K-State Releases New Record-Keeping APP For Cattle

Sep 21, 2023

Kansas State University agricultural economics and veterinary medicine staff have developed a record-keeping app for cattle producers that now is available for iPhones and Android devices. The CalfDex app is free to download and was designed for use in the field, even where cell phone service is not available.

According to K-State livestock economist Ted Schroeder, who helped develop the app, CalfDex enables producers to maintain efficient and accurate calving, weaning and treatment records, which helps mitigate the risk of data loss or misplacement that can happen with paper records. It consists of five respective tabs for which users can choose to enter data, including “Calving,” “Processing/vaccination,” “Treatment,” “Weaning” and “Postweaning."

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Video: WARNING! Rough Start To Breeding Season!!

WARNING! Sheep Breeding Season Begins With A Bang! Breeding season is officially underway at Ewetopia Farms, but it didn’t exactly start the way we planned!

This vlog begins with us sorting through our rams to find the perfect match for a customer’s breeding program. What should have been routine quickly turned dangerous when one of our more nervous rams panicked. In seconds, Arnie’s knee was injured, and then I was slammed hard onto the concrete floor — both of us taken down by one ram!

Thankfully, it was just bruises, but it’s a reminder of how unpredictable and powerful mature rams can be. Once we recovered, it was time to get back to the real work — the start of breeding season.

We sorted the ewes into four breeding groups (two Suffolk and two Dorset), checking parentage as they ran through the chute, deworming those that needed it, and setting aside thinner ewes for session two of breeding season in a month’s time.This staggered approach keeps lambing organized and prevents overcrowding in the barns.

From rogue rams to the excitement of new breeding groups, this episode is full of action. Stay tuned for the next vlog, where we’ll share how we chose the rams for each group!