Beef Cattle Institute launches pregnancy analytics mobile app
Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2016
A new mobile app developed by Kansas State University's Beef Cattle Institute allows producers and veterinarians to manage pregnancy diagnosis information on cattle herds.Photo courtesy of Audrey Hambright, Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine. | Download this photo.
MANHATTAN — The Beef Cattle Institute at Kansas State University is making it easier for producers and veterinarians to manage pregnancy diagnosis information with a new mobile app called Pregnancy Analytics.
Designed to serve as an instant data collection and analysis tool, the app will facilitate the transformation of data into actionable information for individual herds.
Not only will the app allow cattlemen to input records chute-side with ease, but it will evaluate the success of the breeding program at the time that a herd is palpated and provide a benchmark for comparison against other herds in the region.
The app will accept the following information:
• Pasture ID/herd name.
• Breed — up to three breeds, or other cow description.
• Cow ID.
• Age.
• Body condition score.
• Number of days bred.
From this, projected calving dates are generated and graphs are created to display the distribution of the producer's future calving season.
"The Pregnancy Analytics app offers easier data entry than using a pen and paper while providing the immediate data assessment and visualization of a chute-side computer," said Robert Larson, the Roger E. and M. Elizabeth Coleman chair in food animal production medicine at Kansas State University's College of Veterinary Medicine. "Additionally, the data and report can be emailed to the client or stored on the device, and the data can be converted to a spreadsheet for further appraisal."
According to Brad White, interim director of the Beef Cattle Institute, or BCI, and professor of production medicine, this is the first of several interactive decision-making tools that will be designed for industry use.
"Veterinarians can use this app to convert pregnancy-check data to actionable information for their clients," he said. "This is the first of several apps that BCI will be releasing to enhance decision-making by veterinarians and their beef clients."
The Pregnancy Analytics app is available for download for Apple or Android markets. More information can be found at beefcattleinstitute.org, or contact 785-564-7459 for assistance.
Kansas State University's Beef Cattle Institute utilizes collaborative multidisciplinary expertise to promote successful beef production through the discovery and delivery of actionable information and innovative decision support tools. The institute's activities also are part of the university's leadership in global food systems.
