What is a Health event?

Understand what it means when a Health event is alerted in Datamars Livestock

Moon Greathead avatar
Written by Moon Greathead
Updated over a week ago

A Health event in Datamars Livestock software is a measurement of abnormal cow behaviour such as feeding less, ruminating less, lying less and standing more.

Abnormal behaviour

Abnormal behaviour may be as a result of an animal event or a management/environmental event. For example, if cows are outside and they experience a significant weather event, they may huddle together and eat and ruminate less, even if feed is freely available. Likewise, calving is a significant event for a cow, and after calving she is will experience a significant change in her behaviour such as feeding less and ruminating less, which may present similar to a health event.

Moving cows to a new group or mob

When a cow moves to a new group, and this is updated in Datamars Livestock, there may be a period where her behaviour changes while she adjusts to the new group hierarchy. She may stand less, ruminate less and eat less. Datamars Livestock adjusts for this change, and has intentional reduced sensitivity after a cow moves group. Similarly, a cow calves and her behaviour changes, it is recommended group moves only occur in Datamars Livestock 14 days after a cow has calved to account for the reduced sensitivity and minimise reduced sensitivity windows. (Even if the cow has moved physical groups on the property).

Watch a short video below to understand what:

  • A health event is in Datamars Livestock

  • An animal event is

  • A management or environmental event is

  • The effect of the event on cow behaviour, and why it becomes an abnormal event

Having trouble?

  • Phone the Datamars Smart Farming support team:
    AU 1800 248 774
    NZ 0800 248 722
    US +1 (888) 431-0957 (toll free).
    UK +44 20 4571 7717
    IE and EU +353 (21) 242 8844

  • Ask us a question in the blue messaging tool on the bottom right hand side of your screen.

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