Review of opportunities for feedlot induction automation

Summary

​Cattle arriving at a feedlot are guided into a 'crush' where a team of staff perform an 'induction' consisting of tasks like ear tagging, vaccinations and drenching on each animal. Automation can potentially enhance the labour efficiency and safety of induction, however an understanding is firstly required of the range of induction processes and amount of automation in feedlots in Australia.

A telephone survey was conducted of 16 large feedlots in Australia and identified that 1 in 4 feedlots had automation in 1-2 induction tasks outside of ear tag readers, weigh scales or pneumatic tools. Priority automation opportunity areas were identified as more efficient and safer cattle catching, reduction of needlestick and kick injury to staff, and more precise dosage of drenches, HGP and injections to animals.

A time motion analysis of induction teams at 7 large feedlots was conducted to determine the labour costs of individual induction tasks and to identify priority tasks for automation. Ear tagging and cattle catching were the most time consuming tasks for all 7 feedlots. On average, the equivalent of 1 labour unit was waiting across the induction team for the time the animal was in the crush, and the cattle catch was 24% of the time to induct one animal. The results suggest that up to 2 labour units could be reallocated to other parts of the feedlot via automation of induction processes.

Delays in processing were observed to be caused by intermittent motion of animals into the crush, and inconsistent immobilisation of animals, due to the high speed at which animals entered the crush. To achieve greatest benefit from automation requires investment in infrastructure that will achieve two aims:

1. Calm animal behaviour through establishing guiding pens that encourage voluntary motion of cattle in a smooth operation. The stage in the induction process where greatest inconsistent behaviour in cattle is found is on the approach to the crush. There is a solution in the form of conveyors that circumvent many of the issues, and a further solution is proposed in this report.
2. The means to automatically identify cattle at every stage needs to be put in place. In the future new technology, in the form of smart tools also embodying automation and robotic techniques technology, will be able to accurately record corresponding measurements and log the therapy applied.  The 'Internet of Things' is the model that will reduce burden on operators in critical areas, such as the crush. 

A review of commercial technologies indicated that already 50% of induction tools are approaching a stage of being able to link and integrate with the wider system, sharing and communicating data automatically, for example drenching guns that link to readings from the weigh scales in the crush. Taking account of financial savings of reduced labour, more efficient chemical application and reduced injury, and working from quotations and costs of equipment, the break-even point on the additional investment for automation is estimated to occur well within a period of 3 years.

Automation in the form of smart tools can harness other technologies that increase information gathered while reducing the number of measurement tasks. For example, the analysis of blood and DNA will, in the near future, offer potential for easier access to rapid results, over current induction processes.