Method and apparatus for providing indication of the oncoming parturition in livestock

A method of detecting oncoming parturition in a livestock animal comprising the steps of:

• monitoring tail movements of an animal with a tail mounted sensor, the tail mounted sensor comprising a casing and a toothed strap, a buckle mounted on the casing for receiving a part of the toothed strap, the buckle and the toothed strap combining to form a ratchet-type securing arrangement in which as the toothed strap is fed through the buckle, the buckle will begin to engage the toothed strap and as the buckle is closed, the buckle will draw the strap tighter around the animal's tail, and for each time the animal raises the tail of the animal by a predetermined angle, Θ, for at least a first predetermined period of time, T1, registering that event of the animal raising the tail of the animal by the predetermined angle, Θ, for at least the first predetermined period of time, T1, as a contraction and incrementing a present value, N, of an accumulated events counter each time the contraction is registered;
• on the present value, N, of the accumulated events counter reaching a first threshold value, V1, starting a timer of a second period of time, T2;
• monitoring the present value, N, of the accumulated events counter for the second period of time T2;
• periodically decrementing the present value, N, of the accumulated events counter by a leakage value, LV1;
• and
• determining that there is the oncoming parturition in the animal if the present value, N, of the accumulated events counter reaches a second threshold value V2 during the second period of time T2.