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A good start at calving is key for optimal performance throughout lactation. With Active Tag continuously monitoring your animals, Datamars Livestock will alert you immediately before, or just after calving.
📝 The 'Calving Alerts' feature works best in indoor operations.
📢 The 'Calving Alerts' feature is available on request. Click on the Live Chat bubble in the bottom right-hand corner of this screen or email sf-support@datamars.com.
Monitoring when calving has occurred means:
You will know what is happening in the calving pen, even when you are not there.
You can identify cows which have recently calved.
You can focus on giving cows and calves a good start.
📝 Calving alerts are designed to support your decision-making, not replace regular calving checks. Not every calving event will generate an alert.
How does Datamars Livestock know when an animal has calved?
Datamars Livestock will trigger a calving alert when an animal's behaviour matches a calving-specific pattern, identified by an algorithm trained on thousands of confirmed calving events. The calving window is between 250 and 310 days after the pregnancy has started.
When a calving alert is triggered, a calving alert event will be added to the animal record. All events are viewable in Datamars Livestock in the Events screen (My Herd > Events). If you have configured your notifications you can also receive the alert on your mobile phone or by email.
💡 The calving alerts feature only works if an insemination date or pregnancy scan data is entered in Datamars Livestock manually or via an integration.
Viewing animals with a calving alert
To view a list of animals with a calving alert using the Datamars Pro mobile app:
On the Dashboard, tap Calving Alerts (24 hrs).
On the Calving Alerts screen, a list of all animals which have calved in the last 24 hours will be displayed. The time when calving was first detected is displayed.
Click on an animal ID to view more details.
Once you have confirmed that an animal has calved, we recommend adding a calving event to the animal's record either directly in Datamars Livestock or in your Farm Management software.
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To view animals with a calving alert using the Datamars Livestock web app:
From the Home screen, click on Calving Alerts (last 24h).
On the Calving Alerts screen, a list of all animals which have calved in the last 24 hours will be displayed. The time when calving was first detected is displayed together with the expected calving date.
Click on an animal ID to view more details.
Once you have confirmed that an animal has calved, we recommend adding a calving event to the animal's record either directly in Datamars Livestock or in your Farm Management software.
How do I receive calving alerts?
You should configure your notifications so that you receive an alert when Datamars Livestock detects an animal has calved.
How does Datamars Livestock determine the cow's expected calving date?
This date is derived from the last insemination date or the last pregnancy check with 'days in calf' recorded and the gestation length. The default gestation length is 283 days, but this can be configured in the web app (Farm Settings > Reproduction > Edit reproduction configuration > Gestation length).
A cow has calved on my farm but I didn't receive a 'Calving alert' notification - why not?
There are several possible reasons:
The calving alert notification is disabled by default. Check that you have enabled this alert for every Datamars Livestock user on your farm who needs to know this information.
A calving alert notification can only be sent for animals with an expected calving date. See above for details on how Datamars Livestock determines the expected calving date.
An active tag must be fitted for 3 days before a notification will be sent.
An animal may not have exhibited clear and consistent calving-specific behaviour patterns long enough for the algorithm to detect it. Calving alerts are an additional management tool and should not replace regular calving checks.
Why have I received two likely calved notifications for one cow?
If you don't manually record a calving event in Datamars Livestock to confirm the calving alert notification, the system will continue to look for irregular animal behaviour until 10 days after an animal's expected calving date. It is best practice to confirm the calving alert by recording a calving event.
Why did I get a calving alert when my cow hasn’t calved yet?
Calving alerts are triggered by changes in animal activity that can occur before calving. Some cows show these signs hours — or even a day — ahead of calving. In other cases, similar activity changes can happen without calving happening immediately. Calving alerts are designed to prompt a check, not predict the exact moment of calving.
Does a calving alert mean I need to act immediately?
Not necessarily. An alert indicates that a cow may be approaching calving and is best used to help prioritise checks alongside your normal routine.
Can I rely on calving alerts instead of checking cows?
No. Calving alerts are intended to support efficiency, not replace regular observation and management practices.
Why do some cows trigger calving alerts and others don’t?
Every cow behaves differently before calving. Factors such as temperament, environment, herd dynamics, and activity levels can influence whether an alert is triggered.
See also:
Changing notifications to receive alerts on your mobile phone or by email when an animal is calving.