Apparatus for managing animals such as but not limited to livestock. In some embodiments, a tag assembly is configured for attachment to an outer ear of an animal. The tag assembly has a main body and a shaft that extends through an aperture extending through the outer ear to attach the main body to a facing surface of the outer ear. A primary temperature sensor of the tag assembly is configured to obtain outer ear temperature data indicative of an outer ear temperature of the outer ear. A control circuit is configured to receive the outer ear temperature data via a wireless communication link with the tag assembly. The control circuit determines a health state of the animal in response to a localized change in a magnitude of the outer ear temperature data in relation to a set of ambient temperature data over a selected time interval.

A system for automatically determining pregnancy toxaemia in at least one animal in a group of animals comprises a sensor for obtaining at least one value representative of a liquid or water uptake of the at least one animal, said sensor being adapted to be positioned in the vicinity of a liquid or water supply station or on the at least one animal; and a processing unit configured for comparing the obtained at least one value representative of a liquid or water uptake of the at least one animal to a mean value representative of an average of the at least one value for the group of animals or to a value deduced therefrom; and for generating a signal and/or alert when the obtained at least one value representative of a liquid or water uptake exceeds the mean value or the value deduced therefrom by a pre-determined threshold value.

Apparatus and method for managing animals such as but not limited to livestock. In some embodiments, an ear tag assembly has a main body, a backing member and a shaft that extends through an aperture through an outer ear of an animal to interconnect the main body and the backing member. A primary temperature sensor obtains an outer ear temperature of the outer ear. An ambient temperature sensor obtains an ambient temperature of a surrounding environment external to the animal. A control circuit receives the outer ear and ambient temperatures and determines a state of the animal responsive to a comparison of the outer ear temperature and the ambient temperature over a selected time interval.

Apparatus and method for managing animals such as but not limited to livestock. In some embodiments, an ear tag assembly has a main body, a backing member and a shaft that extends through an aperture through an outer ear of an animal to interconnect the main body and the backing member. A primary temperature sensor obtains an outer ear temperature of the outer ear. An ambient temperature sensor obtains an ambient temperature of a surrounding environment external to the animal. A control circuit receives the outer ear and ambient temperatures and determines a state of the animal responsive to a comparison of the outer ear temperature and the ambient temperature over a selected time interval.

A disease management method and apparatuses performing the disease management method are disclosed. The disease management method may include receiving bioinformation of a cow from a biosensor capsule provided in a stomach of the cow, determining a health state of the cow by analyzing the received bioinformation, and transmitting information associated with the determined health state to a user who manages the cow, in which the health state may include at least one of a breeding-related state associated with estrus and delivery of the cow, a disease state of the cow, a methane gas generation state of the cow, or a rumen activity state of the cow.

A system for treating livestock may include a ramp for containing dairy livestock and one or more mobile units configured to travel on the ramp, below the dairy livestock, and milk the dairy livestock. A mobile unit may be adapted to travel to a predefined location within a stall, and attach a milking equipment unit to the dairy livestock in the stall. A plurality of mobile units and a central management unit may be configured to dynamically cause at least some of the plurality of mobile units to each perform a portion of a treatment or task.

A system and method for treating livestock may include a ramp for containing dairy livestock and one or more mobile units configured to travel on the ramp, below the dairy livestock, and perform at least one action related to a treatment of the livestock. A mobile unit may be adapted to travel to a predefined location within a stall, and attach a milking equipment unit to a cow in the stall. A plurality of mobile units and a central management unit may be configured to dynamically cause at least some of the plurality of mobile units to each perform a portion of a treatment or task.

A system and method for treating livestock may include a ramp for containing dairy livestock and one or more mobile units configured to travel on the ramp, below the dairy livestock, and perform at least one action related to a treatment of the livestock. A mobile unit may be adapted to travel to a predefined location within a stall, and attach a milking equipment unit to a cow in the stall. A plurality of mobile units and a central management unit may be configured to dynamically cause at least some of the plurality of mobile units to each perform a portion of a treatment or task.

A system for automatically determining pregnancy toxaemia in at least one animal in a group of animals comprises a sensor for obtaining at least one value representative of a liquid or water uptake of the at least one animal, said sensor being adapted to be positioned in the vicinity of a liquid or water supply station or on the at least one animal; and a processing unit configured for comparing the obtained at least one value representative of a liquid or water uptake of the at least one animal to a mean value representative of an average of the at least one value for the group of animals or to a value deduced therefrom; and for generating a signal and/or alert when the obtained at least one value representative of a liquid or water uptake exceeds the mean value or the value deduced therefrom by a pre-determined threshold value.

Disclosed herein is a method for determining a pregnancy state of an animal. The method comprises detecting an amount of one or more biomarkers in a breath sample from the animal, the amount of the or each biomarker being indicative of a pregnancy state of the animal.