Using RFID in the Marketing of WV Feeder Cattle

Ronnie Helmondollar

WVU Extension Service

WV Marketing history

• Small part-time farmers

• Commingled calf sales started in 1932

• USDA implements Grades for Feeder Cattle in 1979

• Marketing Pools

• Pre-vac Weaning programs

• RFID (Radio Frequency Identification)

WHY RFID?

• NAIS• Value added• There had to be an

easier way!!• Can we do it?

Software

• Spreadsheet

VS

• Database

Locations

Barbour County Jackson County

Getting started

Weighing Process

• Jackson Co

Sex #hd Time (hours) #hd/hr

Steers 667 7.18 92.8

Heifers 459 5.28 86.8

Weighing Process

• Barbour Co

Sex #hd Time (hours) #hd/hr

Steers 341 4.15 82.2

Heifers 181 2.46 73.6

Load Processing

• Jackson Co

Sex # loads Time (hours)

Steers 8 2.85

Heifers 6 1.37

Load Processing

• Barbour Co

Sex # loads Time (hours)

Steers 4 1.08

Heifers 2 0.3

Observations

• The ability to electronically read and edit animal identification at receipt greatly improved the weighing process.

• Tag retention was not a problem. Only six RFID tags needed to be replaced.

Observations

• RFID technology eliminated misread tags and reduced worker effort to read dirty tags in a moving animal.

• The time required to weigh and process calves at take-up was reduced of the previous year.

2006

• 6500 claves will marketed utilizing this system

Questions ???