Count your chickens with streaming webcam technology

Case Study republished courtesy of NetComm Limited

Ecoeggs are free-range – genuine and certified. Resident hens spend the day roaming lush green pastures in search of seeds and insects. Free to move between the range and barn as they please, Ecoegg farm hens live a life far removed from their caged or barn kept cousins.

With increasing public concern about animal welfare and the source of food, Ecoeggs were keen to let customers watch their free roaming hens first-hand from the convenience of their computer, laptop or smart phone. Constant real-time webcams were decided upon, allowing customers and stakeholders to observe the free-range farms at any time, from any location.

Captivaction provided Ecoeggs with a CaptivEYE Live & Interactive Webcam for integration within their website. The system was quickly and easily installed, giving farmers and customers genuine insight into the free-range lives of the chooks, using features including live video streaming and real-time user pan, tilt and zoom control.

As the ChookCams were placed in isolated locations with no nearby connections, NetComm’s CallDirect Series (CDR-790) routers were used to enable a reliable connection over the Telstra network, through which the video stream and remote control functionality is achieved.

Paul Carter, Captivaction Managing Director, required a stand-alone system that could be deployed in remote rural locations, and operate reliably.

“Being a 3G router, NetComm’s CDR-790 is easy to set up and install in virtually any location. The equipment is configured and tested in advance, and because the routers are used for this single purpose only, the bandwidth isn’t shared with others and we’re able to ensure quality of service of our webcams.“

Ecoeggs have received an overwhelmingly positive response since the ChookCam went live. The simple process of providing customers with an online video feed has also opened the door to a variety of interactive marketing opportunities via their website, Facebook and Twitter.

Read the original case study

llustration by Front Design