Open source project

Cowcatcher AI

Combining the Cowcatcher vision model with the AI-detector creates an automated alert system that monitors cows to detect "mounting" behavior.

Start with installing Test CowCatcher AI
Barn camera view where CowCatcher marks a mounting cow with confidence 0.94 Heat detection
01

The Basics

  • 24/7 Monitoring The program monitors a live camera feed pointed at the cows around the clock.
  • Artificial Intelligence It uses AI to automatically recognize when one cow mounts another, built on Ultralytics Yolo.
  • Instant Alerts Immediately sends photo and video notifications to your phone via Telegram or Home Assistant.
  • Non-Intrusive Your cameras remain functional; we simply use an additional stream.
  • Local Processing Everything runs locally on your own computer in the stable or office.
02

The "Smart" Part

Learned Behavior

This program has been trained to recognize heat behavior using thousands of images.

Confidence Score

The system assigns a reliability score to every detection.

03

How it works in practice

  1. 1

    Continuous Monitoring

    The camera films the cows all day.

  2. 2

    Smart Analysis

    The program analyzes activity every few seconds.

  3. 3

    Detection

    High certainty detections trigger image and video capture.

  4. 4

    The Perfect Shot

    It collects several seconds of footage for the clearest view.

  5. 5

    Sending Notifications

    You receive a "Heat Detected" alert with visual proof.

04

Important Considerations – You Stay in Control

A Tool, Not a Replacement

AI can trigger false alarms; you make the final decision.

Animal Identification

You must identify the specific cow from the photo yourself.

Physical Checks Remain Vital

Always check for mucus and physical signs when in doubt.

An Extra Pair of Eyes

A digital assistant for night-time or when you are away.

Practical Workflow

  1. 1 Receive Notification
  2. 2 View Photo
  3. 3 Identify Animal
  4. 4 Check Physically
  5. 5 Take Decision

Why This System is Valuable

  • No need to watch the cows constantly.
  • Don't miss heat cycles at night.
  • Immediate alerts allow for fast action.
  • Identify the exact onset of heat for precision insemination.

Data & Privacy

  • Local Hosting Runs on your own computer without cloud connections.
  • Requirements Computer must stay on and connected to the internet for alerts.
  • Platforms Uses Telegram or Home Assistant for local setups.
  • Storage Images are stored locally; only the best are sent to your phone.
  • Continuous Improvement Option to further train the program yourself.

What You Need

  • A Computer Ideally with an NVIDIA GPU (GTX 1000-series or newer).
  • IP Camera Most RTSP-capable cameras work (e.g., Reolink Trackmix).
  • POE Switch To power cameras via a single cable.
  • LAN Cable Approximately €1 per meter.
  • Internet Connection.

What We Provide

  • The Trained AI Model The neural network 'brain'.
  • Privacy Contains no images from other farms.
  • Open Source Software A reusable third-party AI detector.

Disclaimer & Licensing

Use at your own risk. Open-source software under AGPL-3.0. Please be fair and link to the official GitHub page.

Visit Official GitHub Page

Ready to try it in your own barn?

The software is free. You install it yourself, step by step, with our guide.

Start with installing Telegram