FORT WORTH, TEXAS, United States (Reuters) — Ranchers have been ear-tagging their cattle for ages, but now tech company HerdDogg is bringing the practice into the 21st century. Their “state-of-the-art smart ear tags” allow farmers to geo-track individual cows while also compiling information on the animal’s health.
“Research shows that the better you understand your animals, the better you treat them,” said HerdDogg’s Melissa Brandao. “Typically an animal isn’t going to show that it is sick for two to three days, so this provides this data sooner. They will be able to know sooner if that animal is well or not.”
The ear tags automatically send updates which can be viewed on a smartphone.
Rancher Ron Gil is testing the technology on his herd.
“It could save the lives of cows. It could improve the efficiency of time management,” said Gil.
Biometric data collected by the tags includes body temperature, activity and fitness.