History
GrowSafe engineers have been developing innovative products since 1990 enabling real-time and predictive livestock management.
We were one of the pioneers using RFID tagging to enable individual animal identification. A pioneer has vision, sees opportunities when others see problems. Being a pioneer means a lot of hard work over many years. It requires generosity, collaboration and perseverance against all odds. To quote a friend, it also means you catch a lot of arrows!
We have done some amazing things over the past 19 years our company has been in business. We would like to share a bit of our story with you.
Research and Development History
In the early 1990's GrowSafe developed monitoring equipment that could read multiple low frequency passive transponders in close proximity. We further designed our systems to automatically ensure that an animal was positioned in an optimal reading range without human intervention.
1990 GrowSafe Ostrich Installation
To detect the presence of multiple articles using RFID techniques is not simple. The central issue is that there is only one communication channel between the transponders and the reader. More than one transponder transmitting at the same time causes a confused message to be received by the reader.
1996 GrowSafe Model 2000 Research Feedlot Installation
Prior to 1999 a GrowSafe system used a transponder number to identify individual animals visiting a feedbunk, and the frequency and duration of these visits. The data acquired by these systems has challenged some long held scientific wisdom about animal feeding behavior.
By 1999, we had developed enhanced research systems to accurately measure feed intake, animal weight and behavior of individual animals housed in typical production environments.
A GrowSafe feed intake system integrates data from many environmental and biological sensors including temperature, thermal imaging, ultrasound, weight automatic medication systems, and flow meters.
GrowSafe provides a research framework to integrate data including genomic, proteomic, physiologic, and environmental in the context of a disease, with a focus on understanding and determining clinical responses to potential treatment.
Researchers using GrowSafe technology have found that differences may exist between efficient and inefficient animals in actual feed intake, rate of gain in backfat, backfat thickness and feeding duration independent of growth rate and body size.
By 2009 more than 200 scientific publications and papers have been produced using GrowSafe research technology. Over 50 GrowSafe installations have been installed across North America. More than 40 animal science candidates have used GrowSafe data to give their doctoral theses. Our technology is used in animal science curricula worldwide.
2002 GrowSafe Model 4000 Feed Intake and Behavior Monitoring Installation
GrowSafe has gained unique knowledge from its early system development. This insight has enabled the development of leading edge commercial identification and measurement devices that fully automate livestock production activities. Thousands of producers across North America are using GrowSafe data to evaluate their animals and make objective management decisions.
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