In early 2019, we set out to tackle a problem that had never been solved before ⁠—  monitoring feeding and drinking behavior of an entire feedlot 24/7. With that kind of behavioral data, feedlot operators would be able to see subclinical signs of disease in their cattle days before visual symptoms appear.

RFID technology had been used for similar systems in the past on small-scale operations, but we needed to go bigger.

Some of the most advanced RFID engineers in the world told us the technology was impossible to scale to a full feedlot. Feed bunks are hundreds of feet in length and operations hold tens of thousands of cattle, creating extremely rough conditions for any hardware.

In the Winter of 2019, our team broke new ground in RFID technology and we were able to build the longest high frequency RFID antenna in the world. We proved not only that we could monitor an entire feedlot, but the data we collected would show the subclinical symptoms of illness days before cattle succumbed to their disease.

Today, HerdWhistle has evolved into an innovator in the livestock space, creating products that give both feedlot and cow-calf operators clear visibility and data-driven decisions to improve their herd. We work with our partners to create applications that work for different animal types including dairy cattle and swine.