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RFID Applications in Animal Identification and Tracking

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 Chapter 5

RFID Applications in Animal

Identi cation and Tracking

Habib DOĞAN1
1
Assoc. Prof. Dr. , Burdur Mehmet Ak f Ersoy Un vers ty, Gölh sar School of Appl ed Sc ences,
Department of Computer Technolog es and Informat on Systems, Gölh sar, Burdur, TURKEY
ORCID: 0000-0001-8685-9569

65
 ABSTRACT
RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification, which is a technology that
enables objects to be identified using radio frequencies. RFID, one of the
automatic identification systems, is a major industry with increasing popularity
and use, which is projected to have a market share of 40 billion dollars by 2030
according to published reports. Although its origin and first applications are not
very recent, its widespread use has been an adventure of the last 50 years,
especially as a result of the development of the chip industry in electronics and
miniaturization. The fact that it does not require a line of sight with objects like
other automatic identification systems, allows multiple readings, and enables
reading and identification from long distances are some of the issues that increase
its use in the identification and tracking of objects. It is not possible to put a limit
to the areas of use and it is completely dependent on the technological skills of
designers and technology developers. In this study, the use of RFID in animals is
examined and examples of RFID applications recently used in the identification
and tracking of animals are emphasized. The fact that active RFID tags allow the
addition of sensors has led to the increased use of different sensors to enhance
tracking to obtain data on animal health, etc., and to improve efficiency. Various
challenges faced in RFID applications despite its widespread use are also
mentioned at the end of the study.
Keywords: RFID, animal identification, animal tracking, rumen bolus

67
 1. What is RFID?
a. History
RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology is an electronic automatic
identification system that allows identification and remote monitoring of objects
by adding a tag to them. Its operation is related to the electromagnetic fields
emitted by radio frequency waves. The induction principle discovered by Faraday
in the mid-19th century and the radio and radar technologies that developed later
formed the basis of this technology. (Ahson and Ilyas, 2017). While the induction
principle discovered by Faraday explains the connection between the tag and the
reader in the near field, the connection between the tag and the reader at long
distances is based on the principle of backscattering electromagnetic waves,
which forms the basis of radar technology.
RFID first entered the literature with Harry Stockman's article
"Communication by Means of Reflected Power" published in 1948. In the Second
World War, the identification of airplanes as friends or foe was provided by the
information obtained from the backscatter signals obtained from the tags placed
on the airplanes (Lehpamer, 2012). After this first effective use of RFID
technology, the use of RFID systems began to increase in the 1960s due to
developments in electromagnetic theory. EAS (electronic article surveillance),
developed in 1964 to prevent the theft of products in stores and books in libraries,
was the first widespread RFID application. Descriptive information is loaded on
the label placed on the product, and the label on the product, which is tried to be
taken out without removing the label, is detected by the reader antennas at the
exit point and the alarm circuit is activated. EAS tags contain one bit of
information and are used only to identify the product. Today, this system is
widely used in most shopping centers. The 1970s were the beginning of the
micro-electronics era in electronics, when thousands of electronic components
were brought together in a chip, and RFID applications increased considerably
with this miniaturization process. By the 1980s, transportation and railway
control in the US and most European countries were equipped with RFID
systems, projects for the identification and tracking of animals were accelerated,
and toll road crossings were automated with this technology. Depending on these
developments, many sectors are now offering RFID-based solutions, applications
in many different fields are emerging, and it is becoming possible to talk about
an industrial solution that is growing and is expected to reach a market share of
40 billion dollars in 2030 (URL-1).
When we look at automatic identification systems, RFID systems are most
similar to barcode systems but offer many different advantages compared to
barcode technology. In solutions such as barcode, OCR, voice recognition, and

68
biometrics, the tag and the reader must be in the line of sight. In RFID systems,
the absence of such an obligation is seen as a great advantage. Many features such
as reading many tags at the same time, storing more data, allowing different
sensor applications, allowing reading from greater distances, allowing the
information in the tag to be changed when desired, and not being affected by
environmental conditions can be counted among the advantages of RFID systems
over other automatic identification systems. The disadvantages of RFID systems
include price and security threats. However, the decrease in label prices due to
the development of technology and the decrease in security problems with the
increase in standardization are gradually reducing these disadvantages (Çıbuk
and Marasli, 2015).

b. Structure and operation

RFID system generally consists of a tag and a reader. In addition to these two
main components, the program part, which represents the software dimension of
the work, can be considered as a separate component. Tags are structures that are
placed on objects and contain information, and simply consist of a chip where the
information is stored and an antenna that will provide communication with the
reader. When tags are classified according to their structure, they can be evaluated
in 3 categories: passive, semi-active, and active tags. Passive tags do not have a
power unit. In other words, such tags use the signals from the reader to work.
Semi-active tags have a power supply, but this power supply is used to supply the
hand-electronic circuits in the tag. Communication is provided by signals from
the reader (Dobkin, 2012). Since they switch to active mode with the signal from
the reader, these types of tags are preferred due to their longer battery life
compared to active tags that send signals continuously. Figure 1 shows a general
RFID system. Since there is no power supply in passive tags, the dimensions can
be kept to a minimum, and they can be used for a lifetime unless they are
physically damaged and broken. In the case of active tags, the power source is
the biggest lifetime determining factor. With the development of battery
technology, the lifetime of active tags is increasing. In addition, the biggest
advantage of active tags over passive tags is the ability to communicate over
longer distances and the ability to add sensors to the tags. Different types of RFID
tags are displayed in Figure 2. The possibility of inter-tag communication in
active tags makes them more attractive for different uses.

69
 Figure 1. The general structure of the RFID system

Figure 2. Examples of active and passive RFID tags

It is also possible to categorize tags differently as readable, readable/writable,

and writable/re-writable. Read-only labels are generally passive labels.
Information is written on such labels during production and is never changed
again. Writable tags, on the other hand, are tags where the data obtained during
use can also be processed and stored in the tag. These have a larger memory size
but are costlier economically than the others.
The operating frequencies of RFID systems are generally ISM (Industrial,
Scientific, Medical) bands and may vary from country to country. The reason for
choosing these bands is that they allow unlicensed operation. Since the response
of materials at different frequencies will be different, it is necessary to select the
operating frequency according to the working environment. For example, at high
frequencies, attenuation in the material environment will be higher. The
penetration rate of low frequencies in metal materials will be higher than high

70
frequencies. Such issues must be considered in RFID system design and the
frequency at which the system design can work best must be selected. Table 1
shows RFID frequencies and their advantages and disadvantages. At low
frequencies, the tag and the reader communication is realized by inductive
coupling, while at high frequencies communication is realized by electromagnetic
coupling. While low frequencies exhibit better omnidirectional communication
capability, are less affected by metals and liquids, have a slow reading speed,
allow short-distance communication, and are problematic in mass readings, it is
seen that as you go up to high frequencies, the reading distance and speed
increase, the effect of metals and liquids is high. It is advantageous for multiple
readings at the same time. Figure 3 shows inductive and electromagnetic
coupling. The power values given in Table 1 are limited to 4W for the USA and
2W EIRP (Equivalent Radiated Power) for the European Union Countries.

71
 RFID
(Radio Frequency Identification)
LF HF MW
UHF
Properties Low- High- Microwave
Ultra-High Frequency
Frequency Frequency Frequencies
125-134 856-960 2,45 &5,8
Frequency 13,56 MHz 433 MHz
KHz MHz GHz
Passive & Passive- Passive-
Tag Type Passive Active
Semi-active Active Active
Reading
0-10 cm 0-30 cm 30-100+ m 0-30+ m 0-100+ m
Distance
Supply
Animal Mining, chain,
tracking, construction, pharmaceutic
Library,
access automobile, al industry, Railways,
DVD,
Usage areas control, monitoring electronic vehicle
Personnel
applications with sensors, ticketing, tracking
cards
in metals and animal product
liquids. monitoring tracking, race
timing
Longer
Longer
communicati
communicati
Very high on distance,
on distance,
communicati different
Standards different
on distance, options in
are globally options in tag
Standards high data tag size
established, size types,
are in place, transmission types, high
Advantages with good high data
more rate, reading data
results in transmission
memory multiple tags transmission
metal and rate, ability
simultaneous rate, ability
liquid media. to read
ly, lower cost to read
multiple tags
at readers multiple tags
simultaneous
simultaneous
ly.
ly
High label
Very short Lower data
Short cost,
communicati quantity rate
communicati complex
on distance, in writing,
Disadvantag on distance, software,
low memory, negative High cost
es low negative
low data interaction
transmission impact from
transmission with metals
rate metals and
rate and liquids
liquids
Permissible
72 dB µA/m 60 dB µA/m
Field 10-100 mW 0,1-4 W 0,5-4 W
max max
Strength
Table 1. Comparison of RFID frequencies

72
 Figure 3. Sort of communication between RFID tags and reader (a) inductive
coupling (b) electromagnetic coupling

In addition, the frequency values given in Table 1 may be in different band

ranges for each country. This is entirely related to how the relevant authorities of
that country regulate the ISM band. For example, in Japan the UHF band is 950-
956 MHz, in South Korea it is 908.5-922 MHz, in the US it is 902-928 MHz and
in the European Region, it is 865-868 MHz.
The level of signals in an RF system is affected by several factors. These
include the transmission power of the reader, cable losses, antenna gain, losses
due to distance, losses due to obstacles (walls, different materials, liquids, etc.)
between the reader and the tag, and losses due to reflection and scattering.
Considering all these losses, designing the system in an optimum way and
selecting the tag and antenna types accordingly have an important role in the
efficient operation of the system. Choosing a tag that is not suitable for the
working environment, using the wrong antenna, and not choosing the system

73
parameters correctly will increase the cost and reduce the efficiency of the
system.

c. Usage Areas
Considering the point of progress that RFID technology has reached today,
the question of in which areas it can be used is entirely up to the skill and
knowledge of the practitioner. Advances in technology have reduced the size and
brought different solutions to the speed problem, and it remains only to evaluate
the relationship with other technologies in the use of this technology in the desired
area. The fact that the system is more complex than other automatic identification
systems and requires a certain establishment cost may disable RFID systems in
very small-scale applications. However, RFID solutions come to the forefront in
applications where multiple reading, fast data communication, high reading
distances, and economic costs are solved. As the standardizations related to this
technology settle into a certain order, the increase in the usage areas of RFID
technology will continue at a faster pace. Looking at the general applications, the
sectors where RFID systems are used intensively can be listed as follows.
Product supply management
Pharmaceutical industry
File tracking
Access control
Animal identification and tracking
Automatic ticketing
Jewelry sector
Logistics tracking
Book and DVD tracking
Textile industry
Factory automation
Inventory tracking
Vehicle monitoring
Highways
Parking lots
Real-time location detection systems
Race timer applications
Many different and specific areas can be added to these usage areas. As
mentioned before, the usage area of RFID technology depends on the ability of
the implementers to use this technology. In general, in addition to many
advantages such as reducing labor costs, preventing theft, enabling tracing in

74
origin tracking, and saving time, the biggest problem of RFID systems for users
is that the standards are not fully established for certain situations and may cause
privacy problems that may arise from a security vulnerability. However, it can be
easily said that these problems will gradually decrease depending on the
technological developments in this sector.

d. RFID Standards
In addition to the label costs, the inability to establish a complete standard has
also been a factor in the widespread use of RFID technology long after its first
use. The fact that most countries set different frequency zones as standards for
themselves and require different technical specifications is the factor that limits
the use of RFID products developed in one country in other countries. This is a
situation that prevents widespread use. Establishing a standard for such
technologies will increase the compatibility and interchangeability between
products, which will increase the demand for RFID products. In addition, the
continuous development of this technology, how it will be integrated with new
technologies (5G, artificial intelligence, etc.), and protection needs in issues such
as security, privacy, and encryption make standardization mandatory.
In general, RFID standards are set by ISO, and Auto-ID Center, while NFC
standards are also set in addition to ISO standards. ISO sets standards for common
features related to RFID components such as tag data formats, security features,
and performance tests. Examples include ISO 14443, ISO 15693, and ISO 18000.
EPC (Electronic Product Code) products developed by the Auto-ID center are
intended for numerical identification and are similar to the barcode identification
structure in barcode technology but are more comprehensive. Figure 4 shows the
EPC structure and its similarity with the barcode. Although 64 and 96-bit EPCs
have been developed, the 96-bit structure is more widely used. Some examples
of standards developed by EPC Global are EPC Tag Data Standard Version 1.9,
which specifies tag data standards, Low-Level Reader Protocol (LLRP), known
as the low-level reader protocol, Reader Management 1.0.1 Class 1 Generation 2
UHF Air Interface Protocol Standard (for 860-960 MHZ), known as the reader
management standard. The use of RFID components in NFC applications has
resulted in the development of related standards in this field. Finally, standard
development efforts are ongoing for different extensions used for passive RFID
systems operating in the 860-960 MHz UHF band and referencing ISO and EPC
Gen2 by the RAIN RFID Alliance.

75
 Figure 4. (a) EPC structure, (b) Similarity with barcode structure.

2. RFID Technology Applications in Animals

The identification of animals is a subject that has been tried since the first
human communities, it started in the early times in order to know the owners of
the animals and was used to find the real owner of the animal in case of loss or
theft of animals. It is known that this identification process is also related to the
domestication of animals. When we look at the types of identification made in
the past, it is seen that identification was made in different forms such as
tattooing, branding, ear notch, and ear tags, and recently this identification has
shifted to electronic identification. In addition to these, it is also known that
identifications based on the biometric characteristics of animals are also made.
These traditional identification types are shown in Figure 5.

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 Figure 5. Traditional animal identification methods. (a) tattooing (b) ear
notch (c) cold stamping (d) hot stamping (d) ear tag.

Although such traditional identification methods were a solution in the past

when the number of animals was small, today, the increase in the number of
animals on farms, the automation of most processes, and the introduction of many
monitoring systems to increase efficiency have resulted in the inadequacy of such
identifications.
The following problems are often encountered with traditional methods.
Tattoos may change over time.
Paint and stamping may become illegible due to ambient pollution.
Ear notches may be interpreted differently by others.
Ear tags can fall off, get lost, or even be cheated (Dziuk, 1999).
Tracking and locating animals in an automated and efficient way compared to
traditional methods is important for food safety, security policies, monitoring of
natural migration events due to different reasons, food-borne risk assessment,
laboratory behavioral analysis, and detection and tracing of the origin of recent
common animal-borne diseases (Catarinucci et al., 2013). Furthermore, accurate
and positive identification of animals is predicted to increase farm trade, prevent
theft and fraud, and facilitate the tracing of animals and animal products.
Accurate identification will provide us with reliable information when working
with, trading, or monitoring animals (Dziuk, 1999). The inadequacy of traditional
methods in the detection of mad cow (BSE- Bovine Spongiform
encephalopathies,), foot and mouth disease (FMD fibromuscular dysplasia), and
swine fever (swine-fewer) diseases, which are widespread, especially in the
European Union region, and the increasing demand of consumers for safe food

77
have been the accelerating factors for authorities to seek new technologies
compared to traditional methods (Marchant, 2002).
Considering that all stakeholders from producers to consumers will be
affected by an animal identification system, it is clear that this system will play
an important role in the following issues.
Reducing labor costs,
Rapid identification of the origin of diseases,
Early disease detection,
Preventing commercial losses,
Preventing fraud in subsidies,
For genetic purposes and validation in production.
Therefore, the system is to be designed; with the following should have
features such as.
Easy to apply,
Permanence,
Providing accurate, fast, and affordable information,
Animal friendly
Minimal affecting from environmental conditions.
The advantages of the secure identification system to be established can be
listed as follows.
Consumers gain assurance in food safety and quality,
Economic benefits for farm owners and the country,
Product suppliers and restaurants can offer better quality products to their
customers,
Epidemic control and monitoring of animal diseases (Marchant, 2002).
Considering all these, it is seen that this type of system desired in animal
tracking can be achieved with electronic identification methods. In this context,
Radar, GPS, and RFID systems that offer reliable and cost-effective solutions in
more complex use cases such as animal tracking stands out. It is seen that active
RFID tags are used especially for tracking and monitoring farm animals in closed
environments, while passive tags are used for tracking smaller laboratory animals
(Catarinucci et al., 2013).
The use of RFID technology for animal identification started in the 1970s.
Different organizations in European Union countries and North America have
conducted prototype studies to integrate these systems into animals. In the first
tests, passive RFID systems were used in the early 1970s by John Bridle in the
UK, and similar tests were carried out in the Netherlands. An injectable system
was first designed in animals in 1976 to track ruminants' ruminations. The work

78
done at this time was presented to the scientific world at a symposium in the
Netherlands in 1976 (Rossing, 1999). When we look at the historical use,
electronic identification systems, which were first seen in animals in the form of
belts worn around the neck, started to be seen in the form of ear tags and tags
placed under the skin following the development of technology. In addition to the
ear area, the feet, genital area, and tails of animals have also been among the areas
where these tags have been used. Due to the close relationship of animal diseases
with temperature and pH ratio in the stomach, passive tags for identification and
active tags containing sensors for monitoring have been used in the rumen region
of animals. RFID tags used in this region are commonly referred to as rumen
bolus (Castro et al., 2010). Although most applications have been made on
domestic animals such as cows, sheep, and goats, wild animals and even fish have
been identified and tracked with RFID identification systems (Floyd, 2015).
Experimental rats, which are used extensively in tests in the field of health (Volk
et al., 2014), and zoos can also be shown as examples of areas where RFID
technology is applied in animals (Karlsson et al., 2010). Figure 6 shows the
regions where RFID tags are used in animals (Caja et al., 2016).

Figure 6. Locations of use of electronic tags for animal identification.

Among the electronic identification tags shown in Figure 6, RFID tags

designed in the form of ear tags numbered 1 are currently the most widely used

79
identification tags. Apart from this, the most common tags are the so-called bolus
tags used in the area numbered 4. Passive and active types of boluses are widely
used, passive tags are generally designed at low frequencies and are used for
identification purposes, while active tags are designed to operate in the high-
frequency region and are generally used for monitoring by adding sensors.
Injectable tags placed under the skin are generally preferred for the identification
of cats and dogs. The most important reason why injectable tags are not preferred
for edible animals is the high probability of the tag mixing with the carcass meat.
Ear tags are widely used in most countries due to their cost. In some countries,
electronic identification in the form of a double ear tag is also used in case of
falling and theft.
Looking at the frequency distribution, it is seen that RFID tags, which are
generally used in animals due to the negative interaction of the UHF band with
metals and liquids, are concentrated in the LF and HF region and are in the form
of passive tags. The ISM band of 433-434 MHz is the frequency region where
active tags are used and are generally preferred in applications with sensors.
Figure 7 shows some of the RFID tag types used in animals. Rumen bolus tags
are placed in the rumen region of the animals by using a specially designed
apparatus through the mouth. A magnet is added to the tag for weighting. The
reason why a magnet is generally preferred instead of another material is the
desire to prevent damage to the internal organs of the animal by ensuring that
parts such as metal nails and wires that the animals accidentally swallow by
mixing with grass or feed are captured by this label. Weight and size are important
parameters for rumen boluses. The size should be such that it does not prevent
the animal from swallowing easily. In addition, since there is a risk of excretion
of labels that do not exceed a certain weight through the excretory system, such
labels should be of a weight that will allow them to collapse and remain in the
reticulum area.

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 Figure 7. Some RFID tags used for animal identification (a) injectable (b)
rumen bolus tag and application apparatus (c) ear tags (d) wristband.
As a result of the inadequacy of the existing identification systems upon the
outbreak of animal-borne diseases, studies on alternative identification and
monitoring systems were rapidly initiated, and as a result, RFID-based animal
identification systems, which are now required by most countries, have been put
into use. Table 2 shows the animal identification systems used in some countries.

Ülke Sistem Başladığı Yıl

UK Cattle Tracing System (CTS) 1998
Australia National Livestock Identification System (NLIS 2000
Canada Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) 2002
Switzerland Animal Tracking Corporation 2006
USA National Animal Identification System (NAIS) 2002
the Brazilian Bovine and Bubaline Identification and
Brasil 2002
Certification System (SISBOV)
Argentine Argentine Animal Health Information System (SGS) 2007
Japan Individual Identification of Cattle 2003
South Korea Beef Traceability System 2008
New Zeland National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) 2012
Turkey Animal Information System 2002/2011
Table 2. Animal identification systems in some countries (Zealand, M.B.N.
,2009)
When the identification systems of the countries given in Table 2 are
examined in detail, it is seen that some of them have made RFID technology
compulsory, while in some others, studies have been initiated to make it

81
compulsory in the future. For example, in New Zealand, the Animal Identification
system has been in place since 1993 before NAIT was introduced, but with NAIT,
electronic identification was made compulsory, and the animal was tracked from
birth to death or slaughter. In Turkey, while electronic identification was
introduced for cats and dogs, it became mandatory to tag bovine animals with ear
tags in 2002 and ovine animals in 2011. These ear tags are not electronic
identification, but only the use of a barcode-like numbering system on ear tags.
Electronic identification and tracking of animals provide advantages in aspects
such as the following.
Remote access to identification data,
Eliminating the hassle of dealing with paperwork,
Fast access to statistical data,
Early diagnosis of animal diseases,
Healthy and fast tracing of origin,
Reduction in labor costs,
Time savings,
Correct monitoring of animals.
For this reason, in most countries, both official and unofficial organizations
are rapidly working towards the widespread adoption of electronic identification.
Very large-scale projects have been supported to determine how the electronic
identification tags will be used, their dimensions, etc., and according to the results
of these projects, the best electronic identification tag has been tried to be
determined. The IDEA (Identification électronique des animal) project, which is
the largest of these projects, was initiated in 6 member countries together after
the disease spread to a very large area as a result of the inability to quickly identify
the origin of the disease in animal-related epidemics seen in the European Union
countries after the 1990s. Nearly 1 million animals were used in the project,
different types of electronic tags were tested and the results were shared. In the
project, 32,000 subcutaneous, 255,000 ear tags, and 630,000 bolus type tags were
used. At the end of the project, the recovery rate for bolus and ear tags had been
99.5%, while the loss rate for subcutaneous tags had been more than 2%.
Recovery rates were very high compared to the traditional ones and it has been
stated that the most reliable labeling would be achieved with the bolus type (Ribo
et al., 2001).
A bolus apparatus is used for the oral administration of bolus-type electronic
tags. Many studies have been conducted to determine which size, weight, and
form of bolus will give good results in which animals (Garin et al., 2003, Falllon
2001, Cappai et al., 2014, Ghirardi et al., 2006, Antonini et al. 2006, Casto and

82
Garin, 2010). Studies have shown that there is no negative effect and eliminated
the doubts about whether bolus-type tags harm milk and meat production, fat
level in milk, pregnancy status, weight gain, and rumination due to direct
interaction with the animal body(Fallon, 2001). It has been stated that only the
rumen mucosa can be affected by bolus movements, injury lesions may develop,
albeit very slightly, and the rumen bacterial population may be affected due to
electromagnetic effect, so the frequency of reading should be low (Antonini et
al., 2006). It has also been shown that the bolus diameter and size should be
adjusted depending on the size of the animals in which the boluses will be used,
and the specific gravity of the boluses should be high to prevent them boluses
from being expelled from the rumen. It was emphasized that trying to swallow
boluses of inappropriate size may cause throat lesions in animals (Ghirardi et al.
2006). The application of electronic ear tags and bolus-type tags is shown in
Figure 8.

Figure 8. Application of ear tag and bolus type RFID tags (a) ear tag (b)
rumen bolus type tag (Grooms, 2007).

The use of RFID technology for identification purposes in animals has

increased the studies that this technology can be applied together with sensors for

83
animal monitoring. The first electronic monitoring studies in animals were
initiated for the detection and monitoring of rutting periods in cattle. Different
monitoring methods were studied and different solutions were developed for
different animals. For example, GPS transmitters were placed on the ankles of
pigeons to track them, and different wild animals were monitored with the same
method. In addition to the monitoring of wildlife, efforts to monitor marina and
marine animals have continued to increase. Since the meat and milk yield of farm
animals directly affects economic costs, many experimental studies have been
carried out in this field. Monitoring the ruminating, estrus, and feeding habits of
animals has led to valuable data in terms of livestock breeding. Based on this,
different sensors were attached to the ankles and tails of the animals to detect and
manage the changes in the estrus period.
In particular, the directly related of animal diseases to rumen temperature and
rumen pH has led farmers to implement practices to monitor rumen values.
Pregnancy, heat stress, estrus, drinking behavior and udder inflammation also
provide insightful data on rumen temperature. Health and comfort of animals also
cause changes in rumen temperature (Kılıç, 2010). On the other hand, Sub Acute
Ruminal Acidosis (SARA) is known as a disease related to rumen pH (Hamilton
et al., 2019). This disease, which is shown as the most common cause of
economic loss in animals, is said to prevent billions of dollars of damage
(Enemark, 2010). This disease occurs when the rumen pH value is below a certain
value (<5.5) for a long time. It is important for animal health to monitor the rumen
pH value and to intervene quickly in case of a decrease in this value. Due to this
decrease in pH value, problems such as the following may occur in animals
(Gasteiner, 2012).
Breathing problems,
Rumenitis
Laminitis
Abomasum shift
Decreased body condition.
Monitoring of this pH is traditionally accomplished either orally or by taking
fluid from the animal's rumen through a cannula channel. Figure 9 shows the
traditional methods of gastric fluid collection.

84
 Figure 9. Traditional methods of gastric fluid collection. (a) from the
abdominal cavity using a syringe, (b) orally (c) using a cannula (URL-2).

In these traditional methods, the animal is stressed and some injuries may
occur. Especially the cannula method is a method that can only be applied on a
few animals in farms with a large number of animals for research purposes.
Instead, with the development of RFID technology, there have been increasing
studies in recent years to add sensors to bolus type tags used for identification
purposes. With the temperature and pH sensors added to the RFID bolus tag,
which is swallowed orally and placed in the reticulum part of the rumen area,
rumen temperature and pH values can be monitored instantaneously. In the first
studies, due to the contamination of pH sensors with rumen fluid and
deterioration of their calibration, data could be obtained properly for 1-3 months
and then deviations in values occurred, but these periods have increased
considerably today due to the sensor technology that has developed over time
(Mottram, 2009; Phillps et al., 2010, Nogues 2014, Dogan et al., 2018). The
biggest problem in this type of monitoring is battery life and sensor technology.
Studies on battery life have been carried to very advanced levels today, and pH
measurements are now evolving from classical measurements to measurements

85
using optical technology. As a result, these periods can now be easily given
commercially as 3+ years. Figure 10 shows a cannula operation and the pH data
obtained from the RFID tag with sensor designed as a result of the operation
(Dogan et al., 2018). The pH values given in Figure 10c clearly show the changes
in pH values after feeding. In this way, by continuing to monitor pH values at
certain intervals, it is ensured that disease-causing conditions are detected in
advance and intervened quickly. This results in preventing economic losses due
to animal diseases to a certain extent. Studies have also been conducted on
whether the electromagnetic waves emitted from these devices will harm the
animal (Dogan et al., 2017, Dogan et al., 2019) and it has been shown that the
signal power emitted from the tags is too small to cause any damage to the
biological tissues of the animals. In addition, with such studies, ideas have been
obtained about the optimization of values such as the placement, number and
power of the elements to be found in the RFID system to be installed in a farm.

Figure 10. (a) Cannula insertion with surgical operation, (b) active RFID tag
with pH and temperature sensors, and (c) pH data from this tag.

86
 Currently, many companies commercially sell tags that enable monitoring of
the rumen environment by adding sensors to RFID tags. Some of these tags have
been developed after long research and use technologically advanced sensor
technology. These rumen pH boluses, which previously provided a short period
of efficient working time, have now been reduced in price to very affordable
levels and their working time has been extended sufficiently. Table 3 shows a
comparison of some of the commercially available pH boluses. In academic
studies, comparisons of such boluses with each other have also been included,
and it has also been found that accurate information is not given for a very long
time as stated in the catalogs (Schori and Muenger, 2022, Han et al., 2022).
Considering the sensor technology used, it is noteworthy that the commercial
product moowbolus in Table 3 has a lifetime of 3+ years and the pH technology
is based on optic. As technology improves, these studies will lead to longer
lasting and more accurate tags, and animals will be monitored from many
different angles in a healthy way and solutions will be produced. Apart from
these products, many research organizations continue to develop such devices
(URL-3). Changes in sensor technology need to be applied to this field in order
for such labels containing glass-containing pH sensors to have more minimal
dimensions and longer lifespan.

87
 Produ
ct

Comm
moons smaxte datamar
ercial eCow moow autag fafia caisley
yst c s
name
Purpos
trackin trackin trackin trackin identifi identific identific identifi
e of
g g g g cation ation ation cation
use
Animal sheep, sheep, sheep,
cattle cattle cattle cattle cattle
s cattle cattle cattle
rumina rumina rumina rumina
l l l l
Sensor
temper temper temper temper - - - -
s
ature ature ature ature
and pH and pH and pH and pH
22 gr, 52 19mmX
gr,72 gr 67mm
Size 25 mm 32 mm 35 mm 20 gr,
12mmX 11mmX
and X 130 X 100 X132 - 52 gr, -
55mm 57mm
weight mm mm mm 72 gr
20mmX 67,5 gr,
67mm 19,5 gr
6+
years
5 temper 5
Life 3+
month ature month - - - -
span years
s 90 s
days
pH
Produc
er Hunga Austri Hunga Switzer Netherla German
UK China
countr ry a ry land nds y
y
Table 3. Comparison of some commercially available RFID rumen bolus
tags

88
 3. Results
Identification and tracking of animals for different purposes has been a field
that has been tried to be realized in a healthy way since ancient times. The
phenomenon of identification, which started in order to adopt valuable animals
such as horses and to prevent possible theft, has found application in different
societies with very different identification methods. Before modern times,
traditional identification methods were sufficient due to many factors such as the
number of animals, the lack of need for identification and follow-up of wild
animals leading a natural life, and the unknown causes of animal-borne diseases.
However, the increasing number of herds and the emergence of major epidemics
of animal origin have led individuals and institutions to research on different
identification systems. As a result of all these studies, it has been concluded that
animals can be identified with different electronic technologies, and even by
adding different sensors, animals can be monitored with tags to be attached to the
animals and valuable data can be obtained from this monitoring in terms of both
economic and health. Especially at the end of the 1990s, epidemics such as mad
cow, swine flu and avian flu in Europe and other parts of the world accelerated
these studies.
The concept of radio frequency identification, the theoretical foundations of
which were laid at the end of the 19th century based on electromagnetic waves,
showed its first applications especially during World War II, and exploded after
the 1970s due to the rapid development in electronic technology. RFID
technology, which is mentioned as a market worth 40 billion dollars in the coming
years, has been a technology preferred by most countries in animal identification
and tracking for the time being, and the legal basis for the identification of all
animals with this system has been established, partly compulsory and partly
voluntary. With the use of RFID in animals, it is thought that the productivity of
farms will be maximized, farm conditions will be optimized in competitive
industries, farm management practices will become easier, and quality will
increase. Remote tracking of animals with tags added with different sensors will
enable the detection of diseases very quickly and keep the spread to a minimum
level as it will accelerate the detection of origin. As a result of the farm
automation to be provided with RFID, many manual work and processes will be
automated and the paperwork burden will be reduced. As a result, there will be
significant reductions in labor costs. Applications with sensors, which currently
have the chance to be applied in very large farms, will be the RFID products that
we will encounter in most farms in the future thanks to the reduction of costs and
the increase in their lifetime. The fact that many countries make RFID
identification mandatory in primary identification will cause companies investing

89
in this field to increase their investment capacity and intensify their work. As
people's predisposition to technology increases, it is expected that the use of such
electronic methods will increase instead of traditional methods.
RFID technology has become one of the most suitable technologies not only
for identification purposes but also for monitoring animals for health and other
purposes. In addition to tracking wild animals and bird flocks using GPS, sensors
added to bolus-type RFID tags developed for livestock can be used to
systematically and continuously monitor the estrus status, rumen temperature and
pH values of animals. Especially the direct relationship of animal diseases with
rumen temperature and pH values makes studies in this field more valuable.
Today, many companies have added temperature and pH sensors to rumen
boluses for commercial sale. It is seen that the lifetime of such labels depends
especially on their batteries, and this lifetime will increase depending on the
developing battery technology. Since pH measurement has a very important place
in the prevention of diseases such as SARA, companies have been continued to
add sensors to the labels to measure pH value, which is a difficult measurement
system besides temperature. The fact that the pH sensors used in most
commercial products contain a conventional glass membrane has been seen as a
factor that prevents their lifetime and minimization. Especially the need for
calibration after a certain period of time in such pH meters is the most negative
side of such products. Depending on the developing sensor technology, it is seen
that classical pH measurements will evolve to optopHmeter technology and in
this way, they will have much longer lifetimes than the existing ones. Depending
on this development, in the farms of the future, not only RFID products for
identification purposes, but also RFID tags with many different sensors in
addition to pH and temperature sensors will be encountered. It is thought that all
this intensive electronic identification and monitoring will reduce economic
losses related to animals, increase the comfort of animals, increase milk and meat
yields, automate and facilitate the management of farms, and create positive
contributions in many respects.

90
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URL-1. [Link]
[Link]?gclid=CjwKCAjwr_CnBhA0EiwAci5siomqlEA8-
jqmur_cRnkY_elgm2yL5G5bJexFmxfw-
OXocQZHSSzjOBoCVMkQAvD_BwE
URL-2. [Link]
URL-3. [Link]
monitoringam-un-agrinai-subakutas-spurekla-acidozes-sara-diagnostikai-
govim-2/

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