Why EZid Electronic Identification?
• Proven Avid ID systems Technology
• Source Verification Traceback
• Secure Individual Identification
• Integrate health Records & Database
• Superior Readability & Performance
• Inventory Control
• Efficient, Accurate Record Keeping
• Livestock Fish & Wildlife Focus
EZid Animal Identification Systems is the livestock, fish and wildlife division of Avid ID Systems. We specialize in RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Devices), also known as electronic identification (EID), for livestock, fisheries, traditional and non-traditional production animals including beef, dairy, swine, elk, deer, bison, sheep, goats, alpacas, llamas, fish, and exotic animals. As the livestock and fisheries/wildlife division of Avid, we focus on the special issues relating to these species including volume discounting. Contact us for competitive prices and current special offer. |  |
Putting EID (RFID) To Work For You
Avid electronic identification supports herd management and record keeping by providing rapid, error-free individual animal identification.
Let EZid improve your operations with Avid electronic identification devices, ear tags, readers, and transponders:
• Secure individual identification
• Superior readability and performance
• Error-free, tamperproof, unique identification numbers
• Readers feature patented Avid Multi-mode technology enabling readers to read ID coded devices from various manufactures
• Readers available with a variety of features and price ranges Multi-Tag, Multi-mode technology enabling
Three Choices in Electronic Identification
• Avid Rumen Bolus
• Avid Transponder Implants (microchip or PIT Tag), choice in delivery system
• Leader RFID Electronic Ear Tags
Readers available as handheld and stationary readers
Why Electronic Identification and Just What Is It?
Featuring The Transponder Implant
Electronic identification devices (EIDs), often used interchangeably with radio frequency identification devices (RFIDs) or microchipping are fast becoming the method of choice for animal identification. Tattoos often fade and become hard to read and ear tags can become lost. Many animal owners are claiming success with the ease of application of electronic identification (“microchipping”). Furthermore, “scanning” animals with a convenient handheld reader is easy and the implants are simple to inject into the animal.
As animal producers employ electronic animal identification, they are at the leading edge of what will become standard practice of the future. Mandatory animal identification is in practice in the European Union and recently enacted in Australia and Canada. Although the U.S. has not yet mandated a national animal ID program, some animal segments routinely use EID. But whether mandated, or voluntarily chosen, EID has become part of the individual animal identification solution. The following is a brief look at the move to implement EID in animal agriculture and the description of the “microchip” device and the technology used in goats and exotic animals today.
Several considerations drive the use of EIDs in animal agriculture today. Firstly, international (and national) pressure to establish unique animal identification systems is necessary for public health concerns. Officials must be able to “trace-back to the farm of origin” suspect animals involved in cases of BSE (Mad Cow Disease), Foot and Mouth Disease and instances of contaminated feed. International requirements (and national pressure to meet those requirements) exist for commerce; if you intend to sell animals into the EU, you must have “trace-back to the farm of origin” capability for each animal.
Secondly, the increasing use of PCs in animal agriculture provide an efficient method for using EID numbers to be entered into animal records or used for herd and individual animal management decisions. There are a variety of activities where EID methods can improve animal handling efficiency and accuracy. For example, interfacing electronic weigh scales and EID readers for quick and automatic recording of animal numbers and live weights...hands-free. And moving a pen of animals past a scanner en route to loading can automatically record the load inventory.
Third, simply having a back-up method for positive animal identification that is generally considered permanent serves a variety of purposes. It reduces the time and effort required to re-link an animal having lost an ear tag with the proper data record (especially helpful when all animals in the herd look alike). It confirms source identity when considering branded product programs, animal genetics or management practices (such as no implants, no antibiotics, humane handling, corn fed or others).
Radio frequency (RF) has been used for decades in animal agriculture as either active (battery powered) devices or passive devices. Herd management and tracking milk production of dairy cattle often use active devices in the form of neck straps read as the cattle enter the milking parlor. Passive devices may be in the form of rumen boluses, electronic ear tags or injectable transponders. The long read distances and permanence of boluses are useful for ruminant animals retained over long time periods as in cattle breedstock herds. Electronic ear tags represent the most cost-effective approach to RFID, mostly used in production animals where they exhibit mid-range read distances but also the possibility of tag loss. Injectable transponders (“microchips”) are most useful in small-bodied animals where the shorter read distances are minimized since smaller animals are easily handled and often haltered.
Passive devices (or transponders) do not use batteries but are energized by the electromagnetic field (EMF) produced by a reader. When activated, the reader antenna emits a radio frequency that energizes an EID within its field. The distance the EMF can reach, energize the device and read / interpret the return signal is described as the read range / distance. The energized EID device transmits its encoded unique ID number back to the reader antenna where the number is displayed on the reader liquid crystal display (LCD) (in less than a half second) and sent to a communications port (if your reader is designed with one.)
Avid was one of the pioneers who designed the concept of a radio frequency / electronic identification device as an injectable transponder for animal applications in the 1980’s. The injectable transponder is about the size of a grain of rice (12mm length) and as is injected into animals subcutaneously with a 12-gauge needle. These injected devices are often called “implants”, “injectable” or “microchips”. Although the latter term is most commonly used, the actual microchip is contained within the transponder itself. However, it has given rise to the popular phrase of “chipping animals”.
The small size of the injected transponder with its small antenna produces a read distance of 2-8 inches. Therefore, injectable transponders are primarily used in small-bodied animals that are easily restrained for administering and reading the EID. The implant site between the withers/shoulder blades has been chosen by convention for companion animals and animals not considered food animals. However, implant sites for livestock/food producing animals and equines are quite specific and defined by guidelines released in 1996 by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). Copies of the guidelines are available from our office upon request.
Transponder read distance is always directly related to the size of BOTH the size of the EID antenna AND the size of the reader antenna. The larger the pair of antennae, the greater the read distance. There is an optimal physical orientation of one antenna to the other whereby the greatest read ranges are attained. Therefore, read distances are generally presented with the note, “Reading distances vary depending upon orientation and size of ID device”. Since larger bodied livestock typically use either electronic ear tags or rumen boluses, both of which exhibit larger internal antennas and are commonly scanned with larger antenna readers…the large animal devices exhibit greater read distances than injectable transponders.
A reader (actually a transmitter / receiver or “transceiver”) can be a handheld (portable) reader or a stationary (fixed) reader. Portable readers vary from light duty “pocket” readers to handheld units with water-resistant and ruggedness features useful for livestock applications. They are battery-powered (may use rechargeable batteries), they are simple to operate and may feature RS232 connections. Lastly, environmental considerations in the area where readers are to be deployed include whether or not there is interference from nearby electric equipment (e.g. electric motors, air compressors, etc.) that will decrease or eliminate the ability of a reader to sense a returning ID signal.
The use of EID provides each animal a unique individual identification number for positive animal ID. It can be used as a back-up animal identification system or useful for tracing animals through various ownership and premises changes. Databases exist today whereby any animal owner can purchase space in a data warehouse where animal history can be recorded and transmitting electronically to the next owner where he too can add to the record. Such medical and genetics records will only increase the value of individual animals, herds and management practices. And it all starts with a positive animal identification system. My compliments to the increasing number of goat and exotic animal owners who employ electronic identification as standard operating procedure and in so doing…employ the unique animal identification methods of the future.
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