Apps for the Barn: A List of New or Notable Livestock Apps

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Opinion

Apps continue to grow and evolve in all aspects of agriculture, with crop commodities eons ahead of their livestock counterparts. Discussions are no longer bound by the confines of a physical community, with information being shared on Twitter, Google+ (check out #cattle and the Cattle Community for a taste of each), Facebook, Instagram and others. If you’re reading this, you’ve likely already tried one or more of these platforms, but if you haven’t, take the time to get to know Twitter.

Twitter was Made for Farmers – Rick Taillieu

There are other apps out there, but the livestock-related options are particularly difficult to find. So, with help from social media and an extensive search, I have compiled a list.* Unfortunately, I am burdened by an ever-ignored Blackberry platform, so was unable to give any of these a try. If you’ve used any of them, let us know what you think. And likewise, if you use and recommend other apps, tell us why!

Livestock

Compendium of Veterinary Products – Besides a list of over 200 manufacturers, this app also provides monographs on 5,000 pharmaceutical, biological, feed medication and parasiticide products. It also includes labels, species specific charts, anthelmintics/parasiticides, biologicals, and withdrawal times. Requires internet connection. | Free | Google Play | Apple App Store

iLivestockMgr – Data management for horses, cows, pigs, goats, sheep and poultry.  Includes record-keeping for health, status, ID, birth, performance and even links a picture (if desired) to individual animal records. Bundled with iAITankMgr, iPastureMgr, Grouping and Data Sharing. iCloud-friendly. Email reports as PDF or export as CSV. | $19.99 | Apple App Store

Cattle

AI Cowculator App – Wondering if artificial insemination is economically feasible for your operation? This app is designed to help you make that decision.  | Free | Download for ExcelGoogle Play | Apple App Store

CanFax CFX Pro Mobile – A truly Canadian cattle marketing tool, the CanFax app allows producers at every stage of cattle production to stay current on market prices now and in the future. All information is pulled from CanFax generated data, but you don’t have to be a customer to use the app. It also includes a break-even calculator using actual futures markets. Hear straight from Brian Perillat, of CanFax, about how this app works by clicking here. Available for BlackBerry and iPhone platforms. | Free | Apple App Store | BlackBerry World

iAITankMgr – Available as stand-alone feature if you don’t want iCattleMgr or iLivestockMgr. Record artificial insemination inventory and information. | $12.99 | Apple App Store

iCalve – A record-keeping app developed by a rancher in Alberta to replace calving booklets. Includes: calving records, doctor records, cull list, herd data and gestation calendar. Export as PDF.  | $9.99 | Apple App Store

iCattleMgr –  Basic record-keeping, including:  animal ID, a short description, a detailed description, an area for notes related to the animal and event data for a chronological record of things like birth, immunizations, treatments. Email records as PDF or export as CSV. | $9.99 | Apple App Store

iCattleMgrPro – The big brother to iCattleMgr and basically a cattle-only version of iLivestockMgr (included above). Over 90 pieces of information available for animals. Bundled with iAITankMgr, iPastureMgr, Grouping and Data Sharing. iCloud-friendly. Email as PDF or export as CSV. | $19.99 | Apple App Store

Pro Cattle Breeding – Record information pertinent to breeeding cycle, including breeding history for each cow, chronicle pre-mating heat, first heat, AI date, scan date, pregnancy and due date. Will assemble graph of herd breeding data, forecast feed requirements. Offline data input. Export data as CSV. | $10-15 | Google Play | Apple App Store

Pro Dairy Event – Record keeping for events, milking time alarm notifications, medication records (can be cross-referenced with invoices). Offline data input. Export data as CSV.  | $10-15  | Google Play | Apple App Store

Tru-Test DataLink – Receives information from nearby Tru-Test equipment via bluetooth. Can then be e-mailed or shared as CSV. | Free | Google Play

Pasture Management

AGRIPlot –  Plot any area on a map by walking around designated location, adding landmark points along the way. Alternatively, drop pins from app. Pictures can be added to pins, if desired. Provides distances between points and total area. Email as PDF or KML. | $0.99 | Apple App Store

LeafSnap – Recognizes certain tree species through visual recognition software. Also enables users to create digital plant catalogue. | Free |  Apple App Store

iPastureMgr – Available as stand-alone feature if you don’t want iCattleMgr or iLivestockMgr. Manages information entered re. pasture size, foliage yield and animals grazing to estimate timeframe before rotation. Based on data published from South Dakota State University. | $12.99 | Apple App Store

Prairie Locator App – Converts LLDs from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba to GPS coordinates and plots onto a map. Can then map driving directions to plotted marker. Roadmap, satellite and hybrid views.  | $2.99 | Similar App available for android devices) Apple App Store

*Prices in this list may vary depending on your location and preferred platform.

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