SHEPHERD DRONES

Shepherd Drones monitors large herds of cattle for instances of fever or elevated body temperature. Its drone is mounted with an infrared camera and RFID antenna. Signs of fever occur early in a case of BRD, often before visual signs that would tip off a rancher, allowing the drone to inform ranchers before the cattle can infect others. The positive predictive value of existing techniques is approximately 30%, meaning that 2/3 of the cattle given antimicrobials are treated unnecessarily. By identifying infected cattle earlier and more accurately, Shepherd Drones believes its product could considerably reduce the use of anti-microbial drugs, thus improving food safety and lowering antibiotic resistance.