UHF RFID Cattle Handling Inventory (URCHIN)

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The process of getting cattle to market is complex and expensive. A rancher will sell his cattle at auction and they will be bought by a feedlot. These feedlots acquire up 60,000 or more cattle annually. The high volumes they work with require a large cash flow, to purchase, feed and manage until they move from the feedlot in a sale or export. To manage this financial burden feedlot cooperative have been established. These cooperatives loan feedlots funding to purchase and manage these large volumes of cattle. The cattle are tracked by a regulated Low Frequency (LF) radio tag. This tracked information is not shared with the feedlot operators. As the cattle move through the system, the loan attached to the them is building interest and the funds are tied up; they cannot be used again until the loan is retired. After the cattle leave the feedlot, the cooperative has no formal method to follow their investment. They typically set loans at 12 months and if the loan has not been retired, then they begin the process of tracking down the animals and effectively their money. Picture Butte Feeder Cooperative has been working with Southern Alberta's Institute of Technology's (SAIT) Centre for Innovative Information Technology Solutions (CIITS) to address this industry wide challenge. They have a novel RFID solution and the CIITS applied research team will provide the technology and expertise to bring this idea to a pilot project at four PBFC member feedlots. The solution will allow the PBFC to track each animal and its associated loan in real-time. They will no longer require busy feedlot operators or other third parties interacting with the cattle to share animal tracking information. They will have their own tracking. They will know immediately when a loan can be retired. This reduces the interest paid by the feedlot, freeing up the funds to be loaned to another member.