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Interest of the Read-and-Write Technology

At the beginning of the standardization works (2010), R/W electronic chips did not create a strong expectation for use in the livestock sector.

With mobile internet, requesting a data base from an identification number enables us to easily consult distant, individual data of an animal. Recording them in the ear tag could seem redundant when data is validated, saved and available in accessible data bases. From this point of view, the “Read only” (RO) ear tags covered most of the uses.

Nevertheless, R/W has a real interest for accessing individual data for immediate use, in 2 situations:

1. When the access to the network is not possible (blank zones for example),
2. When the data bases don’t exist, or when their access is restricted and not available to all the holders all along the animal’s lifetime.

It’s in this second situation which is the context of the WelHBeeF project. At the arrival of fattening farms, to know the vaccinations made to the animal, its diet in the farm of birth is essential for the fattening farmer in the aim of a more rational management of the diet transition, treatments and vaccinations.

Without an organization dedicated to the traceability of such data, writing in the ear tags is an interesting means which has to be tested. The WelHBeeF project has been an experimental framework perfectly appropriated for R/W testing for the first time on cattle.
 

How does it work ?

The data recording is made with an handheld reader driven by a smartphone application bluetooh connected.

The data entries, and the modifications are done on the smartphone. The handled reader works as a bridge between the smartphone and the chip of the ear tag.

R/W requires compatible equipment (readers and ear tags) with the 14223-3 ISO standard. This standard is compatible with RO ISO equipment used on all animal species.

Expose the technology to the field conditions

The technology still being recent (standard from March 2018), it was necessary to put it in field conditions to check out that:

Recording on chip was possible even with head movement of the animals,

Encoding in different stages, at each health event, is feasible,

Recording on chip ensures data stability and availability during animal’s lifetime,

Modifying data is possible (in case of mistake for example).

WelHBeeF Project

This project deals with the preconditioning of calves before they leave for the fattening farms. Control groups and preconditioned groups have been made in each farm. Preconditioned animals have been vaccinated against respiratory diseases and have followed a transition diet. Thi information has been recorded in the ear tags of all animals in the project. For the needs of the trial, it has been chosen to write in the tag : the name of the vaccine, the dates of first and second injection, and a diet code:

For control animals, data has been input as XXX and T0.

The trial has been conducted on 170 calves born on 8 different farms, and fattened on 4 different farms. Ear tags have been put on the cattle at the farm of birth during the preconditioning, and at the collecting centre for control animals.

Part of the preconditioned animals have got 2 entries in the ear tags, after each injection. For the others, the writing occurred in one step (after the second injection, or at the collecting centre for the control animals).

The eartags of 107 animals have been read at end of the fattening period. Part of the ear tags have been collected after the slaughtering for a last check at the office.

What we've learned

Restraining equipment

Data recording is done in the conditions of a handheld reader use, which means at a distance of approximately 15 cm between the tag and the reader. So, it is necessary to work on animals which have been isolated in headlocks or cages.

Data recording

The data recording needs a duration of approximately 8 seconds (see the screenshot of the app). The encoding process is stable. If the animal moves its  head back from the reader, the process slows down but it still goes to the end if the operator keeps the reader at 15 cm from the ear.

Elements to improve

The application used was in its first version and had a lack of stability.
It has been necessary to reboot it frequently. It disturbed the check readings of 15 animals at the end of the fattening period. That’s why a last check after the slaughtering as been made to identify the reason for the problem. Among the 15 ear tags not read, the collected tags were all readable and still had the data recorded. That confirmed that the problem was due to the app and not to the reader or the chip.
 

Issues not treated

The maximum quantity of data to be recorded in the chip will need further tests. Considering that:

•    The quantity of data to record determines the duration of the writing,
•    A too long duration of writing would lose interest in this R/W solution,
the choice has been made of recording only the four data described above to maximise the chances of success of this first trial.

The data security issue has not been treated. The first objective was to check the feasibility of the writing on ear tags in farm conditions. The equipment has fit the purpose enabling us to record, to read and to modify the data (when needed). In case of more sensitive data, manufacturers will probably be driven to suggest security and/or electronic signature solutions.

Initially created for veterinary sector (pets and equine), the R/W technology is also usable on cattle. Theses tests have shown that the ear tag can also be a possible means supplying additional information to the different animal holders.

Acknowledgment to partners of the WelHBeeF project, farmers and EMC2, to Datamars Company.