file)
• Resonant antenna voltage monitoring with alarm capabilities which continuously check the integrity of the ID system
• RFID (behavior) status monitoring
• Behavior data integrity (audit file)
• History of RFID system performance (occupancy at bunks)

Error flags appear on screen when the system requires attention. There are many other points during data collection where alarms can be enabled if system performance, animal behavior, and/or specific study conditions need to be identified by the system. Automatic messaging to telephones, cellular phones, pagers and or alarms by email can be enabled depending on study requirements.

GrowSafe data acquisition software can be secured under the Windows Operating System. Files can be fully secured by trial administrators.Access to the data at the data acquisition site can be restricted. Data can be remotely monitored, archived and analysed by authorized personnel. Remote access can be fully secured.Configuration files are secured by password.

A GrowSafe system collects data every second. Our largest system collects about 15 million data points every day. During a significant software upgrade completed in 2005 we have fully automated every facet of data acquisition, calculation of intakes, behavior measurement and data analysis. This is unrivalled and unprecedented automation which significantly reduces farm and research trial labor.

All software required to collect and log consumption and behavior data from each independent station and animal electronic ID has been included within the data acquisition software included in the base system pricing. Extended analytical capabilities are offered in additional software packages. As there are no lock down gates or mechanisms, GrowSafe does not impede feeding or drinking activities if the data acquisition computer or any component of the system is "off line".

All other currently available systems record the animal ID only once when it approaches a feeding gate resulting in reported 6%+ error in intake assignment. These types of systems are only capable of rudimentary behavior analysis - simple calculation of frequency and duration visitation statistics.

Request complete specification and pricing information mailto:als@growsafe.com

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