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Transport and Lairage Condition Monitoring
During consolidation and transport, an animal’s stress level can be very high. Extreme environment temperatures and/or humidity during livestock transportation increase the risk of stress, injury and mortality.
Monitor conditions to maximize animal safety and welfare during transport and holding for better compliance and profits. Reduce stress, shrink, and loss in carcass quality. Easily demonstrate compliance with logged transport conditions.
Transport of livestock is undoubtedly the most stressful and injurious stage in the chain of operations between farm and slaughterhouse and contributes significantly to poor animal welfare and loss of production.
FAO, Guidelines for Humane Handling, Transport and Slaughter of Livestock
Livestock & Cattle Heat Stress
Heat stress can reduce health, productivity and even cause death in livestock — all of which cost the livestock producer money. Any effective heat stress abatement plan must include knowledge of environmental conditions wherever livestock is housed. Using data from nearby weather stations does not always accurately reflect ground conditions.
Monitoring barn or housing conditions of livestock facilities helps you to maximize animal production and profits. By using a Kestrel Agriculture Meter to monitor temperature and humidity, THI and referring to the heat stress threshold appropriate for that specific livestock, farmers can take appropriate cooling measures in time to prevent sickness and loss.
Some fans in the truck-holding area and receiving dock were not working efficiently and not all of the misters were operating effectively. Birds were observed panting, showing signs of heat stress. There is an economic advantage to having a good cooling system for reducing bird stress, yield loss and improving meat quality.
-Food Safety Magazine, Feb/March 2009
Ventilation systems in livestock housing, agriculture buildings, auction houses, and greenhouses contribute to overall animal health and wellbeing. Inefficient systems negatively affect air quality and the housing environment which can impact your bottom line.
The Kestrel 5000AG Livestock Environmental Meter offers the measurements you need for ventilation and general environmental assessments. Whether looking to confirm Effective Cow Velocity (ECV), air speed at calf level, cold weather conditions, or drafts, use a Kestrel 5000AG to monitor and record current conditions or track and log and historical conditions.
Weather conditions such as wind, temperature, relative humidity and precipitation influence the effectiveness of spray applications and the potential for wastage by run-off and drift.
--Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs "How Weather Conditions Affect Spray Applications"
Spraying Compliance & Management
The Kestrel’s accurate wind speed readings ensure safe and effective spraying during appropriate weather conditions. You are responsible for any damage caused by spray drift, and many locales even have regulations specifying maximum permitted wind speed when spraying. Recording actual field wind conditions when spraying gives you the evidence you need in the event of an alleged spraying incident. In hot, dry conditions, evaporation can send your expensive chemicals uselessly into the air rather than onto your crops. Using field level data and Delta T guidance can help you select an appropriate spray droplet size and additives to minimize costly evaporation.
Work with the weather - not against it - to adapt application methods based on current conditions and maximize application results, compliance and effectiveness.
The Kestrel 5500 tool or one similar is a must for protecting your interests when spraying crop protection products... especially with the new regulations.
Wolf Consulting & Research
Field & Harvest Condition Monitoring
Weather conditions can significantly impact yield and quality of harvest. In determining when conditions are ideal for logging growing degree days, field-level data is critical.
Keeping an eye on the current and developing environmental conditions can help farmers determine the best time to harvest. Checking temperature, humidity and wind is also critical in avoiding harvesting when fire danger is high. Weather conditions can significantly impact yield and quality of harvest. Using a weather meter or data logger on site also makes it easier to log and calculate growing degree days, assisting you in maximizing your harvest and crop quality.
The Kestrel 5500AG Agriculture Weather Meter is a comprehensive tool for condition monitoring and recording. This handheld meter provides relevant and easily accessible data in the palm of your hand to make informed decisions whenever weather impacts yield and performance.
I placed (the Kestrel DROP) in the potato seed truck. It was nice not having to climb into the truck, attach a cable, and then download the data.
-Dr. Jeff Miller, Miller Research
All commodities require proper storage conditions. Temperature and moisture control is essential to preserving quality, nutrient content, and controlling bacterial growth. Daily monitoring of temperatures, humidity levels, and other conditions is necessary to ensure a safe, compliant storage environment.
By proactively monitoring and managing the environment, you can ensure optimum storing conditions and maximize yield while preventing costly loss due to shrink and mold. A Kestrel DROP wireless remote data logger makes this job a snap.
Enzyme activity and micro-organism growth can be expected to increase dramatically when the moisture content or the air (relative humidity) in a storage bin rises above 70%, i.e., the relative humidity levels found in tough and damp grain. As a consequence, tough and damp grain that is stored at warm temperatures will rapidly spoil while dry grain stored at cool temperatures can be safely stored for a long period of time.
Inefficient irrigation systems are costly: they waste water, wash off fertilizers and lawn chemicals, and degrade sidewalks and roads prematurely. Irrigation audits are a key tool in maximizing your system setup, but knowing conditions during the audit is critical. The ultimate tool for irrigation audit monitoring is the Kestrel 5500 together with a tripod and Kestrel Vane Mount. The data log is ideal for use in the field, and wireless Bluetooth® low energy data transfer capabilities makes log entries and report development a snap back in the office.
Weather conditions such as wind, temperature, relative humidity, and precipitation influence the effectiveness of spray applications and the potential for wastage by run-off and drift.
Viticulture and Vineyard Management
Vineyard managers can monitor the weather right at the individual vine. In the spring and fall, knowing the temperature trends and dew point is critical to determining the need for frost protection. Tracking conditions at potential vine locations can help you develop an accurate understanding of your property’s microclimates and select the varietals and growing sites that will ensure success year after year.
Kestrel DROP D2AG Livestock Heat Stress Monitor
Kestrel 5000AG Livestock Environmental Meter with Link
Kestrel 5500AG Agriculture Weather Meter with Link
Kestrel 5400AG Cattle Heat Stress Tracker
Kestrel 3500DT Delta-T Pocket Weather Meter
|Heat Stress Index||✓||✓||✓||✓|
|Temperature-Humidity Index (THI)||✓||✓||✓||✓|
|Dew Point Temperature||✓||✓||✓||✓||✓|
|Wind Speed/Air Speed||✓||✓||✓||✓|
|Wet Bulb Temp (Psychrometric)||✓||✓||✓||✓|
|Station Pressure (Absolute Pressure)||✓||✓||✓|
|Volume Air Flow||✓||✓|
|Naturally Aspirated Wet Bulb Temp||✓|
|Thermal Work Limit||✓|
|Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT)||✓|
|Heat Load Index (HLI)||✓|
|Accumulated Heat Load Units (AHLU)||✓|
|Link Wireless Data||✓||optional||optional||✓|