By simply installing sensors in the feed bunk and water trough, HerdWhistle can detect BRD up to 7 days sooner than visual inspection and reduce mortality rate by a minimum of 25% on the feedlot. HerdWhistle is a game changer to the beef industry.
According to the Beef Cattle Research Council, Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) accounts for 65-80% of all feedlot morbidity and 45-75% of all mortality. A study published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science stated 21.2% of all cattle placed in feedlots contract BRD during their stay. The disease causes great strain on the well being of cattle all across the globe and has a significant impact on the feedlot’s profitability.
BRD refers to a disease of the upper or lower respiratory tract. It is a terrible disease with infections that can lead to serious cases of pneumonia. Calves during their first few weeks at the feedlot are the most commonly diagnosed. The mix of stress and pathogens during shipping makes them highly susceptible to the disease. Hence, it is commonly referred to as “shipping fever.”
According to the Canadian Veterinary Journal, BRD greatly affects the profitability of a feedlot. Not only does it cause a 3% decrease in average daily gain, but it has a significant impact on the grade and value of the carcass after slaughter. A sick animal can cause upwards of $100 in losses and treatments — a massive impact when multiplied by the thousands of sick animals on a large feedlot operation.
Early diagnosis is the best way to treat and limit the spread of infection. But the challenge is clinical symptoms of BRD don’t appear until days after initial infection. The visually obvious symptoms like coughing and nasal discharge can take days to appear. By that time, the disease has had its time to worsen and spread to other animals in the pen.
Catching the early subclinical signs is the best way to protect the herd. Catching an infection days ahead of time allows for more effective treatment and reduces the chance for the illness to spread. Methods like scanning individual animals for lung lesions are not scalable to a feedlot operation. There are thousands of cattle that need to be monitored on a daily basis to best detect the subclinical signs.
One of the first subclinical indicators of BRD is a change in feeding behaviour. Cattle will consume less food, take less trips to the feed bunk and water trough, and spend less time with each visit. The only way to monitor this is through technology like HerdWhistle.
HerdWhistle is a Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) system that attaches sensors to feedlot water troughs and feed bunks. It works 24/7 to capture data on each animal's feeding and drinking behaviours. It uses that data to alert feedlot operators to the subclinical signs of BRD. When an animal’s feeding behaviour changes, HerdWhistle knows and alerts the feedlot operator to take a closer look. The operator can then take the proper steps to maintain a healthy herd.
