Barn Cameras for Calving

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Hilltop

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Joined
Mar 22, 2009
Messages
465
Location
Sask, Canada
For a few years now we have been thinking about purchasing cameras to set up for calving. Last spring a few people told us how the price had come down on them but still never did check into it. Then.......calving started and it was -25 and we made the decision to purchase. After last night I know they are payed for!!! A cow started to calve so I asked my daughter to watch her while I did chores. It was not even 10 minutes and she called my cell."Dad hurry Princess calved and the head is covered yet!!!!" I ran and met Kim who was running from the house and just got there before me. This is the second calf that I know we would of lost this year the same way. We actually got the camera's because at times I am gone for work for 48 hrs and my wife calves the cows by herself. I can fall asleep no problem after checking cows but she would be lucky to get 3 or 4 hrs of sleep a night in the cold weather.I think that everyone that leaves their wife at home to calve cows should buy them!!!!!! 
 

WRS

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Joined
Sep 28, 2009
Messages
123
Location
Nebraska
We also installed security/barn cameras in our calving barn this year and I would have to say that we should have done it years ago.  We also would have lost a couple of calves due to the placenta over the head/face if we had not been watching the birthing process from our home.  We have ours set up through an internet access so we can watch from any computer or smart phone with internet access.  Therefore my husband can keep an eye on things from his workplace, giving me a chance to run errands or get other things done during the day.  Of course, the biggest benefit is being able to simply check the computer for activity and then crawling back into bed when nothing is going on instead of bundling up and heading to the barn in sub-zero weather just to see cows relaxed and chewing their cud!

The system we purchased was under $500 and has 4 "outdoor" grade infra-red night vision cameras that can withstand the extreme cold of Nebraska winters!  This spring we plan to move the cameras to view our open lot to aid in heat detection and onset of standing estrus during breeding season.
 

bluffcountrycattle

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Joined
Mar 27, 2008
Messages
383
Location
SE MN
We just got one and it paid for itself the first night!  While doing chores, a cow's water broke and knew she was close.  Quickly put it up...15 minute job...and thought we would watch from the house as not to disturb her.  Watched for a bit and she was circling the pen with no obvious signs of an immenent birth.  I decided to go home for supper, and told Dad to watch the tv for problems.  He went down for supper and less than 30 minutes came back up to check the tv.  Sure enough, she was standing there licking off a calf!  While watching, Mom noticed a dark object in the next pen...another calf!  She had apparently laid down and "shot" the first twin under the gate and then had a second.  Dad went to the barn and rejoined the happy family.  Had we not had the camera, the first calf might have not made it laying the adjoining pen for an extended period of time.  We didn't invest a lot...$120 ebay special, http://cgi.ebay.com/INFRARED-WIRELESS-LONG-RANGE-NIGHT-VISION-SPY-CAMERA_W0QQitemZ390152422496QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item5ad6e58460 but it works like a charm and the wireless feature easily reached the house.  I would highly recommend it, as 2 friends have the same setup and have had excellent results.  That was our first ever set of twins and all are going good...
 

rtmcc

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Joined
Oct 11, 2008
Messages
727
Location
Peterson, MN
I wouldn't be with out one!!  I can fall back asleep after looking at the TV from our bed for a couple of minutes.  But if I go out in the cold it takes 2 hours to fall back asleep and then its almost time to get up.  I found we have to help a lot less cows if we don't go in the barn and disturb them to check them.  I put the same camera in last year that Bluff Country Cattle has and it has worked perfect, except when the microwave is being used down stairs.  Messes up the video and audio.

After you get one you will wonder why you didn't do it years ago.

Ron
<cowboy>
 

shorty gal

Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2008
Messages
17
What is the brand name or website where you purchased the wireless cameras?  Does it make a difference if the shed has a tin roof?
 

Simnetix

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Joined
Feb 11, 2009
Messages
58
Do your research....... I asked the salesperson at a electronics dealership if the system they recommend for my situation (wireless, able to go through steel siding 100 ft from house) would absolutely work.  He answered "absolutely"...... well it doesen't come close, you have to be within 15 ft of the camera to get it to work and it's also non returnable after it's opened.  Hooray.
 

cpubarn

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Joined
May 24, 2007
Messages
674
Location
Sheffield,IA
shorty gal said:
What is the brand name or website where you purchased the wireless cameras?  Does it make a difference if the shed has a tin roof?

Here is the Ebay link from one of the reports above...

http://cgi.ebay.com/INFRARED-WIRELESS-LONG-RANGE-NIGHT-VISION-SPY-CAMERA_W0QQitemZ390152422496QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item5ad6e58460

If you have tin sides, or a tin roof with the camera mounted high, I would recommend one that looks a little like the one in the link, that the sending unit has an antenna, and is seperate from the camera.  this way you can mount it where you get reception.  I also would get infrared as it is how they "see" of you shut the lights off.  The one shown doesn't have a lot of IR's but should show 20-30' if it is like similar ones I've seen.  Like anything else, good systems can cost a lot of money, but I have had good luck with similar looking models to this one, and bad luck with any $75 toy you get from Radio Shack, but that is with every electronic device.
 

rtmcc

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 11, 2008
Messages
727
Location
Peterson, MN
cpubarn said:
shorty gal said:
What is the brand name or website where you purchased the wireless cameras?  Does it make a difference if the shed has a tin roof?

Here is the Ebay link from one of the reports above...

http://cgi.ebay.com/INFRARED-WIRELESS-LONG-RANGE-NIGHT-VISION-SPY-CAMERA_W0QQitemZ390152422496QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item5ad6e58460

If you have tin sides, or a tin roof with the camera mounted high, I would recommend one that looks a little like the one in the link, that the sending unit has an antenna, and is seperate from the camera.  this way you can mount it where you get reception.  I also would get infrared as it is how they "see" of you shut the lights off.  The one shown doesn't have a lot of IR's but should show 20-30' if it is like similar ones I've seen.  Like anything else, good systems can cost a lot of money, but I have had good luck with similar looking models to this one, and bad luck with any $75 toy you get from Radio Shack, but that is with every electronic device.
I have this camera system.  I mounted the sending unit in a Tupperware container on the outside of our metal building.  Our calving barn is about 400 feet from the house with a big grain setup and another metal pole barn in the middle.  Our picture is great.  Couldn't be with out it.

Ron
 

forcheyhawk

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Joined
Jul 17, 2008
Messages
315
OK after all of the great success stories in this thread I decided to order one.  Just curious how did you go about publishing on the web?  I didn't know if there was an easy way.  I was going to install VNC Server on the remote PC.  So I could remote desktop in, but I thought if there was an easy way to publish on the web I might just do that.  Also there's a connector that's being sold on EBAY (video to USB) I was wondering if those worked?
 

Smith

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Joined
Mar 17, 2009
Messages
53
Location
Ohio
forcheyhawk said:
OK after all of the great success stories in this thread I decided to order one.  Just curious how did you go about publishing on the web?  I didn't know if there was an easy way.  I was going to install VNC Server on the remote PC.  So I could remote desktop in, but I thought if there was an easy way to publish on the web I might just do that.  Also there's a connector that's being sold on EBAY (video to USB) I was wondering if those worked?

For many reasons this isn't a good approach.  You'll be opening up your PC to hacking attempts and the video quality will likely not be has good.  Ideally you want to buy a camera that has a web server function built into it or a receiver/DVR that has the same.  If you can post the make/model of the camera you purchased we can offer some more specific help.
 

forcheyhawk

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Joined
Jul 17, 2008
Messages
315
I ordered the long range wireless one in the link above off of ebay.  I used this one because most of the ones I had researched weren't long enough range to reach from the barn to the house.  I don't have the camera or receiver yet, but I would suspect that it doesn't have any web publishing abilities in either.  Is there some cheap software that I could use to publish the stream if I'm able to get it on the PC?
 

Smith

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Joined
Mar 17, 2009
Messages
53
Location
Ohio
forcheyhawk said:
I ordered the long range wireless one in the link above off of ebay.  I used this one because most of the ones I had researched weren't long enough range to reach from the barn to the house.  I don't have the camera or receiver yet, but I would suspect that it doesn't have any web publishing abilities in either.  Is there some cheap software that I could use to publish the stream if I'm able to get it on the PC?

I'm not familiar with this particular model, but this is essentially what would work for your situation since you already have the camera:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3118200&CAWELAID=198809368

http://www.security-labs.com/pdf_documents/SLW1010_cut.pdf

This model appears to have alarm i/o which you can use with a relay to turn your barn lights on and off remotely.  With a typical home router/firewall you would expose port 80 (http) to this device (you can also configure a different port to help hide its existence).  Post back if you decide to go this way and need help.

The thing to remember on the distance issue is that these work in the 2.4 ghz range so line of sight is critical.  If you truly have problems with distance then directional antennas will be the most efficient way to increase reception.



 

KPSC

Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2009
Messages
23
THE CAMERA UNIT WOULD BE A VERY VALUABLE ASSIST TO US. MY QUESTION IS HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT HOOKING IT UP TO VIEW FROM THE WEB (FROM WORKPLACE OR SMART PHONE)? AND ARE YOU ABLE TO MOVE THE CAMERA WHILE VIEWING TO GET DIFFERENT ANGLES OF THE CALVING PEN??  THANKS FOR THE INFO.  :)
 

Hilltop

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 22, 2009
Messages
465
Location
Sask, Canada
I see these are no longer available and was wanting to have a spare one kicking around. Any body find any good deals on them again?? I see there are others on E-bay but do not see any with a external antenna like this one we have now and dont really want to spend 3-400 for a spare.
Thanks
 

J2F

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Joined
Nov 28, 2011
Messages
258
rtmcc said:
I wouldn't be with out one!!  I can fall back asleep after looking at the TV from our bed for a couple of minutes.  But if I go out in the cold it takes 2 hours to fall back asleep and then its almost time to get up.  I found we have to help a lot less cows if we don't go in the barn and disturb them to check them.  I put the same camera in last year that Bluff Country Cattle has and it has worked perfect, except when the microwave is being used down stairs.  Messes up the video and audio.

After you get one you will wonder why you didn't do it years ago.

Ron
<cowboy>
I have offend wonder about this. I have a couple nervous Nancy's that every-time I open the door to check on them they get up. 
 

diioriocattle

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Joined
Oct 17, 2012
Messages
98
I know this is an old post but I just have a question and maybe someone on here is more tech savy than I am. My barn is about 7 miles away from the house but my office is only about 150 yards from the barn, is there a way I can get a camera to connect to my computer in my office and make it accessible from house across town?
 
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