An apparatus for monitoring nutrition, especially fermentation in a rumen of a ruminant, is designed to be orally applied to the ruminant and to stay permanently in the rumen. The apparatus includes: a) at least one sensing unit for sensing a characteristic value of dissolved carbon dioxide in the liquor of rumen and/or reticulum; and b) at least one first communication unit for the wireless communication of data with a respective second communication unit outside the ruminant. The sensing unit includes at least one attenuated total reflectance (ATR) sensor.

A system and method are disclosed for tracking animals, which may include production animals as well as pets. The system and method may comprise a tag system that is attached to an animal that generally has at least a near-field-communication (NFC) tag. The tag system comprises at least an NFC tag and a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag. For NFC tags, such tags may be read with a portable computing device, such as a mobile telephone running NFC reader application software. The phone may communicate with a communications network and ultimately a computer server in order to relay information received from a respective electronic tag. The electronic tags may be fastened, embedded, or ingested by an animal. The electronic tags may be part of a mechanical coupling. Each mechanical coupling may comprise a different structure depending on the whether the tags are fastened to, embedded in, or ingested by the animal.

A computer system and method for identifying and monitoring animals in a confined space. A tracking apparatus is provided having a plurality of antenna arrays in proximity to a confined space. One or more animals to be disposed in the confined space are associated with a detection component operable to identify and detect a core body temperature of an animal it is associated with when detected by the tracking apparatus. Data is received in a computer monitor system from a detection component when detected by the tracking apparatus in the confined space. The received data identifies an animal in correlation with its motion and temperature data. Real-time position and core body temperature of a detected animal is determined while the animal is disposed in the confined space by analysis of the received data in the computer monitor system.

A system and method are disclosed for tracking animals, which may include production animals as well as pets. The system and method may comprise a tag system that is attached to an animal that generally has at least a near-field-communication (NFC) tag. The tag system comprises at least an NFC tag and a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag. For NFC tags, such tags may be read with a portable computing device, such as a mobile telephone running NFC reader application software. The phone may communicate with a communications network and ultimately a computer server in order to relay information received from a respective electronic tag. The electronic tags may be fastened, embedded, or ingested by an animal. The electronic tags may be part of a mechanical coupling. Each mechanical coupling may comprise a different structure depending on the whether the tags are fastened to, embedded in, or ingested by the animal.

An ingestible bolus for automatically monitoring location and physiological parameters including core temperature of ruminant animals. The location parameters are determined using magnetic field information and/or GPS data sensed by the sensors in the bolus and communicated along with a unique ID number and time stamp to a centralized location. A data center at the centralized location comprises a computing environment for analyzing the data received from the bolus and transfer the analyzed results including animal temperature, location to a user interface display. The temperature information is analyzed at the data center to determine the health status of the animal.

A system for monitoring digestive efficiency within the rumen of one or more ruminant animals comprises rumen boluses shaped and sized to be retained within the rumen dorsal sac and each comprising temperature, pH sensor, and redox sensors, and a wireless transmitter. A processor is arranged to derive from the sensor data one or more parameters indicative of animal digestive efficiency including any combination of one or more of hydrogen scale (rH), partial pressure of hydrogen (pp[H.sub.2]), oxygen fugacity (f(O.sub.2)) and free energy of the system (ΔG). A method and bolus are also claimed.

Generally, an animal monitoring system including a bolus administered to reside in an animal operable to sense changes in one or more physiological parameters of the animal and generate and transmit encoded bolus sensor data to a tag affixed on the outside of the animal which operates to sense changes in one or more environmental parameters surrounding the animal and to generate encoded tag sensor data and to receive encoded bolus sensor data each of which can be analyzed by the tag or a remote data processor to generate environmental parameter values and physiological parameter values to assess an environmental or physiological condition of or about the animal.

A remote delivery device is provided which has media portholes in a sidewall, a tail piece attached to a rear end and a cannula attached to a front end. The body contains a plunger assembly which defines an injectable liquid chamber and a marking media chamber. The plunger assembly includes a front barbell plunger, rear barbell plunger and a plunger shaft with an O-Ring seated between the front and rear of said plunger shaft. The body also contains a single internal charge positioned behind the plunger assembly. When the charge is activated, the plunger assembly is thrust forwardly and dispenses an injectable liquid from the injectable liquid chamber through the cannula. Simultaneously, the plunger assembly also dispenses a marking media from the marking media chamber through marking media portholes. The provision of a single internal charge allows for a reduction in the length and weight of the device. The single internal charge provides evidence of successful injection of the injectable liquid when the media is displaced from the marking media chamber.

This document relates to a method for determining in a young animal a phase transition from a first development phase to a second development phase. The method comprises measuring, with a measuring instrument, one or more body or behavior parameters of the animal during a period of time and producing one or more measuring values for the or each measured body or behavior parameter. The one or more measuring values are received by a controller with which the phase transition is detected on the basis of the measuring values. The step of detecting the phase transition comprises processing the measuring values and, depending thereon, determining an extent of the animal's attention to solid food. Further, the document relates to the training of a self-learning data processing model, and to a livestock management system.

An improved passive RFID tag configured for needle implantation in a tail of a rodent using a small diameter needle provides for increased read distances and effectiveness. In various embodiments, the RFID tag is comprised of an elongated flexible substrate having a pair of opposed surfaces with a UHF RFID chip positioned on a first of the opposed surfaces and is directly electrically connected to a closed-loop multi-layer folded dipole antenna disposed on both of the opposed surfaces of the substrate. An antenna is electrically connected to the RFID chip and includes at least an inductor as part of the closed-loop antenna. In embodiments, the RFID tag can be read with at least 90 percent effectiveness by a 30 dB RFID tag reader at least 5 cm from a tail of the rodent.