Any trail camera with a time-lapse mode works. We do not require a particular brand, and we do not need a connected or cellular camera. What matters is how it is configured.
Dial these in before you head to the barn — it is much easier at the kitchen table than up a ladder.
The settings
| Setting | What to use |
|---|---|
| Mode | Time lapse — not motion detection |
| Interval | 10 seconds. The format is often hh:mm:ss, so enter 00:00:10 |
| Schedule | Leave any “first shot time” or schedule window blank or off — the camera should shoot around the clock |
| Photo resolution | The camera’s lowest setting at or above 4MP — usually the 4MP or 8MP option |
| Timestamp overlay | ON — required. The date and time printed on each photo |
| Date & time | 24-hour format, set accurately before you start |
| SD card | 256GB, Class 10 / U3 |
| Power | External power strongly recommended |
Why these particular settings
Time lapse, not motion detection. Motion triggers only fire when something moves, which means an empty bunk with no cows near it produces no photos at all — and empty bunk time is one of the main things you are trying to measure. Time lapse gives us an even picture of the whole day.
Ten seconds. Feed deliveries and push-ups are short events. At a longer interval a tractor can pass the camera between two frames and never be seen, which shows up in your report as a missed delivery.
The lowest resolution at or above 4MP. Higher is not better here. We only need enough detail to see the bunk and the machinery; a bigger file just fills the card faster and takes longer to upload. 4MP or 8MP is the sweet spot.
Timestamp overlay ON. This is the one setting with no workaround. Most photos carry the capture time inside the file, but that information can be stripped or wrong, and the printed timestamp is our backstop. Without a reliable time on every photo we cannot place events on a timeline, and the report comes back empty.
24-hour format, set accurately. If the camera clock is wrong, every event in your report is wrong by the same amount. If the clock is a year out, we may not be able to build a report at all. Check it before every run — trail-camera clocks drift, and many reset when the batteries come out.
Format the card first
Format the SD card in the camera once before first use. Do not format it again mid-run, and do not format it on the computer. After a run, copy the photos off and format in the camera again before the next one.
What we do not need
- No cellular or Wi-Fi camera. The card comes to you.
- No particular mounting hardware — a strap around a post is fine.
- No night-vision setting changes. Infrared night shots are fine; we read them the same way.
- No video. FeedBunk AI works from still photos.
Next
Once the settings are in, see Where to mount your camera and Aiming at the bunk.
There is also a printable setup guide (PDF) with a QR code, for barns without a signal.