Lewistown News Argus

CowCams: Technology makes its way into the barn

By JENNIFER BUTCHER
News-Argus Staff Writer
Published: Thursday, March 14, 2013 3:47 PM MDT


Calving season can be difficult for both ranchers and heifers. Day and night, ranchers need to check on their heifers every two hours to make sure the young cows are not having difficulty giving birth. All this activity can make a cow in labor nervous and disrupt the birthing process.

Rancher and self-proclaimed computer nerd Michael Delaney has come up with a solution: CowCams.

Last year, Delaney installed wireless cameras in the calving barn on his family-run 44 Ranch northeast of Grass Range. This livestock monitoring system was so successful, he turned it into a business called CowCams.

Delaney said monitoring livestock with cameras is not a new idea, but is very effective and not commonly used in Central Montana.

According to Delaney, the monitoring system allows a rancher to watch cows on a computer monitor or smart phone from a wireless system between the house and the barn or outdoor lot.

“It’s nice not to have to go check on the heifers,” he said. “It’s not a matter of being lazy; every time you check on a heifer, you disturb her, she gets nervous, and it takes her longer to calve.”

Delaney said if a rancher is able to save one calf, the system pays for itself.

“I have already had two ranchers tell me they have saved calves using the cameras,” he said. “For one of the ranches I’ve installed for, the owner told me they check their heifers at night just from the cameras. As long as nothing is going on he doesn’t need to walk down to the barn. They have come to rely on the cameras, not just to save time in walks to the barn, but to know exactly what a heifer in labor is doing without having to disturb her.”

Delaney suggests using at least three cameras depending, on the size of the calving area. He can install indoor and outdoor systems and the cameras are equipped with a 30- to 50-foot range of night vision, although adequate lighting enhances the effectiveness of the system.

“I have cameras that pan and tilt and can be controlled from a computer or smart phone,” he said. “I try to set the system up so all areas can be seen and controlled from inside the house.”

An Internet connection is not required for CowCams to work, according to Delaney. However, ranches that are equipped with high speed Internet will be able to monitor the cameras from a computer or smart phone wherever Internet is available.

“I also don’t want CowCams to just be limited to ranchers. I can set up baby monitors, backyard cameras, or driveway cameras,” he added. “If someone just wants Internet in their shop, garage, or guesthouse, I can wirelessly send Internet from their house to any building within line of site.”

Delaney has a degree in animal science from MSU Bozeman and likes to experiment with ways of using technology in ranching.

“The next project I want to work on is developing a long-range wireless water tank monitoring system,” he said. “My goal is to have solar powered cameras set up at water tanks several miles away that send wireless video feeds back to the house. With water tanks being so critical to every ranch, I feel that a system like this would be invaluable.”

For more information on CowCams, contact Michael Delaney at 366-4400 or go to www.CowCams.com.