The task
The first 80 days of life are decisive for a calf’s health. Förster-Technik, a specialist in calf-rearing equipment for more than 45 years, already records feed volume, feeding times and drinking speed with its feeders. The aim was to gather more precise data on the development and health of individual animals beyond this and to spot signs of illness early.
The solution
NewTec developed a smart neckband, a transponder collar that continuously records each animal’s activity profile. Comparing this with the rest of the herd gives an indication of an animal’s health, and a wirelessly activated LED display makes it easy to locate individual animals in the barn. We opted for a current processor architecture and Bluetooth Low Energy as a “barn-proof” wireless standard.
NewTec’s partner FreshX built the cloud infrastructure together with the apps and operating interfaces, including the “Calf-App VITAL” for farmers, complete with a health checklist. App data, movement profiles and feeder data can be brought together and passed on to the vet, who identifies the animal securely via the collar and documents treatments directly.
Because the feeders are in use worldwide, we transmit all data in encrypted form to the cloud via a secure on-farm gateway and enable firmware and software updates “over the air” over secure connections. For the functional safety of the maintenance mode, which operates with a blade mixer, we implemented a security-and-safety process: worldwide remote control is only enabled for a limited period once a safety token generated on site at the feeder has been created and entered.
Result
With the connected generation of feeders, Förster-Technik offers comprehensive added value: data access from any location and device, optimised calf rearing and a strengthened position as market leader. Industry 4.0 methods are finding their way into agriculture in this way, and the digitalised feeders are now used in research facilities too, for instance at universities in the Netherlands, forming the data basis for numerous publications on calf rearing.
