Anyone who has spent hours herding and counting piglets or market hogs during loading knows how frustrating it can be. The animals mill about, pile on top of each other, and sometimes back up—and all it takes is a moment of distraction to have to start all over again. This is where automatic camera-based pig counters come in handy.
Instead of standing there with a clicker, you mount the device above the alleyway, and the system does the rest for you. How exactly does it work, and what do you need to know to ensure the equipment counts accurately? Let’s break it down.
How does the system detect and count animals?
Today’s counters rely on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning. This means that the program has been trained using thousands of photos of pigs viewed from above. It has learned to recognize their specific shape: oval body, ear position, snout, and the way they move.
Here’s what happens step by step when a pig walks in front of the camera:
- Object detection: A pig enters the frame. The system immediately places a virtual bounding box around it, separating it from the background and the floor.
- Shape Recognition: The software instantly analyzes the image and confirms: “Yes, that oval shape is a pig, not an employee’s rain boot.”
- Movement Tracking: The animal is not counted immediately. The system tracks its movement for as long as it remains in the frame. This ensures that if a pig stops, moves backward, or turns around, it will not be counted twice.
- Crossing the Virtual Line: An invisible line is set in the software. When the center of gravity of a tracked pig crosses this line in the correct direction, the counter increments by 1. If the animal runs back, the system may subtract the value.
Who is this device designed for?
Automated counting is a solution that pays for itself the fastest in facilities with high animal turnover. It is the ideal equipment for:
- Farmers and managers of large commercial farms: It helps eliminate human error (resulting from fatigue or stress) and ensures accuracy regarding the number of animals leaving the building.
- Slaughterhouses and meat processing plants: Enables the smooth and automated receipt of animals into the live stock holding area, verifying the numbers listed in the transport documents.
- Producer groups: This facilitates standardization and accurate settlements between individual farmers and the association.
Where and when does Pig Counter work best?
The device can be permanently installed at strategic locations in the pig barn. It works exceptionally well in places such as:
- Loading ramps and exit corridors: This is the most important checkpoint on the farm. A camera mounted above the exit door ensures that exactly the number of finishing pigs specified in the order is loaded onto the truck.
- Transitions between sectors (e.g., weaner barn –> finishing barn): It allows for an accurate headcount of the flock during the transfer from the rearing house to the finishing house, which is crucial for calculating mortality rates and the feed conversion ratio (FCR).
- Weighing and Sorting Gates: When combined with through-feed scales, the system can not only count items but also monitor the flow of specific weight groups.
