Evaluation of Rumen Boluses as an Electronic Identification System for Cattle in an Automated Data Collection System

The rumen bolus electronic animal identification system was evaluated in 120 feedlot steers during a 130 day observation period. Boluses were placed in the reticulum using a balling gun. A panel antenna was located inside (left side) of a hydrolytic restraining chute placed on load cells and connected to a Tru-Test scale indicator to display and store the electronic identification number and weight of the animal. Once displayed on the indicator the identification number and weight were stored in a file in the indicator which was later downloaded as an Excel file. Using Data/Sort in Excel the new data could easily be matched with animal Id numbers in an evolving file for the experiment. All of the boluses were retained in the animals and all remained functional. The system accurately recorded the information for 711 of 720 times the animals were weighed, or an accuracy of 98.75%.