New and improved Livetrack Manager - coming soon

Stay posted and visit www.syscan-id.com to get the latest version in January 2011.

A complete new facelift and many features will be added based on feedback from our clients. How do I get the Livetrack Manager? Either send us a an email or call us by visiting the Syscan ID website.

Syscan-ID insuring reliable traceability in both asset management and animal id.

Syscan ID dual frequency RFID reader - Version 3 -updates

Syscan ID has made upgrading your 134.2 Khz RFID reader very simple. For those who have purchased Version 3 Livetrack readers (3000 series) in previous years, you can now can easily upgrade your readers at no cost.

The step by step process is easily found on the www.syscan.com website in the download section. One must insure that all the tags have been downloaded and deleted from the reader before moving forward. I was asked the other day if it was possible to upgrade using the intergrated Class 1 Bluetooth module on the LSB Livetrack reader( both long and short versions). It is recommend to use the serial cable that is provided with the reader at time of purchase. The current latest version of firmware is V 5.23....

Increased performance, read spead, connectivity to PDA and battery charging issues have all been optimized as well as new features such as code and weight have been added.

Make sure to provide the correct information when downloading the latest firmware as we will forward you a notice if any new items become available.

La lecture de boucle électronique aux Canada

Un outil populaire au Québec et distribuer par ATQ est le lecteur de puce 134.2 Khz de Syscan ID Inc.

Fabriquer à Montréal depuis plus de 8 ans ce lecteur robuste ne cesse de se developer grace aux suggestions des producteurs bovins, ovins et caprins.
En voici quelques exemples;

1-Augmentation de la mémoire a 15000 puces soit HDX ou FDX de plusieurs compagnie telque; Allflex, Destron, Reyflex et Y-TEX.
2-Une capacité de faire le lien entre la boucle électronique et un tag visuel.
3-Une capacité d`entrer des donner de poids pour ceux qui ont des balances visuel seulement.
4-Avoir une capacité de faire des mises à jour a distance via notre site internet www.syscan-id.com.
5-L`implantation sur le lecteur existant d`un clavier alphanumérique.
6-Établir des liens Bluetooth avec plusieurs marques de balance électronique en moins de 30 secondes.
7-Une capacité de fonctionner avec plusieurs outils de gestion de la ferme.
8-Une meilleure gestion de la charge de batterie.
9-Un service de réparation en moins de 24 heures après réception. S’il y a lieu.

Nous avons plusieurs autres nouveautés qui sont en développement. Écriver nous avec vos suggestions au info@syscan-id.com.

Cattle Behavior and handling - making life easier

Encouraging meeting on sheep EID in the UK

UK agriculture ministers were encouraged by EU Commissioner Dalli’s commitment to pragmatism in implementing EU rules on Electronic Identification of Sheep (EID) in the UK after meeting today.

Commissioner Dalli met with the UK’s farming and rural affairs ministers Jim Paice, Michelle Gildernew, Elin Jones and Richard Lochhead to discuss a range of issues facing the industry in implementing EU rules on individually tracing sheep.

Agriculture Minister Jim Paice said:

“We need to make sure sheep EID works on the ground, and I’m encouraged by the Commissioner’s commitment to help us achieve this.

“We discussed a range of issues. The Commissioner will now work with Agriculture Commissioner Ciolos on guidelines on cross-compliance reductions in connection with the functioning of the system.

“The Commissioner has also agreed to consider looking at extending the deadline for the requirement to individually record movements of older sheep. We’re grateful for his willingness to take a pragmatic approach.”

Minister Michelle Gildernew, Stormont Executive Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development said:

“This was a very useful meeting which gave me an important opportunity to update Commissioner Dalli on our position regarding sheep EID. I have made the Commission very aware of the hard work our sheep industry has done to implement the electronic tagging of sheep. I also stressed our determination to ensure the full traceability of each individual sheep and goat.

“I believe that it is very important to protect the fairness of both the sheep EID regime and the cross-compliance system. We should not penalise farmers who have not themselves been at fault.’’

Wales’ Rural Affairs Minister, Elin Jones, said:

“I am pleased Commissioner Dalli recognised the difficulties the Regulation causes to Welsh sheep farmers and the efforts we have made to implement it.

“I welcome the offer of guidelines on when cross compliance penalties should be applied, as it is important farmers are not penalised as a result of failings in technology. I was also encouraged that the Commission will consider delaying the date from which individual recording of older sheep applies.”

Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment Richard Lochhead said:

“I welcome the fact that Commissioner Dalli has agreed to speak with Commissioner Ciolos and produce guidance for Scotland and the rest of the UK which will reassure farmers that cross-compliance issues related to EID regulations will be proportionate.

“The Commissioner was very receptive of how improvements can be secured under some of the challenging circumstances faced by our farmers.

“Our sheep farmers are valued. We don’t want to undermine what they do by bureaucracy and we want a common sense approach.”

Under the current rules, farmers may have their sheep electronically read at approved third party central point recording centres, such as markets and abattoirs, instead of on farms. This flexibility is estimated to save the industry in the UK between £7 million and £20 million.

The requirement for individually recording movements of older sheep, born before 31 December 2009, is scheduled to come into force on 31 December 2011.

Currently all sheep born after 31 December 2009 and retained for further breeding need to be individually electronically identified.

The Commissioner has also agreed to respond on the issue of extending the slaughter derogation to cross-border trade once he has obtained a legal opinion.

UK officials will now work with the industry to put forward more detail on these proposals as soon as practicable.

Identification Electronique en France pour Ovins et Bovins

Les nouvelles technologies vont-elles révolutionner l'élevage de moutons ? L'obligation d'identifier électroniquement les agneaux, à partir du 1er juillet 2010, va moderniser l'image de cette production.

La production ovine en France ne pèse pas grand-chose par rapport aux filières de masse (bovin, porcin). Et pour tout dire, elle est plutôt en perte de vitesse avec 15000 éleveurs de moutons professionnels, âgés de plus de 55 ans pour plus de la moitié d'entre eux, des prix de marché calqués sur le prix bas des viandes de mouton importées de Nouvelle-Zélande et d'Irlande.

Dans ce contexte, l'obligation européenne de boucler électroniquement les petits ruminants (ovins et caprins) pourrait être considérée comme un défi insurmontable pour les éleveurs de moutons. Pas pour les organismes partenaires de la filière, lesquels préparent le terrain depuis plusieurs années. Leur leitmotiv : faire d'une directive européenne - jugée au départ comme une contrainte - un atout pour l'avenir, et valoriser la viande française qui ne remplit les besoins que de 40 % des Hexagonaux.

Une somme d'informations

Dans les principales régions de production - Midi-Pyrénées (25 %), Aquitaine et PACA (10 % chacune), Poitou-Charente (9 %), Auvergne et Limousin (7 % chacun) -, 300 élevages ont servi de test pour expérimenter les nouvelles conduites d'élevage induites par la boucle électronique, après l'adoption de la directive (2004) qui prévoit son application à compter de cette année.

En Bretagne, petite région de production (une centaine d'éleveurs), Thierry Simon (Saint-Méen-le-Grand) s'enthousiasme. Le bouclage électronique des agneaux puis des reproducteurs (avant le 1er janvier 2013) ouvre des champs insoupçonnés. «On passe de la conduite d'un troupeau à l'élevage par tête, ce qui nous fait gagner beaucoup de temps. Et on devient plus performant sur le plan économique, car le système nous permet de sélectionner les meilleurs animaux» explique l'éleveur.

L'identification électronique donne instantanément une somme d'informations à l'éleveur lorsqu'il approche un bâton de lecture varient entre 20 cm et 64cm de long. Son ordinateur de poche doté d'un logiciel de gestion de troupeau traite les paramètres d'élevage - sanitaire, lutte (ou reproduction), inventaire, performances - et l'oriente vers le geste ou le soin le plus approprié.

La boucle électronique fonctionne aussi dans l'autre sens, en renseignant la base de données informatiques de l'éleveur sur le poids, le tri des animaux et en automatisant l'enregistrement de différents paramètres dans le système. En difficultés structurelles depuis presqu'une vingtaine d'années, la filière ovine profitera-t-elle de cette obligation légale pour réussir sa mue et enfin attirer des jeunes ? La FNO, branche ovine de la FNSEA, estime avoir toutes les cartes en main.

Elle a lancé, en 2009, le programme «Reconquête ovine» puis obtenu de la France, dans la foulée qu'elle rééquilibre les aides PAC au profit des petits ruminants à compter de cette année. L'objectif est clair : «Il faut réussir à restructurer la filière avant la prochaine réforme de la PAC, en 2013», martèle Frédéric Noizet, secrétaire général de la FNO.

*source: Franck Jourdain

Dual Frequency RFID/EID reader

Used globally, the dual frequency EID reader is the most advanced and affordable dual frequency 134.2khz and 125khz LF handheld solution. The two frequency capability makes it the ideal product to be used for Livestock tracking and industrial asset management. There are two models available 65 or 41 cm long.

1-Livestock and hand held wand reader. With a memory of up to 10,000 RFID tags, it improves performance and lowers overhead while processing livestock in the field. Conceived with the help of cattlemen and other livestock professionals the LiveTrack® reader is robust and easy to use, making it an ideal solution for producers, transporters, feedlots, auction houses, sales yards and veterinarians.

2-Industrial applications for object tracking and asset management such as;
• Asset tracking
• Event management
• Field service
• Field maintenance
• Manufacturing
• Oil & gas industry
• Railway
• Supply chain

Further information is available by emailing info@syscan-id.com

Dual frequency RFID hand held reader

Used globally, the dual frequency RFID reader is the most advanced and affordable dual frequency 134.2khz and 125khz LF hand held solution. The two frequency capability makes it the ideal product to be used for Livestock tracking and industrial asset management. There are two models available 65 or 41 cm long.The Class 1 Bluetooth module allows downlaod of information to PDA, handheld and stationary computers.

1-Livestock and hand held wand reader. With a memory of up to 15,000 RFID tags, it improves performance and lowers overhead while processing livestock in the field. Conceived with the help of cattlemen and other livestock professionals the LiveTrack® reader is robust and easy to use, making it an ideal solution for producers, transporters, feedlots, auction houses, sales yards and veterinarians.

2-Industrial applications for object tracking and asset management such as;

• Asset Tracking
• Event Management
• Field Service
• Field Maintenance
• Manufacturing
• Oil & Gas Industry
• Railway
• Supply Chain

for more information please call or visit http://www.syscan-id.com/ .

Global trade in animal and livestock products booming

As trade increases opportunities to cultivate niche markets are expanding but many challenges remain due to outbreaks of highly virulant diseases across the globe and critical infrastructure gaps in developing countries.
World trade in live animals and livestock products is expanding rapidly due to increased consumption of meat and dairy products in developing countries due to increased growth of per capita income, population and urbanization. This trade grew from $55 billion in 2000 to $93 billion in 2006. Industrialized countries account for 80 percent of world animal product exports; developing countries the remaining 20 percent. Among developing countries, the most significant exporters are Brazil (beef, poultry and pork), China (pork), Argentina (beef), and Thailand (poultry). For several African countries, trade in live animals is also important, although much of this involves informal, intra-regional flows or sales to the Middle East market.



With the outbreaks of mad cow disease (bovine spongiform encephalopathy or BSE ), foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and avian influenza, animal health issues have become more important than ever in global trade. BSE and avian flu are zoonoses, meaning they can be passed on to humans. Cattle, sheep and pigs are all prone to infection with FMD which is highly contagious, easily traveling across national borders and affecting entire regions. The World Organization for Animal Health ( OIE ) has a mandate under the WTO's Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary Agreement to publish health standards for international trade in animals and animal products and to monitor and certify the disease status of countries.



The EU is one of the most important markets for developing country animal product exports. It is also one of the most challenging. To get on the list of eligible ‘third country’ suppliers, a series of conditions must be met. For instance, the exporting country must have a “farm to fork” traceability system to identify the origin of the animals. This information is essential to rapidly contain the risks to human health and the costs of controlling and eradicating an animal disease outbreak. The third country applicant must also be a member of the OIE and have adequate systems in place for detecting and reporting diseases. The national authority has to be assessed and deemed competent to deliver veterinary controls and the appropriate animal health certificate must accompany all fresh meat imports. Eligible countries must also comply with a number of public health requirements, in particular dealing with BSE . In addition, there are animal welfare requirements at the time of slaughter, such as avoiding overstocked trucks during transport.



The private sector has also been active designing their own standards and labels for animals and livestock. These standards incorporate the regulations of national authorities and aim to achieve product differentiation through various requirements. Supermarkets often hold contracted producers to strict process standards in order to market the product as safer, better-tasting and more environmentally-friendly. They can certify, for example, that their beef came from grass-fed cattle and increase the price to targeted consumers. In general, private standards for animal and livestock products target a small but rapidly expanding group of niche consumers in developed countries.

* source: tradestandards.org

Walmart Brazil beef traceability project

Walmart understands the benefits of traceability of the food chain. I found this video to be interesting and insightfull and perhaps an indication of things to come.

The National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) - Australia

The NLIS provides many benefits for the Australian livestock industry as a whole as well as at an individual level. At a National level the NLIS provides:

1. A reduction of the financial and social impact of a livestock disease epidemic or residue incident. A recent Commonwealth government study estimated the overall economic loss as a result of an FMD outbreak to be between $2 billion and $13 billion. Though NLIS will not prevent a disease outbreak or residue incident, it will be able to reduce the financial and social impact of a disease epidemic due to its accurate identification and rapid traceability capabilities.
2. Preparedness for international customers demanding whole-of-life, property-of-origin traceability. Customers around the world are becoming more concerned about food safety and traceability.
3. Access and development of restricted markets. For example, the NLIS facilitates access to the EU market. Other markets may impose similar traceability requirements for Australia’s product.
4. Improved ‘on farm’ productivity through the integration of the NLIS Scheme with other farm management business processes (e.g. Animal identification)
5. Domestic and export consumers with continued confidence in Australian beef and dairy products. Australia relies on export markets. Australia exports 70% of it’s total beef production.

The impact of losing one of the major markets is far greater for Australia than our competitorsFor members of the cattle supply chain, the direct benefits from NLIS depend on how a each element in the chain uses the technology in their business. These can include:

1. Improved management and breeding decisions by using individual animal performance data linked to carcase feedback to fine tune compliance with customer specifications.
2. Saving time and more accurate individual animal data due to automated electronic reading.
3. Improved deterrent to stock theft.
4. Provision of on line cataloguing (saleyards)
5. Track & monitor producer livestock performance
6. Improved ability to attain weight management target for feedlots

*source: rfidaa.org

Uruguay Focus On Export Markets And Quality Meat

The National Meat Institute (INAC) has approved the first protocol of good animal husbandry practices, seeking to recover the Uruguayan exports lost from not having such requirements in place, as well as improving meat quality.

UK EID informational video using Livetrack wand reader

One of our distributors in the UK has a great video... have a look.

How many cows do you need?

How many beef cows you need to have a viable operation is an often asked question. It is also a tough question to answer since every farm has a unique set of circumstances, asset base and management style. That said, I'll try to shed some light on the subject here.

 

 

For the purposes of this discussion, the term Gross Margin will be used. Gross margin (GM) is sales minus your variable costs. Variable costs are those that change depending on the level of production, such as total feed required. Gross Margin primarily accounts for the direct cash costs in producing calves. GM is the money you have left over to pay the cost of owning your assets, both cash and non-cash costs like depreciation, and to cover your living expenses.

 

In this context, two pieces of information are key to answering the how many cows question;

1.How large does your Gross Margin need to be?

 

2.What is your current Gross Margin percentage?

 

To answer the first question, you need to know how many dollars of GM are needed to cover your fixed and living expenses. This is calculated as:

Gross Margin $ = Gross sales $ - Variable Costs $
Gross Margin percentage is your GM dollar amount divided by sales dollar amount. This is calculated as:
Gross Margin % = (Gross Margin $ / Gross Sales $) x 100

 

For example, a 20% GM indicates that 80% of your revenue from sales is needed to pay variable costs and 20% is the margin that is left after variable costs are paid.

Table 1 walks through an example and shows a range of cow herd sizes needed to meet different GM dollar levels at different GM percentages.

Fixed Costs are costs which stay constant when you increase or decrease herd size. Examples include taxes and insurance on your land and buildings, and mortgage payments. The 2007 results of the Cow Calf Benchmarking Project conducted by the University of Guelph showed the average Fixed Costs per herd for the high profit group were $9,500. For our example in Table 1 this is used as the minimum GM dollar amount needed. This amount is then increased at increments of $10,000 to provide a return to cover living expenses.

 

The average GM% for the top herds in the cow calf benchmarking project was 11%.

 

To read Table 1 you find the dollar amount of GM you need on the left hand side. You then match it with your expected GM percentage across the top of the table. For example, if you needed a GM of $9,500 and your GM percentage was 10% you would need to have 165 cows to get to $9,500. If in addition to your fixed costs of $9,500 you needed $30,000 to cover living expenses, you would now need 687 cows to achieve it. If, through different marketing channels or better control of your costs, you could attain a GM of 15% or 20% those herd size requirements start dropping.

 

 

Table 1: Relationship of Gross Margin $ and Gross Margin % to number of cows required*
required*
Total Gross Margin $ Achieved                        Number of cows required
                                                                              Gross Margin %
                                                                  5%          10%              15%             20%
$9,500                                                    331          165               110              83
$19,500                                                  679          339               226              170
$29,500                                                1027          513               342              257
$39,500                                                1375          687               458              344

 

*Assumptions: 600 lb weaned calf; $1.05/lb average market price; 95% birthing percentage; 4% calf mortality rate to weaning.

 

 

These cow herd sizes are dependent on the assumptions made to create the table. The assumptions are spelled out at the bottom of the table; changes to any of these assumptions will of course change the herd size requirements.

 

If you start working backwards using these assumptions and a 10% GM, variable costs would need to be equal to $567 per cow. Here's how I arrived at that figure:

 

600 lb calf x $1.05 per lb x 95% birthing rate x 96% weaning = $575 gross sales

 

$575 gross sales x 10% GM percentage = $57.50 per calf GM

 

$575 gross sales - $57.50 GM = $517 variable costs

 

The high profit herds in 2007 had variable costs of $600 per cow.

 

When evaluating the economics of your beef cow herd, questions beget tougher questions, starting with:

 

1-What is my average market price?

 

2-What is my average weaning weight?

 

These become your starting point, and your next questions are:

 

1. What are my fixed costs and living expenses?
2. What do my variable costs need to be to have enough leftover to pay for those costs?
3. Am I raising calves at that cost now?

 

If the answer is no then:

 

1-Can I do anything on the revenue side to increase what I receive? e.g. heavier calves, increased marketing efforts.

 

2-Can I decrease my cost of production? e.g. control feed costs using intensive rotational grazing.

 

How many cows you need depends on your margins: what you can get for your calves and how much will it cost you to get that market price. What your fixed and living expenses are can be a starting point to working backwards to what your cost of production is and how large your herd needs to be to achieve those targets.

 

 

 * source http://www.omrafa.goc.on.ca/

 

 

250th Anniversary of Veterinary Medicine designates 2011 as World Veterinary year

Animal diseases and their treatment have played critical roles throughout history, with the earliest known documentation as long ago as 1900 B.C. The word "veterinarian" came into use in the mid-1600s, but veterinarians back then were trained by shadowing other veterinarians and learning by "trial and error," and there was no formalized education for veterinarians...that is, until the world's first veterinary school was founded in Lyon, France in 1761, revolutionizing the profession. In fact, many consider the year 1761 to be the true birth of the veterinary profession.