Effect of the position of the antenna on the reading efficiency of different types of electronic identification devices in cattle in Argentina

Abstract

Animal identification by means of radiofrequency devices allows to capture and transfer data automatically eliminating errors. The system is composed of an electronic identifier device, which has a microchip with a numerical code, unique and unrepeatable, that must be placed in the body of the animals to be read from a distance and a fixed reader with an antenna, which is placed in the catwalk, emits a radiofrequency wave and captures the response of the identifier. The efficiency of the reading of the different types of identifiers and in the different categories of animals depends on the positioning of the antenna, constituting a critical point to optimize the results of the system. The objective of the work was to determine the reading efficiency of different positions of the fixed antenna with respect to electronic identifiers of ruminal bolus and auricular button in adult Angus cows. 116 Angus cows, frame 3 with an average weight of 420 Kg, were used, 20 with intraruminal bolus type and 96 with auricular button type identifiers. There were 196 dynamic readings (bolus, n = 100 and button, n = 96) with the animals in a movement when they passed through the sleeve. A fixed reader (EditID Reader®, NZ) was used with an antenna 87 cm high x 65 cm wide x 2.5 cm thick placed in 3 positions defined by the orientation and height from the ground to the upper edge of the antenna: P1 = vertical at 132 cm from the ground, P2 = vertical at 148 cm from the ground, P3 = horizontal, at 130 cm from the ground. The reading efficiency was defined as: transponders read on the number of readable transponders * 100. The results were for P1: 99.48%, P2: 84.69%, P3: 56.12%, all being significantly different. The differences were especially due to the reading efficiency of ruminal bolus type identifiers.