Core-temperature-based herd management system & methods

A method of managing a herd of animals for purposes of health evaluation and treatment, the method comprising:

• placing animals serially in a livestock chute, the chute for restraining the animal;
• determining for each animal if the animal has an identification tag;
• if the animal does not have an identification tag, placing an identification tag on the animal while in the chute;
• after determining that the animal has an identification tag or placing an identification tag if the animal does not have an identification tag, sending identification data to a data processor;
• sensing the core temperature of the animal while in the chute;
• sending an indication of the core temperature to the data processor, wherein the data processor is programmed to determine a health category for the animal based at least in part on the core temperature indication and to determine a dosing amount for medicinally treating the animal based at least in part on the core temperature indication;
• tagging the animal with one of a number of color codes, the color code corresponding to the health category of the animal;
• routing the animal from the chute to one of at least three holding pens based on the health category of the animal;
• and
• using the data processor to store and report identification data and core temperature data of animals passing through the chute within specified time periods.

A method of managing a herd of animals for purposes of health evaluation and treatment, the method comprising:

• placing animals serially in a livestock chute, the chute for restraining the animal;
• sensing the core temperature of each animal while the animal is in the chute;
• sending an indication of the core temperature to a data processor, wherein the data processor is programmed to determine a health category for the animal based at least in part on the core temperature indication and to determine a dosing amount for medicinally treating the animal based at least in part on the core temperature indication;
• tagging the animal with one of a number of color codes, the color code corresponding to the health category for the animal;
• routing the animal from the chute to one of at least three holding pens based on the health category of the animal;
• sending the dosing amount to medicine-delivering equipment associated with the holding pens;
• and
• using the data processor to store and report core temperature data of animals passing through the chute within specified time periods.

A method of managing a herd of animals for purposes of health evaluation and treatment, the method comprising:

• placing animals serially in a livestock chute, the chute for restraining the animal;
• sensing the core temperature of each animal while the animal is in the chute;
• sending an indication of the core temperature to a data processor, wherein the data processor is programmed to determine a health category for the animal based at least in part on the core temperature indication and to determine a dosing amount for medicinally treating the animal based at least in part on the core temperature indication;
• tagging the animal with one of a number of color codes, the color code corresponding to the health category for the animal;
• routing the animal from the chute to one of at least three holding pens based on the health category of the animal;
• and
• using the data processor to store and report core temperature data of animals passing through the chute within specified time periods.