BovinePlus is a two-leg scale for cattle that utilises artificial intelligence to accurately measure and predict daily live weight gain
No longer a futuristic concept, AI (Artificial Intelligence) can now be utilised in everyday farming decisions and management.
Developed by Reap Interactive CEO and founder, Kieran Supple, BovinePlus is a cattle scale designed to calculate an animal’s Daily Live Weight Gain (DLWG), feed and water efficiency, behavioural anomalies, and health with the help of AI technology.
“I wanted to know, basically daily, whether I was winning or losing. I wanted that information at a time when I could do something about it, not when it was too late, when the animals were being sold, and I couldn’t do anything about it,” explained Mr Supple.
From that inspiration came BovinePlus, a two-leg scale with AI incorporated to make accurate full-body weight predications with all measurements relayed back to the farmer via their app or website hub.
Using a water trough as an incentive for the animal, an EID button tag reader can identify the individual animal, so a farmer has profiles on each animal using the unit.
The tech has been recognised by Enterprise Ireland, with Reap Interactive scooping up the 2024 Enterprise Ireland’s ‘Start-up Innovator of the Year’ award.
Depending on trough visits, an animal may be weighed four to 12 times daily, capturing data at both gut-fill and gut-empty stages. This improves DLWG accuracy, with Mr Supple claiming BovinePlus outperforms current four-leg scales.
“So we’re looking at any four-legged scales, they will give a tolerance of 5%. We’re currently working at a tolerance of somewhere around 4%,” he explained.
Mr Supple hopes the technology will boost farm profitability, enhance health and safety by reducing animal handling, improve welfare through non-invasive monitoring, and cut environmental impact using solar-powered mobile units.
A technician installs the BovinePlus unit, which can be stationary in sheds or portable for paddocks. It connects to the farm’s water supply and uploads data via Wi-Fi or cellular network to the cloud.
Once installed, the software takes three days to collect data and calculate animal weights with readings provided to the farmer on the interactive dashboard by day four.
A demonstration of BovinePlus in action.
The software flags animals that meet farmer-set target weights, allowing quick assessment of performance and reducing over-conditioning. This improves feeding efficiency, shortens time to sale, and lowers farm emissions.
The algorithm can also flag abnormalities in behaviour or lack of visits to the trough, alerting the farmer to possible health issues.
Discussing the health monitoring benefits, Mr Supple said: “What we have seen is that we’ll pick up the health issue anywhere up to four days before it becomes visible with the naked eye.”
Currently, BovinePlus clientele is spread across Ireland, the UK and Scotland, with units also set up in American feedlots on a trial basis with Mr Supple hoping to expand into the US market despite the looming threat of tariffs.
In an exclusive, Mr Supple told the Irish Examiner of his plans to launch new products at this year’s National Ploughing Championships.
The Reap Interactive CEO will have on display a new ‘add-on’ feature for existing BovinePlus models, which will allow farmers to receive AI-determined carcass confirmation and fat cover data predictions of individual animals when in the BovinePlus unit.
Reap Interactive also plan to unveil their brand new ‘BovinePlus Junior’ unit, targeted to monitor newly weaned calves suitable for calf rearing units.
“We can determine the weight, the growth curve, the health information, and the water intake for a calf. Allowing us to build the same number of predictions via our algorithms and data that we’re getting on the BovinePlus device.”
Both launches will feature at the Reap Interactive stand, which can be found at the Enterprise Ireland Innovation arena during the ploughing.
Mr Supple has big plans for BovinePlus and Reap Interactive going forward, with plans to expand into dairy, equine and ovine sectors later down the line.
Source : https://www.irishexaminer.com/farming/arid-41679188.html
