How technology is making monitoring animal health easier

A large part of farming is keeping track of the condition and health of animals. Janine Ryan reports on the current apps available to make this process easier and more efficient for farmers.

- Janine Ryan

The management of animal health is crucial to the profitability and sustainability of a herd or flock. Technology makes recording, analysing and predicting illness, behaviour and body condition easier.

The list below highlights the advancements made in this kind of technology. It is by no means complete, and there are many apps that provide the same functionality as these ones:

HERDWATCH

Herdwatch is a mobile app for farmers to manage their herd or flock's health and productivity. It is available on iOS and Android devices and is designed to be easy to use, even for farmers who may not be particularly techsavvy. The app has the following functions:

• Record-keeping

With Herdwatch, farmers can keep detailed records of the animals' movements, as well as births, deaths, sales and purchases. Farmers can also record details about each individual animal, including its breed, age and health status.

• Medication tracking

Herdwatch enables farmers to record the medication and treatments given to their animals, including the dosage, date and reason for treatment. This helps them keep track of which animals have been treated and when they need to be treated again.

• Breeding management

Farmers can use the app to record breeding data, including which animals have been bred, when they were bred, and which bull or ram was used for breeding. This enables farmers to track breeding history and plan future breeding programmes.

• Reporting and analysis

Herdwatch provides farmers with a range of reports and analysis tools to help them manage the animals' health and productivity. For example, farmers can generate reports on calf or lamb mortality rates, breeding success rates, and medication usage.

• Integration with other systems