Method for monitoring estrus and ovulation of animals, and for planning a useful fertilization time zone and a preferred fertilization time zone

A method for monitoring estrus and ovulation of animals for insemination comprising:

• providing a sensing system arranged relative to an animal so as to detect a changing characteristic of the animal indicative of estrus and ovulation of the animal;
• collecting data from the sensing system;
• using a processor to analyze the data using an algorithm to determine a time period of estrus and a time period of ovulation of the animal;
• providing an indicating system to a worker for indicating the preferred time of insemination within the time period of ovulation;
• providing an input operable by the worker for the worker to enter an input indicative of an actual time of insemination;
• and when estrus is completed, the algorithm is used to provide a calculation of a confidence level about fertilization based on the actual time of insemination entered by the worker relative to the time period of ovulation.

A method for monitoring estrus and ovulation of animals for insemination comprising:

• providing a sensing system arranged relative to an animal so as to detect a changing characteristic of the animal indicative of estrus and ovulation of the animal;
• collecting data from the sensing system;
• using a processor to analyze the data using an algorithm to determine a time period of estrus and a time period of ovulation of the animal and a preferred time of insemination within the time period of ovulation;
• providing an indicating system to a worker for indicating the preferred time of insemination within the time period of ovulation;
• wherein, in the event that a preferred time of insemination within the ovulation time period is outside a scheduled work period, communicating to the worker an alternative time of insemination within a scheduled work period.

A method for monitoring estrus and ovulation of animals for insemination comprising:

• providing a sensing system arranged relative to an animal so as to detect a changing characteristic of the animal indicative of estrus and ovulation of the animal;
• collecting data from the sensing system;
• using a processor to analyze the data using an algorithm to determine a time period of estrus and a time period of ovulation of the animal and a preferred time of insemination within the time period of ovulation;
• providing an indicating system to a worker for indicating the preferred time of insemination within the time period of ovulation;
• wherein, in the event that a preferred time of insemination within the ovulation time period is beyond the end of a first scheduled work period and before the beginning of a second scheduled work period, the processor makes a first determination whether insemination before the end of the first scheduled work period is desirable and makes a second determination as to whether an additional second insemination after the start of the second scheduled work period is desirable;
• and wherein the indicating system provides an indication to the worker of the results of the first and second determinations.