Farm Management Through Kora

Farm managers and livestock owners represent Kora's core user base. You manage daily operations, animal health, production tracking, biosecurity, compliance, and business sustainability across commercial farms, smallholder operations, ranches, and agricultural enterprises. Whether you manage cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, poultry, horses, or diversified livestock, Kora provides comprehensive tools supporting operations from individual animal health to herd-level production metrics.

Unlike specialised dashboards for veterinarians (Chapter 20), farm management features are woven throughout Kora's core functionality. Chapters 6-14 were designed specifically for farm operations. This chapter shows how to orchestrate these features for efficient, profitable, compliant farm management.

Your Farm Management Foundation

Core farm features already exist across multiple chapters:

Getting Started (Chapter 6) - Account setup, first location creation with property boundaries, first animal records, and navigation basics tailored to farm operations.

Daily Operations (Chapter 7) - Task management, work schedules, daily routines, animal movement documentation, and operational workflow optimisation.

Animal Management (Chapter 8) - Individual animal tracking for breeding stock or high-value animals, animal mob management for commercial herds, breeding records, growth tracking, and lifetime health documentation.

Maps & GPS (Chapter 9) - Property mapping with paddock boundaries, subdivision management, movement visualisation, and location-based operational planning.

Health & Treatment Management (Chapter 10) - Health observation recording, treatment documentation, medication tracking, veterinary consultation coordination, and animal welfare monitoring.

Biosecurity & Disease Management (Chapter 11) - Quarantine protocol implementation, contact tracing during disease events, outbreak management, visitor control, and disease prevention.

Traceability & Compliance (Chapter 12) - Movement documentation, chain of custody records, regulatory compliance proof, and export certification supporting market access.

Task & Schedule Management (Chapter 13) - Work planning, staff coordination, feeding schedules, recurring health checks, and operational task tracking.

Inventory & Supply Management (Chapter 14) - Feed inventory, medication stocks, equipment tracking, and supply chain management.

These chapters collectively provide complete farm management capabilities. Success comes from integrating them into daily operations.

Daily Farm Routines

Morning Planning (6:00-7:00 AM)

Review overnight notifications - Check your mobile device for urgent alerts. Did biosecurity systems flag issues overnight? Do any animals require immediate attention? Task notifications show today's priorities.

Check task list - Open Kora's task manager (Chapter 13). Review today's scheduled activities sorted by priority and location. Identify time-sensitive work: treatments due, feeding schedules, stock movements planned.

Weather and conditions - Note weather affecting outdoor work. Rain might postpone pasture rotations. Heat waves require extra water monitoring. Plan accordingly.

Allocate staff - If managing a team, assign today's tasks to appropriate staff (Chapter 26.2). Experienced workers handle complex procedures. New staff do supervised routine work. Balance workload across your team.

Morning Health Checks (7:00-9:00 AM)

Systematic paddock inspection - Walk through paddocks or pens systematically. Don't rush. Observe every animal or mob carefully.

What to look for:

• General behaviour: Are animals alert? Moving normally? Interacting with others?
• Appetite: Is feed consumed from yesterday? Are animals approaching new feed eagerly?
• Physical condition: Any limping, unusual posture, swelling, or discharge visible?
• Environmental factors: Water trough levels, fence integrity, shelter conditions

Record observations immediately - Use mobile Kora during inspection (Chapter 5). Create observations for anything unusual (Chapter 10.1):

• Individual animals showing symptoms
• Mob-level health concerns affecting multiple animals
• Environmental issues requiring attention

Prioritise severity - Mark observation severity guiding response urgency:

• Low: Minor concerns, routine monitoring
• Medium: Notable issues requiring attention within days
• High: Significant problems needing prompt action
• Critical: Urgent situations requiring immediate veterinary consultation

Take photos - Document visual evidence. Photos support veterinary assessment if you need professional consultation. They create before-and-after comparisons tracking treatment response.

Feeding and Water Management (Throughout Day)

Feed distribution - Deliver feed according to scheduled amounts per paddock or animal group. Record feeding in tasks as completed (Chapter 13). Note any feed refusal or unusual consumption patterns in observations.

Water monitoring - Check every water point. Ensure troughs are clean, water flows properly, and livestock have adequate access. Document water system problems requiring maintenance.

Feed inventory tracking - Update inventory records as feed consumed (Chapter 14). System alerts you when stocks run low, giving time to reorder before shortages occur.

Treatment Administration (As Needed)

Scheduled treatments - Review treatment schedules (Chapter 10.2). Animals may require medication doses, wound care, or follow-up procedures. Complete treatments on time maintaining therapeutic levels.

Record immediately - Document every treatment as administered:

• Medication name and dose
• Administration route and time
• Animal response observed
• Next dose due date
• Any adverse reactions

Withdrawal periods - Kora automatically calculates withdrawal periods for food-producing animals (Chapter 10.2). This prevents marketing animals or products while drug residues remain above safe levels. System alerts you when withdrawal periods complete.

Veterinary treatments - If veterinarians prescribed complex treatment protocols, follow instructions precisely. Record each administration confirming compliance. Document progress supporting veterinary review.

Movement Documentation (Throughout Day)

Recording movements - When moving animals between paddocks, to market, or off-property, document immediately (Chapter 7.3):

• Which animals or mobs moved
• Departure location and arrival destination
• Movement date and time
• Reason for movement
• Transport details if relevant

Automatic traceability - Every movement creates traceability events (Chapter 12). These form permanent records proving location history for regulatory compliance and market access.

Biosecurity considerations - When moving animals into quarantine zones or restricted areas, Kora tracks time in isolation supporting quarantine release decisions (Chapter 11).

Afternoon Tasks and Maintenance (2:00-5:00 PM)

Equipment maintenance - Complete scheduled maintenance tasks: fence repairs, water system servicing, feeding equipment cleaning. Record maintenance in task completion notes.

Breeding management - For farms focused on breeding, document breeding events, pregnancy checks, and parturition (Chapter 8). Track reproductive performance supporting breeding decisions.

Weight recording - Regular weight measurements track growth rates and production efficiency (Chapter 8). Mobile scales integrate directly with Kora for immediate data capture.

Office administration - Desktop time for planning, reporting, and coordination. Review analytics, communicate with veterinarians or suppliers, and plan upcoming weeks.

Evening Checks (5:00-6:00 PM)

Final paddock inspection - Quick walk-through ensuring all animals settled for night. Look for stragglers, check fence security, confirm water availability.

Task completion review - Mark all completed tasks as done (Chapter 13). Create follow-up tasks for issues identified but not yet resolved.

Prepare tomorrow - Note any special requirements for next day: animals needing early treatment, scheduled vet visits, deliveries expected.

Production Tracking and Performance

Growth Monitoring

Individual animal weights - High-value animals or breeding stock receive regular weighing (Chapter 8.1). Track weight progression over time. System graphs show growth curves compared to breed standards.

Mob average weights - Commercial livestock managed as groups benefit from representative sampling (Chapter 8.2). Weigh subset of mob, record average, estimate total mob weight for marketing decisions.

Growth rate calculation - Kora calculates average daily gain from weight records. Identify fast-growing animals for retention as breeding stock. Detect slow growth suggesting health problems or nutrition inadequacies.

Feed conversion efficiency - Combine feed intake data (Chapter 14) with weight gain records. Calculate feed conversion ratios indicating production efficiency. Identify opportunities for nutritional optimisation.

Reproductive Performance

Breeding records - Document every mating: sire identification, dam identification, breeding date, breeding method (natural service or artificial insemination) (Chapter 8).

Pregnancy diagnosis - Record pregnancy check results. Note estimated conception date and expected parturition date. System alerts you when calving, lambing, or farrowing approaches.

Parturition documentation - Record births completely: parturition date, offspring count, offspring sex, birth weights, any assistance required, dam condition post-birth. Tag or identify offspring immediately linking to dam records.

Reproductive efficiency metrics - Track conception rates, calving intervals, weaning weights, and offspring survival. Identify high-performing breeding animals. Cull poor performers systematically based on data, not guesswork.

Production Records

Milk production - Dairy operations record daily milk yields per cow or mob. Track lactation curves, identify peak production periods, and detect mastitis through sudden production drops.

Wool production - Sheep operations document shearing dates, fleece weights, wool quality grades. Track production per animal supporting breeding selection for wool characteristics.

Egg production - Poultry operations record daily egg collection, grade distribution, and quality metrics. Identify production peaks and declines guiding flock management decisions.

Mortality and Loss

Death documentation - Record every animal death: date, suspected cause, age at death, circumstances discovered. Photos document condition if cause uncertain.

Post-mortem findings - If veterinarian conducts necropsy, attach findings to animal record. This documents disease patterns and supports herd health management.

Loss analysis - Track mortality rates by age group, season, or location. Identify patterns suggesting management improvements needed. High calf mortality might indicate calving management issues. Summer losses might suggest heat stress problems.

Biosecurity Implementation for Farms

Visitor Management

QR code check-in - Generate QR codes for farm entry points (Chapter 11.4). Visitors scan codes on arrival creating automatic check-in records. System assesses biosecurity risk based on visitor travel history and livestock contact.

Risk screening questions:

• Visited other farms in past 7 days?
• International travel in past 14 days?
• Contact with livestock at other properties?
• Visiting from country with disease outbreaks?

High-risk visitor protocols - System flags high-risk visitors requiring manager approval before farm access. Implement enhanced biosecurity: footbath use mandatory, PPE required, restricted area access only.

Visitor log - Complete check-in and check-out records support contact tracing if disease detected weeks later. Know exactly who visited your farm and when.

Quarantine Management

New animal arrivals - All animals arriving from off-property enter quarantine automatically when you document arrival movement (Chapter 11.2). System calculates recommended quarantine duration based on source location and animal type.

Quarantine monitoring - Daily health checks during quarantine isolation. Record observations documenting no disease symptoms appear. Quarantine status badge appears on animal records showing days remaining.

Release criteria - System alerts when quarantine period completes. Review health observation history confirming no concerns appeared during isolation. Release into main herd only when criteria met.

Extension handling - If symptoms develop during quarantine, system extends isolation automatically. You document additional observation and treatment. New quarantine period begins from symptom resolution.

Disease Response

Suspect disease identification - When observing unusual symptoms potentially indicating contagious disease, create Critical severity observation flagging for veterinary review (Chapter 10.1).

Veterinary diagnosis - Veterinarian reviews your observation, conducts examination, and creates professional diagnosis (Chapter 20). If contagious disease confirmed, automatic biosecurity response activates (Chapter 11.3).

Contact tracing - System identifies all animals sharing locations with infected animal during transmission-risk period. Calculates exposure risk scores guiding quarantine decisions.

Movement restrictions - Implement recommended movement restrictions. Document all animal movements during outbreak supporting traceability and regulatory compliance.

Market Access and Certification

Traceability for Sales

Complete movement history - Buyers increasingly require documented origin and handling history. Kora provides complete lifetime traceability (Chapter 12): birth location, every property visited, all owners, complete treatment history.

Export documentation - International sales require health certificates and regulatory compliance proof. Kora generates movement summaries, health certificates (with veterinary endorsement), and vaccination records meeting export requirements.

Premium market access - Organic certification, grass-fed claims, and animal welfare certifications require documented proof. Kora's complete records support these premium market requirements.

Organic Certification Support

Input tracking - Organic certification requires documented feed sources, medication restrictions, and pasture management (Chapter 14). Record all inputs proving organic compliance.

Prohibited substance avoidance - System flags treatments containing prohibited substances for organic animals. Prevents accidental organic status loss through inadvertent treatment.

Certification audit preparation - Certification bodies audit records annually. Kora provides complete documentation: pasture rotation records, input receipts attached as photos, treatment justifications documented.

Food Safety Compliance

Withdrawal period compliance - System prevents marketing animals during withdrawal periods following medication (Chapter 10.2). Automatic calculations based on drug, dose, and animal species ensure food safety.

Traceability to consumer - If food safety authorities investigate contamination, complete traceability records prove your farm's role in chain. Quick, complete responses protect reputation and maintain market access.

NLIS/PIC compliance (Australian context) - Property Identification Code (PIC) and National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) requirements met through complete movement documentation and RFID tag recording (Chapter 8).

Staff Coordination and Team Management

Staff Directory

Team visibility - Maintain complete staff directory (Chapter 26.1). Document roles, contact information, certifications, and specialisations. Know who's qualified for which tasks.

Access levels - Grant appropriate permissions:

• Basic access: View assigned animals, complete assigned tasks, record observations
• Standard access: Create tasks, assign work, access reports
• Advanced access: Manage locations, full animal access, system configuration

Task Assignment

Daily work allocation - Assign tasks to specific staff members (Chapter 26.2). Balance workload fairly. Consider expertise requirements: medication administration needs trained personnel, routine feeding can be delegated broadly.

Mobile notifications - Staff receive immediate notification of assigned tasks. Clear due dates and priority levels guide their work scheduling.

Completion tracking - Monitor task completion rates. Identify reliable performers and those needing additional training or supervision.

Real-Time Collaboration

Multi-user awareness - When multiple staff access same animal records simultaneously, system shows who's viewing what (Chapter 26.3). Prevents duplicated work or conflicting actions.

Location-based coordination - GPS-enabled mobile observations show where staff are working. Coordinate activities avoiding conflicts: don't schedule paddock maintenance while another worker moving animals through that area.

Notification systems - Critical observations trigger notifications to relevant staff (Chapter 26.4). Sick animal flagged by junior worker immediately alerts farm manager and potentially veterinarian.

Financial Management Integration

While Kora doesn't handle financial accounting directly, farm data supports financial decisions:

Cost Tracking

Treatment expenses - Every treatment record creates cost data (Chapter 10.2). Export treatment summaries showing medication costs per animal or mob.

Feed costs - Inventory tracking documents feed purchases and consumption (Chapter 14). Calculate cost per animal per day supporting profitability analysis.

Mortality loss - Death records quantify production losses. Value lost animals at purchase price or estimated market value documenting financial impact.

Production Value

Weight gain value - Daily weight gain records combined with current market prices estimate production value. Identify your most profitable animals or mobs.

Offspring value - Breeding records show calves, lambs, or piglets born. Estimated value of offspring demonstrates breeding programme returns.

Premium pricing - Organic certification, grass-fed documentation, or welfare certifications supported by Kora records enable premium pricing above commodity markets.

Seasonal Management

Farm operations change with seasons. Kora adapts:

Breeding Season

Breeding management intensifies - More frequent observations monitoring oestrus. Systematic breeding documentation. Pregnancy diagnosis recording (Chapter 8).

Bull or ram rotation - Document sire assignments to breeding groups. This supports accurate parentage recording for offspring born next season.

Body condition assessment - Pre-breeding condition scoring identifies animals needing supplemental feeding for optimal conception rates.

Calving/Lambing/Farrowing Season

Increased monitoring frequency - Daily checks intensify to multiple times daily during calving season. Quick observation recording on mobile critical for busy periods.

Birth documentation - Systematic recording of every birth: date, time, assistance needed, offspring condition. Tag immediately linking offspring to dam.

Maternal behaviour monitoring - Observe dam-offspring bonding. Document rejection or poor mothering requiring intervention.

Weaning

Weaning event documentation - Record weaning date for cohorts. System calculates weaning weights, average daily gain from birth, and maternal weaning weight ratios.

Offspring records - Separate offspring records from dam records. Offspring become independent animals tracked through production cycle.

Dam recovery - Monitor dam condition post-weaning. Ensure adequate condition restoration before next breeding season.

Marketing Season

Market-ready identification - Query animals meeting market specifications: target weight range, age criteria, withdrawal periods expired.

Sale documentation - Record sales as movements off-property (Chapter 7.3). Document buyer, sale price, destination, transport details. Creates permanent sales record supporting financial accounting.

Replacement selection - Retain replacement stock based on documented performance: growth rates, parentage, health history. Data-driven selection improves herd quality over generations.

Getting Started with Farm Management in Kora

Week 1: Foundation Setup

Day 1-2: Account and property - Create account selecting "Farmer" user type. Set up first location representing your farm (Chapter 6.2). Draw property boundaries on map if GPS coordinates known.

Day 3-4: Create subdivisions - Add paddocks, pens, or pastures as subdivisions within your property (Chapter 9). Name clearly: "North Paddock," "Weaner Pen 1," "Maternity Pasture." These become location references for all future work.

Day 5-7: Initial animal records - Create animal records for your livestock. Use individual records for breeding stock (Chapter 8.1) or mob records for commercial animals (Chapter 8.2). Include identification: RFID tags, visual ear tags, or brands. Take photos helping visual identification.

Week 2-3: Daily Operations Integration

Morning routine - Start using Kora during morning health checks. Record observations for anything unusual. Get comfortable with mobile interface.

Treatment documentation - When administering treatments, record immediately. Practice complete documentation: medication, dose, route, time, animal response.

Movement tracking - Document animal movements as they occur. Moving animals to new paddock? Record in Kora before finishing the job. Build habit of immediate documentation.

Month 2: Advanced Features

Task system - Start using task manager for work planning (Chapter 13). Create recurring tasks for routine work: "Morning health check - East Paddocks" repeating daily.

Biosecurity setup - Generate visitor QR codes. Implement visitor check-in protocols. Begin building biosecurity compliance documentation.

Traceability review - Check animals' traceability records. Ensure movement history complete. Attach any missing documents: purchase receipts, health certificates.

Ongoing: Continuous Improvement

Weekly review - Every week, review task completion, observation patterns, and treatment records. Identify improvements needed in documentation practices.

Monthly analysis - Export data monthly for production analysis. Review growth rates, reproductive performance, and health trends. Make management decisions based on evidence, not assumptions.

Annual planning - Use full year's data for strategic planning. Which animals performed best? What health problems occurred seasonally? How did costs compare to budgets? Data-driven planning improves year after year.

Desktop vs Mobile for Farm Management

Desktop excels at:

• Strategic planning and long-term analysis
• Multi-animal record updates (applying treatments to multiple animals)
• Detailed health history review before making breeding decisions
• Report generation for financial analysis or regulatory submissions
• Complex map editing: drawing paddock boundaries, creating subdivisions
• Staff coordination and task assignment across teams
• Exporting data for external accounting or analysis software

Mobile works perfectly for:

• Field health checks with immediate observation recording
• Treatment administration documentation at animal-side
• Movement logging during animal handling
• Photo documentation of conditions or facilities
• GPS-tagged paddock observations showing exact location
• Quick task completion marking during busy work
• Emergency veterinary consultation initiation when problems arise

Most farm managers use both: mobile device always in pocket during field work capturing real-time data. Desktop for evening office time planning, analysing, and coordinating.