The present invention from UW-Madison researchers is an imaging system to monitor and possibly to forecast feeding in bunks in livestock yards. The inventors developed the system utilizing cameras at different points in the feedlots for imaging the bunks and surrounding areas. Based on the image, the computer system they developed captures the amount of feed in the bunk and characterizes it as full, medium, low and empty. The system also captures images of the cows at the bunk and characterizes it as empty, low, half, and full. The system processes the images in real time and notes whether the situation is a green flag (such as empty bunks and empty cattle, or full bunks and full cattle). More importantly, the system identifies red flag conditions, such as when the bunk area is half cattle but empty of feed. The system sends an automatic alert to the manager with the location and need to fill the bunk.