At Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s Grassroots Demo Day, entrepreneurs Callie Beech and Tyler Hadley showcased technology designed to help livestock owners improve animal care, increase efficiency and simplify daily management. Beech developed MedX, a dart that treats cattle while marking them for identification, while Hadley created EqTek, a digital management system that helps livestock owners organize animal records, feeding schedules and water monitoring.
MedX Combines Cattle Treatment With Visual Identification
MedX is designed to help cattle producers treat animals while keeping track of which animals have already received treatment. The two-in-one dart delivers medication while leaving a visible paint mark on the animal, helping producers monitor herd health without having to repeatedly identify or handle the same calf. “MedX is a two-in-one dart,” Beech said. “You’re able to doctor the animal while also leaving a paint spot on it so that you can keep track on it as it goes throughout the field.”
A Practical Solution to a Common Cattle-Handling Problem
Beech said the idea came from her own experience treating cattle. After repeatedly dealing with foot rot in calves, she encountered a problem familiar to many livestock producers: remembering which animals had already been treated. “I had been doctoring, and it had been one of those times where we had foot rot nonstop,” Beech said. “And after about the fifth time, I ran into the exact same problem, which was I couldn’t figure out which calf I doctored.”
That experience led her to consider a simple way to identify treated animals from a distance. “I sat there for a second and thought, ‘it would be so much easier if I could just mark something, be able to see it,’ and that’s really how it began,” Beech said.
A Visible Mark Helps Producers Work More Safely
The paint marker is integrated into the dart, leaving a visible splatter when it hits the calf. Producers can customize the paint color to fit their needs, making it easier to distinguish treated animals while they remain in the field.
Beech said the system can also improve safety by allowing producers to treat animals from a distance. “I believe that it is safer just because you can do it from a distance,” she said. “You can do it in the comfort of your own vehicle. It really does help herd health overall.”
Producers interested in learning more about MedX can visit medxlivestock.com or contact Beech at 580-515-2525.
EqTek Brings Livestock Management Into One Digital Platform
EqTek is designed to simplify animal care by bringing livestock records, feeding instructions and other important information into a single digital platform. Hadley described the system as a digital whiteboard for the barn, giving owners and caregivers a shared place to manage animal information.
“EqTek is what we call the digital whiteboard for the horse barn,” Hadley said. “You’re able to add all of your horses or all of your livestock into an app, track all their feedings, their locations, any injuries, documents like Coggins, all from that app.”
The platform also includes connected hardware in the form of battery-powered informational screens mounted at stall fronts. These screens display details such as an animal’s name, turnout instructions and feeding ingredients. “The cool thing too is we have connected hardware,” Hadley said. “So no matter who’s feeding in the barn, it makes it really easy to make sure the right horse is in the right spot, getting the right ingredients.”
An App Developed to Solve Everyday Barn Challenges
Hadley said the idea for EqTek grew out of his family’s experience managing horses and keeping track of animal care instructions. His wife previously operated a horse nonprofit and had extensive documentation to maintain, while multiple people helped feed their own horses. “We also have horses of our own, and we have several people that feed our horses, and we just like to know that we’re not feeding twice,” Hadley said.
The app was developed to make it easier to share consistent instructions when someone else is caring for the animals. “Whenever we’re going farm sitting or barn sitting somewhere, they can leave all the instructions in there,” Hadley said. “It’s not just a big knowledge dump in a text message.”
Although the system was initially developed to address the family’s own needs, Hadley hopes other livestock owners will find it useful.
Records, Feeding Schedules and Health Reminders
EqTek allows users to add horses, cattle, chickens or other animals, with the ability to store as much or as little information as needed. Records can include ownership details, registration information and Coggins test documents, along with reminders when a Coggins test is approaching expiration.
The app also allows users to document injuries, maintain care logs and track medications. Hadley said medication schedules can be set to roll off the feeding schedule after a specified number of doses or days.
He added that the system is designed to be easy to install and set up through a guided process within the app, making it accessible to both small personal barns and larger boarding facilities.
Water Monitoring Helps Protect Livestock Access
Another feature of EqTek is its water-monitoring capability, which alerts users when water levels are low, when water is overflowing or when water is no longer available.
Hadley said the idea came from firsthand experience with the challenges of caring for animals and managing water systems. Overflowing troughs can waste water, while malfunctioning automatic waterers can leave livestock without an adequate supply.
He described a nearby ranch where cattle sometimes knock automatic waterers loose, causing the troughs to run out of water. “Our water monitors are a detective practice where it will tell you if there’s no water there or when you’re running low, or if you’re overflowing,” Hadley said.
Ultimately, he said the goal is to help livestock owners keep animals supplied with water while making routine barn management easier. “Because we want to make sure horses and all animals have great accessibility to water,” Hadley said.
