Calving Camera

[cpubarn]

Have any of you played with calving cameras?

My wife is tired of me getting up at 4:00am and trudging out to the shed to check cows because I can't go back to sleep till I do.  She said she would spring for a camera for Christmas.  I assume the heated ones are a requirment in Iowa, and has anyone tried the internet based systems so we could check it out at work, etc?  Do the wierless ones work, IR for night vision etc?  I just don't know where to start.

Cpubarn

 

[OH Breeder]

I have been thinking alot about the same idea. Equip our calving pens with camera. These are two links I found.




http://www.dairymanslink.com/security.htm

http://www.farmeqpt.com/Misc/Calving-foaling-barn-color-camera-farm-livestock-cam/

 

[red]

MLK32 put one in her barn. Check w/ her on how she likes it so far. She hasn't used it yet for calving season but is excited about it.
That is a good one to put on my Christmas wish list!

Red

 

[chambero]

This very subject is on my "to do" list before next September.  Thanks for the info. 

We've got about a 100'x100' pen I'd like to get cameras on.

I would love to have a wireless system.  My biggest concern is how much light do I need in the pen to really be able to see.

 

[kanshow]

Thinking about getting them set up in the heifer pen.  We used one a little bit the last couple years and found a couple things.  Wireless is not very dependable & the distance is of course limited.  If someone parks a pickup or tractor in the wrong place - the signal is messed up.  The second thing is that you might have to experiment with the number of cameras or ability to rotate them to cover more of the pen.  The cattle KNOW how to find the corner you don't have coverage in.    I think you could probably get set up pretty inexpensively to start with. 

You might do a search on Foalcam because a lot of horse people use them and actually put them on the internet so others can view or help watch.  Its got quite a following of foaling groupies.      I don't know that I'd want all my calving scenes on the net but there have been times when we've all needed to be somewhere that it would have been nice to have someone else watch from a remote location when we've had some close.  Then if something looked wrong  or started happening a quick call on the cell phone and someone could be there to assist. 

 

[knabe]

feeding at night?  i fed at night and had both in the daytime around 2pm.

 

[RSC]

A close friend did this last year& I thought they were nuts.  After I've seen how well it works & how inexpensive it was to do, I think it's a great idea.  Their cammeras were not heated  & it was very cold during calving last year.  They were able to buy 2 small cameras that were connected and traveled together on the same signal.  Both cameras were sent on one signal together to the main box in the house.  You have to be a couple hundered yards from the main box in the house.  This was wireless and I am sure you can get a more expensive setup as this was sent over an AM or FM signal.  The box than worked like a VCR would and you would turn on a certian channel and wach both cameras on your TV.

By having 2 cameras together they were able to cover a pretty good area.  You can also swich back and forth in the house from one camera to the next to check out different pens.  Just watching some cattle for a while when they are alone by themselves in the barn, you could tell on the camera if they were nesting and you needed to keep a close eye on them.  I believe the setup was under a $100.

RSC

 

[cpubarn]

Does anyone have brand names for the sytems used that people were happy with? Especially the wireless ones? Unrolling the 500' of cable in the first link is a possibility but is are a lot of semi, tractor and livestock trafic between the shed and the house.

Many of these cameras use Infrared for night vision, they they are intriguing. Any experience there?

Thanks!

 

[RSC]

Does anyone have brand names for the sytems used that people were happy with? Especially the wireless ones? Unrolling the 500' of cable in the first link is a possibility but is are a lot of semi, tractor and livestock trafic between the shed and the house.

Many of these cameras use Infrared for night vision, they they are intriguing. Any experience there?

Thanks!

If you want me to I can get ahold of the friend that bought his camera setup.  I know he purchased it from Sams Club.  It was a surveillance camera.

RSC

 

[chambero]

Does anyone have brand names for the sytems used that people were happy with? Especially the wireless ones? Unrolling the 500' of cable in the first link is a possibility but is are a lot of semi, tractor and livestock trafic between the shed and the house.

Many of these cameras use Infrared for night vision, they they are intriguing. Any experience there?

Thanks!

If you want me to I can get ahold of the friend that bought his camera setup.  I know he purchased it from Sams Club.  It was a surveillance camera.

RSC

I'd be extremely interested to find out more details.  I was assuming this endeaveor would cost a few thousand.

 

[RSC]

I'd be extremely interested to find out more details.  I was assuming this endeaveor would cost a few thousand.
[/quote]I just talked to him, He purchased the unit from SAMS club.  He has since looked at SAMS again, the model he purchased is now the only wireless unit they handle.  They have several units that need to have cable.  It's called Nortech Security; 2.4 GHC Wireless reciever.  2 indoor cameras.  There are other units that have outdoor cameras if that's what you need.  He thought this camera was supposed to have some sort of night vision.  Cameras plug into outlet in barn.  Reciever plugs into outlet and than has a Audio & Vidio plug for the TV.  The range is 300 ft or less.  He said he is a little over 200 ft from the barn.  Each camera has an antenna as well as one on the reciever. 

His cameras are in a barn with tin and he still gets reception  in the house.  I was surprised how clear of a picture it was as I was watching some of my embryo calves being born at his house.  He thought this unit cost around $ 120.

RSC

 

[kanshow]

I think it could be done very nicely for under $500.    We will probably go  with wired cameras - there is just too much interference with other buildings and our pens & barns are on the very edge or just beyond the wireless range.    Most of our cost will probably be tied up in the cable.    We plan to bury the cable from the house to a certain point and then maybe hang the rest of the cables until we know we have the cameras located in the right place. 

 

[mlk32]

We do have the system and love it.  While we didn't have it up for calving, I did use it check for heats which worked well.  While I am looking forward to being able to flip on the TV in the middle of the night to check the calving pen, I am also looking forward to being able to check in during the day while I am at work using the internet.  I know we tracked down an old computer to run the system but I will admit my husband dealt with those issues. 


I will be happy to get the details when I get home tonight and post them.

 

[mlk32]

Here is the company we used for our barn camera:

http://www.horsewatcher.com/products/453.html

Let me know if anyone has questions.