Rapid City, South Dakota, USA - C-Lock Inc., is a leading innovator in precision livestock equipment that excels in performance evaluation and emission monitoring. C-Lock Inc is excited to introduce a new product, called SimpleScan. SimpleScan will be on display at the 74th Annual Meeting EAAP + WAAP + Interbull Congress 2023 in Lyon, France.
SimpleScan is a turn-key, internet-enabled, in-situ, Sniffer concentration type measurement system that detects metabolic gasses emitted or consumed from ruminant animals, including methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2,) hydrogen (H2), and oxygen (O2). SimpleScan includes an innovative sample probe that can be placed in close proximity to the animal’s nose inside concentrate feeders, milking robots, or any other location where animals congregate. It also has an optional RFID tag reading system to automatically record which individual animals are accessing the system at any given time, allowing gas concentration changes to be easily associated with specific animals. Other sensors like the optional head position sensor can be added to the SimpleScan to improve data quality. SimpleScan logs data on a high-resolution, one-second basis and the collected data is sent to a cloud-based server through a WiFi or Cellular connection. The server then automatically processes the data to determine for each animal visit: accurate background concentrations, gas peak concentrations, number of eructations, min and max peak height, average concentrations, gas ratios, and many other relevant parameters. Data can be viewed in near real-time using an online interface. All of C-Lock Inc.’s equipment is monitored by our team for data quality and to ensure all sensors are functioning properly.
C-Lock Inc. has decided to launch the SimpleScan, only after completing a thorough and careful scientific review of the advantages and limitations of Sniffer-type systems. Our review included the utilization of the knowledge we have gained through 50 years of making trace gas measurements and 15 years of leading the industry and providing oversight of thousands of emissions trials that have resulted in over 400 publications. We have also completed tedious and thorough in-house testing and comparisons of the Sniffer and flux-based measurements. We have determined that SimpleScan can be a useful diagnostic tool that provides data on the animal’s health and performance. For example, it can detect ruminations that indicate that the animal has eaten. It also can detect ratios of (CH4 to CO2,) which can indicate changes in diet or intake. The respiratory quotient (the ratio of CO2 to O2) can help to determine an animal’s metabolic state.
We also have determined Sniffer measurements (including SimpleScan) have limitations because of unquantifiable breath dilution caused by head moment, animal behavior, and environmental conditions. Sniffer concentrations are highly variable across time, application, and locations. Therefore, we do not endorse the use of Sniffer results to determine mass emissions rates of animals or herds of animals. Further, systematic sampling biases in Sniffer-type measurements can occur between unique animals, possibly resulting from their unique head movement or breathing behaviors, and this can result in significant errors in predicting individual animal ranking of emissions compared to other animals. The large biases result in significantly greater between-animal variation compared to flux-based measurements. This is demonstrated in peer-reviewed studies with very poor correlations for CH4 (R2 = 0.035 to 0.093) between direct comparisons of flux-based and sniffer measurements. Therefore, we do not endorse the use of SimpleScan, or any Sniffer method, to determine the CH4 or CO2 emissions phenotypes because of the risk of selecting for bias traits, rather than actual emissions rates.
"At C-Lock Inc., we are excited to continue to grow and differentiate. SimpleScan is a completely different product than GreenFeed, with unique applications and limitations. As such, there is a need for education regarding the differences in gas measurements from each system. With the launch of SimpleScan, C-Lock continues to position itself as the global authority in livestock emissions monitoring," said Lead Scientific Advisor Dr. Harrison.
SimpleScan will be available for purchase starting September 1st, 2023. For more information, including detailed specifications, pricing, and availability, please contact our sales representatives at sales@c-lockinc.com.