K. E. Fike

Read distance performance and variation of 5 low-frequency radio frequency identification panel transceiver manufacturers.

Use of electronic animal identification technologies by livestock managers is increasing, but performance of these technologies can be variable when used in livestock production environments. This study was conducted to determine whether 1) read distance of low-frequency radio frequency identification (RFID) transceivers is affected by type of transponder being interrogated; 2) read distance variation of low-frequency RFID transceivers is affected by transceiver manufacturer; and 3) read distance of various transponder-transceiver manufacturer combinations meet the 2004 United States Animal Identification Plan (USAIP) bovine standards subcommittee minimum read distance recommendation of 60 cm. Twenty-four transceivers (n = 5 transceivers per manufacturer for Allflex, Boontech, Farnam, and Osborne; n = 4 transceivers for Destron Fearing) were tested with 60 transponders [n = 10 transponders per type for Allflex full duplex B (FDX-B), Allflex half duplex (HDX), Destron Fearing FDX-B, Farnam FDX-B, and Y-Tex FDX-B; n = 6 for Temple FDX-B (EM Microelectronic chip); and n = 4 for Temple FDX-B (HiTag chip)] presented in the parallel orientation. All transceivers and transponders met International Organization for Standardization 11784 and 11785 standards. Transponders represented both one-half duplex and full duplex low-frequency air interface technologies. Use of a mechanical trolley device enabled the transponders to be presented to the center of each transceiver at a constant rate, thereby reducing human error. Transponder and transceiver manufacturer interacted (P < 0.0001) to affect read distance, indicating that transceiver performance was greatly dependent upon the transponder type being interrogated. Twenty-eight of 30 combinations of transceivers and transponders evaluated met the minimum recommended USAIP read distance. The mean read distance across all 30 combinations was 45.1 to 129.4 cm. Transceiver manufacturer and transponder type interacted to affect read distance variance (P < 0.05). Maximum read distance performance of low-frequency RFID technologies with low variance can be achieved by selecting specific transponder-transceiver combinations.

Trends in Beef Calf Lots by Single Breed Sire Groups Marketed via Video Auction from 2010 Through July 14, 2017

Objective: The objective was to characterize the potential change in the percentage of lots of beef calves sired by a single breed marketed via video auction from 2010 through July 14, 2017. Study Description: Information describing factors about lots sold through a livestock video auction service (Superior Livestock Auction, Fort Worth, TX) was obtained in electronic format. Sire breed of a lot was determined based on the description provided by sellers. All calves in a lot were sired by a single breed and a minimum of 50 lots were required for the analysis. The Cochran-Armitage trend test was used to determine an increasing or decreasing trend over time with a P≤0.05 considered significant. The Bottom Line: Producers marketing calves via video auction may be changing the genetics of their sires to use on a primarily black cow herd.

Trends in Source and Age Verification for Beef Calves Sold via Summer Video Auction from 2010 Through 2017

Objective: The objective of this study was to quantify the effect of source and age verification status on the sale price of beef calf lots sold via summer video auctions from 2010 through 2017 while adjusting for all other factors that significantly influenced sale price. Study Description: Information describing factors about lots sold through a livestock video auction service (Superior Livestock Auction, Fort Worth, TX) was obtained from the auction service in an electronic format. These data were collected for 36,570 lots of beef calves that were sold via 61 summer sales from 2010 through 2017. A model was developed for each year to quantify the effects of all factors describing beef calf lots that significantly affected sale price. The Bottom Line: Though the percent of lots qualified for source and age verification decreased from 2011 to 2016, premiums were garnered from verified lots. The percentage of lots enrolled may continue to increase with new export markets.

Decline in Brahman Breed Influence of Beef Calf Lots Marketed by Video Auction from 1995 to 2015

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