Article #8: How to View Your Cattle, Horses, Sheep or Goats From Your Phone
Cattle and calving operations are Riverwind's largest customer group, but the same remote-viewing systems are widely used for horses, sheep, goats, pigs and farrowing operations. The goal is the same: open your phone and see what is happening without having to be at the barn.
A Free App for Phones and Tablets
Remote viewing uses a free app available for the major smartphone and tablet platforms. A camera system is only as useful as the software you use to reach it, so we place a great deal of importance on dependable, easy-to-use remote viewing.
You should not have to understand IP addresses, ports or networking. Riverwind handles the system configuration. You open the app and look at the animals.
Why We Avoid Putting All Our Eggs in One Basket
Over almost 30 years we have dealt with tariffs, shipping delays, model changes and the supply disruptions surrounding COVID. Riverwind therefore buys compatible commercial equipment through more than one manufacturer and supplier rather than designing every system around one box that may disappear from the market.
Sharing Access Is Simple
A spouse or other household member can use the appropriate credentials to view the cameras. Access can also be shared with a farm hand, neighbor or other person who needs to watch the system. When that person no longer needs access, it can be removed.
If you want help sharing or removing access, call Riverwind and we will walk you through it.
A Note About Security
Riverwind's camera equipment is NDAA compliant. For most individual livestock producers that may never affect the purchase, but it is important for university farms, schools, government agencies and other organizations that must comply with applicable federal procurement or grant restrictions. We select commercial equipment with those security and procurement requirements in mind. While this may not affect you, you know that our equipment is built and designed around a set of approved standards.
Viewing on a Windows Computer
Computer viewing is much easier than it used to be. Older commercial systems often depended on browser plug-ins and Internet Explorer. Modern systems provide much simpler Windows PC viewing, using the same basic account credentials you establish for remote access on your phone.
For customers with a High-Definition system, a laptop can even serve as a convenient multi-camera monitor. Take it into the bedroom during calving season, display the cameras and leave them up much like a dedicated television.
Why Phone Viewing Changes Farm Life
Remote viewing does not replace going to the barn when an animal needs you. It lets you leave the farm, go to town, work elsewhere on the property or spend time with family while still checking the livestock in real time.
The Technology Should Disappear
The customer should not be thinking about network settings, antenna configurations or browser technology. Those are our concerns.