Efficient RFID Sheep and Goat Farming Asset Management System

With this RFID solution, the asset management of your livestock farm can be done simply by having an employee walk through the raising and breeding facilities while holding a handheld computer with an RFID reader, which tracks the tagged assets.

What It Can Track

Our RFID system can track all sheep and goat farming assets including:

• Livestock such as sheep and goats
• Feeding equipment such as hay feeders, mineral feeders, feed bowls for grains and water containers
• Tractors, wheelbarrows, rakes, shovels and other farm equipment
• Temperature equipment such as heat lamps, thermometers and more
• Storage equipment
• Milking equipment such as motorized milking machine, hand-milking machine and boilers
• Moving supplies, such as trolleys and trays
• All other assets your sheep and goat farm may utilize

The Sheep and Goat Farming Industry

Sheep and goats have been raised and used by humans for millions of years. They are farmed all over the world for their meat, milk and fiber resources. Farms tend to more commonly be located in rural areas or towns as opposed to large urban cities – although meat, milk or fiber production factories exist in large numbers in these areas. In the U.S., the sheep and goat industry is rooted in history and tradition dating back to the second voyage of Columbus in 1493. Colonists mainly used sheep and goats for their wool and milk and, to a somewhat lesser extent than today, their meat.

The Canadian and U.S. sheep and goat industry could be characterized as one of the more complicated industries to exist within animal agriculture since they are raised for their meat, their milk and their wool fiber. Therefore there are 3 distinct products to farm that usually coincide within one farming operation and the requirement for different equipment and assets for each type of farming.

Different events and factors have been contributing to the decline of the industry, such as an increase in general awareness about animal cruelty in the meat and clothing industry, as well as a rise in veganism and vegan substitutes for meat. The loss of labor during and after World War 2, as well as the upcoming economic loss from NW Act and Payment Programs are two factors that have led to a decline in the industry over the past many decades.  Competition from other kinds of meat industries and the competition from imported products have both had a negative impact on the industry. The use of man-made fibers both from domestic and foreign production has also substantially lowered the demand for wool.

Despite all this, there have also been factors that have contributed more positively to the industry. These include improvements in production efficiency due to technology, developments in further processing of lamb meat, improvements in animal feed helping to improve productivity, as well as new packaging techniques and much more.

Currently, in the U.S., the sheep industry has a total revenue of 621 million dollars and an annual growth of 2.5% over the past five years. The total number of sheep and lamb on January 1, 2019, was estimated to be around 5 million heads, presenting an accretive trend. On the other hand, the goat industry counted 2.62 million heads in 2019, 1% down from 2018. In Canada, the average revenue for the sheep and goat farming industry is 352.6 million based on industry averages from SME’s. While the industry could be considered small in relation to other animal husbandry industries, it is predicted to grow in upcoming years, due to a quickly increasing population.

Sheep and goat farms can be found in large numbers across the U.S. and Canada, with Texas, California and Colorado being some of the most advanced within this industry. Wyoming and Utah also have huge populations of sheep and goats contributing substantively to the industry’s annual profit. All states have at least one sheep and goat breeder association, as well as plenty of other similar organizations. In Canada, Ontario, Alberta and Quebec are known for their sheep and goat farming activities.