HerdDogg announced the availability of its long-range eartags for livestock, part of the company’s broader data collection and analysis platform that enables producers to monitor animal health and farm-to-fork traceability. The company’s DoggTags use Bluetooth 5 technology to capture sensor data within an active smart tag attached to the animal’s ear that reads at distances of 100 yards or more and delivers real-time alerts, animal location and health information.

The technology is a small, lightweight tag designed for easy installation on cattle, bison and other livestock. The TraceTag reports identification and location and lasts up to five years, while the WelfareTag tracks animal biometrics and lasts up to two years. Both tags have LEDs that can be turned on directly from any smartphone.

The portable tag reader, the DoggBone, is a Bluetooth-to-cellular bridge engineered for remote monitoring of livestock and can read tags at a distance of 100 yards or more. Sensor data is stored and forwarded from the hardware into the company’s platform, which supports both mobile and web users. Animal data is transmitted in real time, and producers can augment animal records with their own insights and reporting.

This platform enables automated data capture and analytics at an individual animal level, which reduces animal handling and improves accuracy. Leveraging Bluetooth 5, the technology is offered at a far lower out-of-pocket cost to producers. The datasets it delivers can be easily shared with livestock buyers.

(this story originally appeared in Progressive Dairy)