Monitor Your Animals. Stay Connected to Your Property.
Livestock & Animal Monitoring Camera Systems
Alberta winters can bring bitterly cold temperatures, snow, wind and challenging conditions for anyone who needs to check on livestock. During calving season, lambing or foaling, frequent trips to the barn can be especially demanding.
With a professionally installed livestock monitoring camera system from FERAD Electronics Inc., you can observe your animals from the comfort of your home or office, whether you're checking a calving pen, monitoring horses in a stable or keeping an eye on animals in an outbuilding.
Our customized camera systems can provide live video, nighttime visibility, audio monitoring and AI-assisted detection, depending on the equipment selected. From a single camera overlooking a birthing area to a multi-camera installation covering several barns, we design solutions around your animals, property and monitoring requirements.
Spend less time making unnecessary trips through the cold and more time responding when your attention is needed.
Livestock Birthing & Calving Monitoring
Keep an Eye on Important Moments, Even During Alberta Winters
Calving, lambing and foaling seasons can require frequent checks, often during the coldest hours of the day or night. A properly positioned camera system lets you observe birthing areas remotely from your home, office or another suitable location.
Instead of making every routine check in person, you can use live video and, where supported, audio to help determine when an in-person visit may be necessary.
Depending on the selected equipment and installation, features can include:
- Remote live viewing: Check birthing areas using a compatible phone, tablet or computer.
- Day and nighttime visibility: Observe animal activity around the clock using suitable low-light, infrared or full-colour nighttime cameras.
- Audio monitoring: Hear sounds from a calving pen, foaling stall or lambing area through compatible cameras.
- Motion notifications: Receive alerts when supported cameras detect movement in designated areas.
- Video recording: Review recorded footage to better understand activity in a monitored area.
- Multiple camera views: Monitor several pens, stalls or buildings through a compatible viewing interface.
These capabilities can be particularly valuable during Alberta's winter months, when wind, snow and extreme cold can make repeated trips to an outbuilding uncomfortable and time-consuming.
Camera monitoring helps you observe your animals more conveniently, but it does not replace physical inspections or veterinary care when needed.
Built for Alberta's Climate
Reliable Monitoring Through Cold Weather
Alberta's climate presents specific challenges for outdoor technology. Winter temperatures can fall well below freezing, and cameras installed in barns, livestock shelters and exposed outdoor locations must be suitable for their actual operating environment.
FERAD considers local conditions when planning livestock and animal monitoring installations.
Cold-weather camera selection
Choose cameras rated for the temperatures expected at the installation location. Not every outdoor camera is suitable for Alberta's coldest winter conditions.
Suitable equipment protection
Consider exposure to snow, moisture, wind, dust and condensation. Appropriate environmental ratings, mounting methods and installation practices help protect equipment.
Indoor and outdoor placement
A camera installed inside a barn may experience very different conditions from one mounted on an exposed exterior wall. Equipment selection should reflect these differences.
Reliable power and connectivity
Cameras require suitable power and network connectivity. Where appropriate, the installation can incorporate measures to improve reliability during adverse weather, power interruptions or network disruptions.
Monitoring from a warm location
Once configured, compatible cameras can allow you to check live video from the comfort of your home or office rather than making unnecessary trips outdoors in severe weather.
Designed for the property
Whether you have one barn, multiple outbuildings or a larger agricultural property, FERAD can help assess camera placement, network coverage, recording requirements and the equipment needed for the conditions.
The objective is a practical monitoring system designed for your animals, your property and Alberta's demanding weather.
Monitor More Than Cattle
Camera Solutions for a Wide Range of Animals
Livestock monitoring isn't limited to cattle or calving season. FERAD can design camera systems for a variety of animals and environments.
Cattle, Calves & Bison
Monitor cattle in barns, calving pens, livestock shelters and other designated areas. Suitable camera placement can provide visibility of birthing locations, feeding areas and resting spaces.
Sheep, Lambs & Goats
Observe lambing areas, kidding stalls, pens and shelters. Multiple cameras can cover separate areas, while suitable nighttime equipment helps maintain visibility after dark.
Horses & Stables
Monitor horse stalls, foaling areas, barns and other suitable locations. Camera selection should account for lighting, dust, moisture, mounting height and the viewing distance required.
Dogs, Cats & Other Pets
Animal monitoring can also help owners observe pets in homes, kennels, outbuildings and suitable outdoor areas. Depending on the selected equipment, features may include live viewing, recording, audio and nighttime visibility.
Whether you manage a farm, operate a stable or want to monitor animals on your rural property, FERAD can help determine an appropriate system.
24/7 Camera Monitoring
Day and Night Visibility
Animals don't follow a convenient schedule, and important activity can occur at any hour. A properly configured system can provide continuous monitoring, subject to the capabilities of the equipment, power supply, network and recording configuration.
FERAD can incorporate suitable technologies for:
- High-resolution video: Capture useful detail when observing animals and reviewing activity.
- Full-colour nighttime imaging: Use compatible low-light cameras or suitable supplemental illumination to maintain colour images after dark.
- Infrared night vision: Monitor dark environments with cameras designed for infrared illumination.
- Continuous recording: Record footage to compatible local storage where configured.
- Remote viewing: Check cameras from your home, office or another location when remote access is available.
Full-colour nighttime performance depends on available light and camera specifications. Some cameras require supplemental lighting, while infrared cameras typically produce monochrome nighttime images.
Hear What's Happening in the Barn
Audio Monitoring for Animal Observation
Sometimes seeing an animal is only part of the picture. Hearing sounds from a calving pen, foaling stall or animal shelter can provide additional context.
Compatible cameras equipped with microphones can allow you to listen to monitored areas through a supported viewing application.
Depending on the equipment, you may be able to:
- Hear activity in a birthing area.
- Listen for unusual animal sounds.
- Monitor dogs, cats and other animals indoors.
- Combine live audio with video while checking animals remotely.
Audio functionality varies by camera and recording system. Live listening and audio recording are separate capabilities, so both should be confirmed when selecting equipment.
AI-Assisted Camera Monitoring
Identify Relevant Activity and Reduce Unnecessary Alerts
Modern surveillance cameras and compatible video systems can use artificial intelligence (AI) to distinguish certain types of activity from general movement.
Depending on the selected equipment, features may include human and vehicle detection, configurable motion zones, event notifications and improved event searching.
Specialized animal monitoring may require additional analytics or a dedicated monitoring platform.
AI-based birthing or animal-distress detection should not be assumed to work with ordinary security cameras. Where specialized animal analytics are important, FERAD can assess available options and explain their capabilities and limitations.
AI can assist with observation, but it should not be relied upon as a guaranteed method of predicting births, identifying every animal health concern or replacing physical inspections.
FLASH™ Smart Systems
More Than Cameras: An Integrated Property Solution
For customers who want to go beyond conventional surveillance, FERAD can incorporate compatible monitoring equipment into a broader FLASH Smart Systems installation.
Depending on the project, this may include cameras, networking, lighting, sensors, environmental monitoring and other supported smart devices.
An integrated system can provide a convenient way to access selected monitoring functions alongside other compatible property technologies.
FERAD manages system design, integration and programming to help the components work together as intended.
A Monitoring System Designed Around Your Property
From One Camera to a Complete Multi-Building Installation
Every property has different monitoring requirements.
Some customers need one camera overlooking a calving pen. Others require multiple cameras covering barns, stables, livestock shelters and building entrances.
FERAD can help plan a system based on:
- The animals and areas you want to monitor.
- Alberta's winter temperatures and the conditions at each camera location.
- Daytime and nighttime viewing requirements.
- Audio and AI detection capabilities.
- Local recording and video retention.
- Connectivity between barns and outbuildings.
- Remote access from your home, office or another suitable location.
- Power reliability and potential future expansion.
We can also assess whether existing cameras, cabling, networking or recording equipment can be incorporated into the installation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I monitor livestock from my home during an Alberta winter?
Yes. Compatible camera systems can provide remote live viewing, allowing you to observe livestock from your home or office without making every routine check in person. The cameras and supporting equipment should be selected for the temperatures and conditions at the installation site.
Can I monitor a calving pen at night?
Yes. Cameras with suitable low-light imaging, infrared night vision or supplemental lighting can provide visibility after dark. The best option depends on the environment and the level of detail required.
Can I hear animals through the cameras?
Yes, when the selected cameras have suitable microphones or support compatible audio equipment. Live listening and audio recording capabilities vary by system.
Are the cameras suitable for Alberta's extreme cold?
Some cameras are designed for very low operating temperatures, while others are not. FERAD can help select equipment with appropriate operating-temperature ratings and environmental protection for the intended location.
Can I monitor several barns or outbuildings?
Yes, provided appropriate cameras, power, connectivity and recording capacity are available. The installation may use structured cabling, fibre-optic links or suitable wireless networking, depending on the property.
Will the cameras continue recording if the internet goes down?
A system configured for local recording may continue recording during an internet outage if the cameras, recorder, local network and power remain operational. Remote viewing from outside the property may be interrupted.
Can the system monitor horses, sheep, bison, goats, dogs and cats?
Yes. Camera systems can be designed for a wide range of animals. Equipment selection and installation depend on the species, environment and monitoring requirements.
Can AI tell me when an animal is giving birth?
Some specialized monitoring technologies may offer animal-specific analytics, but ordinary security cameras do not automatically provide reliable birthing detection. Any specialized detection requirements should be assessed before selecting equipment.
Do I need a FLASH Smart Systems installation?
No. A standalone camera system may be all you need. FLASH Smart Systems is an additional option for customers who want compatible monitoring equipment integrated with other supported property technologies.
Monitor Your Animals Without Facing Every Winter Check Outdoors
From calving pens and horse stables to sheep shelters and pet areas, FERAD Electronics can help you plan a camera system that provides visibility when and where you need it.
Discuss your property, animals and monitoring requirements with us. We'll help you evaluate camera placement, cold-weather suitability, nighttime viewing, audio, AI features, recording and remote access.
Contact FERAD Electronics to discuss your livestock and animal monitoring solution.