Recording What Happens to Animals

Every day, things happen to animals. They eat, they move, they get sick, they recover, they give birth, they are vaccinated, they are moved to different paddocks. These events form the story of each animal's life. For mobs, these events tell the story of the population.

Kora records these events to create a complete, permanent history that helps you:

• Remember what happened when
• Make informed decisions based on past patterns
• Comply with regulatory requirements
• Coordinate care between team members
• Investigate when problems occur
• Demonstrate responsible stewardship

The Three Types of Events

1. Observations (What You See)

Observations are your daily notes about what you notice when working with animals. They are the foundation of animal health monitoring, welfare assessment, and behaviour documentation.

Observation Categories:

Health Symptoms: Signs of illness, injury, or physical problems

• Limping, discharge, coughing, swelling
• Loss of appetite, lethargy, unusual behaviour
• Wounds, skin conditions, parasites
• Abnormal vital signs

Behaviour: How animals act and interact

• Activity levels (active, lethargic, hyperactive)
• Eating and drinking patterns
• Movement and mobility
• Unusual behaviours or changes from normal

Dietary Habits: Feeding and nutrition observations

• Appetite changes
• Food preferences or refusals
• Drinking patterns
• Body condition

Physical Characteristics: Appearance and condition

• Body condition score
• Coat or feather quality
• Hoof, claw, or nail condition
• Size, weight, development

Social Interaction: How animals relate to others

• Herd dynamics
• Dominance behaviours
• Isolation or exclusion
• Bonding or conflict

Environmental Response: Reactions to surroundings

• Response to weather changes
• Stress indicators
• Comfort levels in enclosures
• Adaptation to new environments

Reproductive Behaviour: Breeding-related observations

• Heat cycles
• Breeding attempts
• Nesting behaviour
• Maternal care

Severity Levels:

Every observation has a severity rating that helps prioritise follow-up:

• Low: Minor observation, routine monitoring
• Medium: Warrants attention, monitor closely
• High: Significant concern, veterinary consultation recommended
• Critical: Urgent intervention required

Example Observations:

Date: March 3, 2025
Animal: Cow #405 (Daisy)
Category: Health Symptom
Severity: Medium
Description: Noticed slight limp on front right leg during morning check.
Walking but favouring the leg. No visible swelling or wounds.
Requires Follow-Up: Yes
Follow-Up Date: March 5, 2025
Notes: Monitor for next 48 hours. If not improved, call veterinarian.

Date: March 2, 2025
Mob: South Herd Cattle (245 animals)
Category: Behaviour
Severity: Low
Description: Herd settled well in new pasture. 95% grazing actively.
Good distribution across paddock. Water consumption normal.
Requires Follow-Up: No

GPS-Enabled Observations:

Field observations can capture precise GPS coordinates. This is especially useful for:

• Wildlife sightings in large territories
• Observations on extensive grazing properties
• Documenting where health issues occurred
• Mapping disease clusters

When you record an observation on a mobile device, Kora can automatically capture:

• GPS latitude and longitude
• Accuracy (how precise the coordinates are)
• Elevation
• Timestamp

Follow-Up Workflow:

Observations can trigger follow-up actions:

1. Mark "Requires Follow-Up" when an observation needs future attention
2. Set a follow-up date
3. Add follow-up notes explaining what should be checked
4. Kora automatically creates a task reminder
5. Document the outcome when follow-up is complete

2. Treatments (What You Do Medically)

Treatments are medical interventions administered to animals. This includes medications, vaccines, and procedures.

Treatment Categories:

Antimicrobials: Antibiotics and antibacterial medications

• Tracked with WHO antimicrobial stewardship guidelines
• Requires clinical justification
• Withdrawal periods monitored
• Resistance tracking enabled

Parasiticides: Anti-parasitic medications

• Dewormers (internal parasites)
• External parasite treatments (ticks, lice, mites)
• Preventative and therapeutic use

Vaccines: Disease prevention immunisations

• Core vaccines (routinely recommended)
• Non-core vaccines (risk-based)
• Booster schedules
• Certificate generation for regulatory compliance

Off-Label: Medications used outside approved indications

• Documented justification required
• Veterinary supervision typically required
• Extra caution and monitoring

Other Treatments: Medical interventions not in above categories

• Vitamins and supplements
• Wound care products
• Anti-inflammatory medications
• Hormonal treatments

What a Treatment Records:

• Name: The medication or intervention
• Category: Which type of treatment
• Batch/Lot Number: For traceability and recall management
• Expiration Date: Ensuring medication is current
• Administered By: Who gave the treatment
• Treatment Date: When it was administered
• Notes: Additional context, dosage, observations
• Link to Treatment Plan: If part of scheduled care

Example Treatment:

Animal: Cow #405 (Daisy)
Treatment: Hoof infection treatment
Category: Antimicrobials
Name: Oxytetracycline
Batch Number: LOT-2024-0567
Administered By: Dr Sarah Johnson, DVM
Date: March 3, 2025
Notes: 20 mL IM injection for suspected hoof infection.
Withdrawal period: 28 days (milk and meat).
Recheck in 5 days.

Linked to Observation: March 3 limp observation
Antimicrobial Stewardship: WHO Access category, clinical diagnosis confirmed

Treatment Plans (Scheduled Care):

Treatment plans create recurring schedules for routine medical care:

• Vaccination schedules: Annual boosters, multi-dose series
• Parasite control: Quarterly deworming programmes
• Chronic condition management: Ongoing medication for health conditions
• Preventative care: Seasonal treatments, hoof trimming, dental care

Example Treatment Plan:

Plan Name: Annual Vaccination Protocol - Cow #405
Start Date: March 15, 2025
Frequency: Yearly
Scheduled Treatments:
  - March 15, 2025: IBR/BVD vaccine (completed)
  - March 15, 2026: IBR/BVD vaccine (scheduled)
  - March 15, 2027: IBR/BVD vaccine (scheduled)

Treatment plans automatically generate task reminders. This ensures routine care does not get forgotten.

3. Movements (Where Animals Go)

Movement records document when animals change locations. This includes movements between your subdivisions, between your properties, or to and from external locations.

What a Movement Records:

• Movement Date: When the movement occurred
• From Location: Starting point (location and subdivision)
• To Location: Destination (location and subdivision)
• Third-Party Locations: If moving to or from external properties
• Reason: Why the movement occurred
• Notes: Additional context
• User: Who recorded or authorised the movement

Movement Types:

Internal Movements: Between subdivisions on your property

• Pasture rotation
• Moving to treatment areas
• Quarantine isolation
• Breeding group management

Property Transfers: Between your different locations

• Seasonal movements (summer and winter pastures)
• Resource optimisation
• Facility-specific care (moving to farm with veterinary facilities)

Third-Party Movements: To or from external properties

• Sales to buyers
• Purchases from sellers
• Transfers to other organisations (breeding programmes, conservation)
• Movements to processing facilities
• Veterinary clinic visits

Example Movements:

Animal: Cow #405 (Daisy)
Date: February 15, 2025
From: Valley View Farm → North Paddock
To: Valley View Farm → South Paddock
Reason: Rotational grazing
Notes: Moved with rest of milking herd for fresh pasture access

Animal: Rhino #12 (Kofi)
Date: March 1, 2025
From: Northern Reserve → Acacia Territory
To: Southern Reserve → Intensive Protection Zone
Reason: Anti-poaching security enhancement
Notes: Increased poaching pressure in Northern Reserve.
GPS collar updated with new zone boundaries.

Animal: Lion #7 (Simba)
Date: January 10, 2025
From: City Zoo → Lion Enclosure
To: National Zoo (Third Party)
Address: 456 Wildlife Parkway, Capital City
Reason: Breeding programme transfer
Notes: Part of Species Survival Plan. Health certificate issued.
Genetic diversity analysis recommended mating with female at destination.
Animal Sold: No (conservation transfer)

Automatic Traceability:

Every movement automatically updates the animal's traceability chain. This creates a permanent record of geographic history. This is critical for:

• Disease outbreak investigation (where has this animal been?)
• Food safety traceability (where did this meat come from?)
• Regulatory compliance (movement permits, export documentation)
• Theft recovery (proving ownership and location history)

How Events Create History

These three event types combine to create a complete timeline of each animal's life. Observations, treatments, and movements work together.

Example Timeline for Cow #405 (Daisy):

March 15, 2022 - BIRTH
  Born on Valley View Farm, South Paddock
  Dam: Cow #289 (Bessie), Sire: Bull #12 (Duke)

April 10, 2022 - TREATMENT
  Vaccination: IBR/BVD initial dose

May 15, 2022 - TREATMENT
  Vaccination: IBR/BVD booster dose

August 20, 2022 - MOVEMENT
  Moved to Heifer Paddock (weaned from mother)

March 5, 2023 - OBSERVATION
  First heat cycle observed

April 18, 2023 - TREATMENT
  Artificially inseminated

May 20, 2023 - OBSERVATION
  Pregnancy confirmed (60 days)

January 10, 2024 - MOVEMENT
  Moved to Maternity Paddock (calving imminent)

March 2, 2024 - OBSERVATION
  First calf born (heifer calf, healthy)

March 15, 2024 - MOVEMENT
  Moved to Milking Herd Paddock

June 1, 2024 - TREATMENT
  Deworming (routine parasite control)

February 20, 2025 - OBSERVATION
  Pregnancy confirmed (second calf, due May 2025)

March 3, 2025 - OBSERVATION
  Slight limp observed, requires follow-up

March 3, 2025 - TREATMENT
  Antibiotic for suspected hoof infection

March 5, 2025 - OBSERVATION
  Limp improving, continuing to monitor

[Timeline continues...]

This timeline shows:

• Complete life history from birth
• Medical interventions with context
• Location changes and reasons
• Health observations and responses
• Breeding and production records

The Three Time Perspectives

Kora organises events across three time perspectives:

1. Historical (What Happened)

Everything that has already occurred. This includes past observations, completed treatments, and historical movements.

Use cases:

• Reviewing an animal's medical history before treatment
• Investigating disease patterns
• Demonstrating compliance during audits
• Learning from past successes or problems

Example: "Show me all observations for Cow #405 in the last 6 months" reveals trends in health and behaviour.

2. Real-Time (What is Happening Now)

Current status, active conditions, ongoing situations.

Use cases:

• Which animals are currently under quarantine?
• What treatments are due today?
• Which animals require follow-up?
• Where are animals located right now?

Example: Dashboard shows "3 animals require follow-up today" and "5 treatments scheduled for this afternoon."

3. Scheduled (What Will Happen)

Planned future events. This includes scheduled treatments, upcoming follow-ups, and planned movements.

Use cases:

• Vaccination schedules ensuring nothing is missed
• Planned rotational grazing movements
• Future veterinary visits
• Scheduled health assessments

Example: "Cow #405 has a follow-up observation scheduled for March 5 and a vaccination due March 15."

These three perspectives work together. A scheduled treatment becomes real-time when due. It then becomes historical once completed.

Why Complete Event History Matters

Making Informed Decisions

When Cow #405 develops a limp, you can instantly see:

• She had a similar issue 8 months ago
• That issue responded well to rest and anti-inflammatory treatment
• She is currently pregnant (important for medication choices)
• She has no history of chronic hoof problems

This history guides treatment decisions. It prevents unnecessary interventions.

Coordinating Team Care

Multiple people work with animals. This includes farm staff, veterinarians, managers, and specialists. Complete event history ensures everyone sees the full picture.

Scenario: A farm worker observes unusual behaviour and records it. The farm manager sees the observation. The manager notes it requires veterinary attention and schedules a vet visit. The veterinarian reviews the observation before arriving. The vet sees previous health history and brings appropriate equipment. After treatment, all team members see the outcome and follow-up plan.

Regulatory Compliance

Many jurisdictions require documentation:

• Treatment records with withdrawal periods
• Movement history for traceability
• Health certificates based on observation history
• Vaccination records for export

Complete event history makes compliance automatic rather than stressful.

Pattern Recognition

When you record events consistently over time, patterns emerge:

• Seasonal health issues (parasites peak in summer)
• Stress responses to management changes
• Environmental triggers for behaviour problems
• Breeding success rates by genetics or management

These patterns inform future decisions. They improve outcomes.

Problem Investigation

When things go wrong, event history provides the evidence trail. This includes disease outbreaks, production drops, and unexplained deaths.

Disease Outbreak Investigation:

1. When did the first animal show symptoms? (Observation history)
2. Where was that animal located? (Movement history)
3. Which other animals were in that location? (Location tracking)
4. What treatments were tried? (Treatment history)
5. Did the disease spread to other areas? (Cross-reference movements and observations)

This investigative capability can mean the difference between containing an outbreak and losing an entire herd.

Observations for Mobs (Group Events)

Everything described above applies to individual animals. For mobs (groups), the concepts are similar but scaled to populations.

Mob Observations document group-level conditions:

• "80% of herd in excellent body condition"
• "5 animals showing respiratory symptoms in flock of 200"
• "Entire mob responding well to new pasture"

Mob Treatments record collective interventions:

• Deworming administered to entire herd
• Percentage coverage (95% of animals treated)
• Sample-based efficacy (monitoring subset for treatment response)

Mob Movements track group relocations:

• 245 cattle moved from North Pasture to South Paddock
• 60 sheep transferred between properties
• Wildlife population shifted to new territory

The timeline concept remains the same. It creates a complete history of what happened to the population over time.

Best Practices for Recording Events

Be Timely

Record events when they happen or as soon as practically possible. Memory fades. Details get lost. Patterns become harder to see when documentation lags behind reality.

Be Specific

"Cow looks sick" is less useful than "Cow #405 has watery nasal discharge, reduced appetite, and slightly elevated temperature."

Specific observations enable better decision-making. They create more useful historical records.

Use Severity Appropriately

Not everything is critical. Accurate severity ratings help prioritise attention where it is truly needed:

• Low: Routine observation, normal monitoring
• Medium: Worth watching, may need intervention
• High: Requires professional attention soon
• Critical: Urgent intervention needed now

Document Follow-Up Outcomes

When you mark an observation as requiring follow-up, close the loop:

• What was the outcome when you checked?
• Did the condition improve, worsen, or stay the same?
• What action was taken based on the follow-up?

This creates complete stories, not unfinished questions.

Connect Related Events

When a treatment is given in response to an observation, note the connection. When a movement is prompted by a health issue, document why. These connections make history more meaningful. They make investigations more effective.

Include Context

A few extra words of context make events far more useful later:

• Treatment: "Administered due to observation on March 3"
• Movement: "Moved to isolate from herd due to contagious symptoms"
• Observation: "First occurrence of this behaviour; monitoring for patterns"