RFID and Sorting Give Answers

			The combination of automatic sorting technology and radio frequency identification (RFID) may answer many important questions about pig behavior and growth.

As pig #8823 walks through the FAST II™ (Farmweld Automatic Sorting Technology) scale at Next Generation Pork (NGP), Le Roy, MN, his ID number is corresponded with his weight and the time and date of the weighing. The data is then transferred to a database and anyone authorized by NGP can monitor #8823 via the Internet.

The combination of RFID and automatic sorting technology may answer many important questions about pig behavior and growth, says Dr. Robert Morrison, professor of clinical and population sciences at the University of Minnesota veterinary school. He is leading a series of research trials looking closely at data generated at NGP.

Pinpointing which vaccine works best for pigs given a choice in products that may cost 10, 20 or 30 cents per dose is the type of question NGP’s Robert Baarsch says comes up over and over again in commercial production. With the combination of RFID and FAST II, “we can randomly select a number of pigs for each vaccine and then track individual growth, knowing that all the pigs are co-mingled and have been exposed to the same management and virus pressure. We are now better able to look for sources of variation,” Baarsch says.

Morrison and his team are looking at issues such as eating behavior, the consequence of disease and what happens when pigs start the feeding period at different weights.

RFID technology is available as an option with FAST II.