How to keep livestock health records: a simple system for any farm

Good records answer three questions about every animal: what was done, when, and by whom. You don’t need a complicated system. You need the same few details, written down every time, in a place you won’t lose.

1. Give every animal an identity

Each animal needs one thing that tells it apart: an ear tag number, a brand, a name, or a description you can recognise. Use the tag you already have. For poultry, a flock or batch can be one record with a head count.

Write the basics once: species, breed, sex, approximate age and where the animal is kept. You can fill in the rest later.

2. Record the same details after every health event

Whenever an animal is vaccinated, treated, dewormed, dipped or seen by a vet, record:

• The date.
• Which animals. One animal, a group, or the whole herd.
• What was given or done. The product name as it appears on the label.
• The batch or lot number, printed on the bottle or packet. If there is ever a problem with a product, this is how you find out which animals received it.
• The dose and how it was given, as instructed by your vet or the label.
• Who did it. You, your herder or your vet.
• The next date, if your vet or the label gives one for a booster or follow-up.
• Any withdrawal period from the label, so you know when meat or milk can be sold.

Record it the same day. Details written a week later are often wrong.

3. Keep one place for everything

The most common reason records fail is that they are spread across notebooks, phone messages and memory. Choose one place. A dedicated notebook kept dry works. A phone app works better when several people record, because everyone writes into the same history and nothing has to be copied.

4. Make it a weekly habit

Once a week, take five minutes to:

1. Check what is due in the coming week and what is late.
2. Add any births, deaths, sales or purchases.
3. Ask your herder what was done that you haven’t recorded.

5. Keep records when animals leave

Don’t delete an animal’s history when it is sold or dies. Mark it as sold or dead. Old records help you see patterns and answer questions later.

Doing it in VaxiTrace

VaxiTrace asks for these details in one short form, lets you record a whole group at once, and reminds you before the next date you set. It works without signal and keeps every record with the name of the person who entered it. See the features.

This guide is about keeping records. It is not veterinary advice. For treatments, doses and vaccination schedules, follow your vet and the product label, and check your country’s official requirements.