Santa brought an early gift to the shepherds this year! 3 Barn cameras! While this is not a new concept to the livestock community; it has been a much debated topic in our house for several years now. Would they really work when it is -14? ....yep! Can we see and hear the ewes in labor (even those dark corners of the barn)?..yep! Will we trust the cameras or just go out anyways? (Jenna doubted this one the most) ...but yep!
We've had lots of inquiries as to the new set up....so here you go! Those of you who have visited the farm know that we have 6 large lambing pens. Each camera covers two pens and is equipped with full color day vision and black and white night vision. They are wireless outdoor Ring cameras with two-way audio. Why do we want audio? Sometimes, it's easier to "hear" a momma in labor than see her. We all know that distinct "momma talk"! The cameras are connected via a wifi router in the barn office. We can view the barn from anywhere via app on our phones....want to go out to eat ...sure, you can now take the barn with you!
As for Kipton, I think he is a bit confused when he "hears the barn" in the house when Daddy "checks the ewes" and starts crawling over to find the source of the noise. And as a bonus, it's fun to watch Gemma the barn cat stalk the rafters at night!
Oddly, being in the tech integration field, I was the reluctant one on purchasing these. I wasn't sure the guys would really TRUST the cameras. The Verdict? The guys LOVE them! Seemingly, they have saved a few trips to the barn at night and like-wise saved a few lambs in trouble. Well worth the money!
