Frustrated with your current record keeping?  Are you tired of the hassle to record data on paper when working with animals at the crush, the scale, the kraal or in the field? Are you tired of having to capture all those data again in BenguFarm on your PC/laptop? Do you want to look up animal data and photos on your phone or tablet when you are working with the animals or when you are in the field among the animals? Do you want to immediately compare the group of animals you are working to the animals linked to the particular camp or group to be able to see if everyone is there? Do you want to take photos of animals, link them to the animals and sync it to BenguFarm on your PC/laptop? Do you want to map the camps on your farm(s) and display data such as animal numbers, total LSU, etc. for all the camps? If you do, then please read on.

What is BenguFarm-MOBILE?

BenguFarm-MOBILE, released in 2019, is a mobile application installed independently of BenguFarm on a smartphone or tablet. BenguFarm-MOBILE is available for Android and Apple iOS devices. BenguFarm-MOBILE runs on Android LolliPop (version 5) and iOS 11 and newer versions.

Please note that a user must have a BenguFarm license for the applicable BenguFarm module (BEEF and/or SHEEP & GOATS module) to be able to use the BenguFarm-MOBILE.

BenguFarm-MOBILE is purchased additional to the BEEF/SHEEP & GOATS module. BenguFarm-MOBILE has NO license fee. BenguFarm-MOBILE can be used with the BEEF and SHEEP & GOATS modules. (A separate mobile app is also available for use with the GAME module). If a client uses both the BEEF and SHEEP & GOATS modules, he only needs to buy one BenguFarm MOBILE. BenguFarm-MOBILE can be installed on more than one smartphone or tablet and used by more than one person. For each user, user rights (Administrator, Editor, Viewer or No Access) can be set up per herd. (Please refer to Apple's terms and conditions that only allows the installation of iOS apps on more than one iOS device under certain conditions). BenguFarm-MOBILE can be used for more than one herd (e.g. stud and commercial), whether the herds are on the same or different databases. If the Apple iOS application is purchased, the BenguFarm Mobile license is also valid for the Android application, in other words the Android application does not need to be purchased as well.

Capture and View Data on your Smartphone or Tablet

BenguFarm-MOBILE's primary function is to record data at the crush, the scale, the kraal or in the field on a smartphone or tablet. Secondly, to look up animals’ information when and where the need arises. Data exchange between BenguFarm-MOBILE and BenguFarm on a PC/laptop is done via a synchronisation function. 

Animal Data and Photos in your Pocket

Data on a user's BenguFarm can be sent from his on his PC/laptop to BenguFarm-MOBILE on his smartphone or tablet. This data can then be viewed and, if needed, edited in the app on the smartphone or tablet. Data such as general animal information, reproduction data, pregnancy data, weights, performance test data, wool data (sheep), measurements and scores, breeding values, progeny with performance, pedigree, health data, procedures and photos can be viewed.

BenguFarm-MOBILE can be used to capture all important data on the spot while working with animals. Data that can be captured include new animals (registration), EID changes, synchronisations, matings, pregnancy tests, calvings/lambings, weights, general notes, appearance remarks, vaccinations and dosings, camp/group/herd movements, wool data (sheep), disease tests, illnesses and injuries, treatments, inspections, sightings, measurements, scores, procedures (e.g. castration, hooves trimmed), sales and deaths, feed or lick put out per camp, camp activities and also rainfall. Please note that recording of data on BenguFarm-MOBILE does not need Internet access – recording is done off-line.

Photos taken with your smartphone/tablet can be linked to the animal on BenguFarm-MOBILE. These photos will be sent to BenguFarm on your PC/laptop. Certain photos of animals in BenguFarm on the PC/laptop is send to BenguFarm-MOBILE and can be viewed as part of the animal data.

User customisable recording screens (Tasks)

An important feature of BenguFarm-MOBILE is its user-friendliness. Each data capturing screen is rendered according to a task definition. These task definitions can be changed by a user to his/her specific needs. Fields can be added or removed and even the order of the fields can be changed. In addition, fields can be marked as common fields. When a new session for a task (e.g. pregnancy tests) is started, such common fields only need to be completed once and will be recorded automatically for all animals during the session. Fields can also be temporarily disabled for a specific session.

In addition to the default list of tasks, a user can also set up their own tasks.

Integration with Bluetooth enabled EID and QR Code Readers

BenguFarm-MOBILE integrates with most Bluetooth enabled EID (microchip number) and some QR Code (where the QR Code encodes the animal's visual IDnr) scanners in both the animal data view as well as data capturing screens. BenguelaSoft recommends Tru-Test EID scanners. Mobile for Android was tested with the Tru-Test SRS2, XRS2, Allflex/Agrident AWR300, APR250, APR500, APR600 and APR650 Bluetooth EID Scanners and the Newland NLS-HR32-BT QR Code Scanner, though other Bluetooth enabled scanners would most probably work as well. Scanners without Bluetooth connectivity will NOT work. Mobile for iOS only works with the Tru-Test SRS2, XRS2, Allflex/Agrident AWR300, APR600, APR650 EID scanners and Newland NLS-HR32-BT QR Code scanner. In the view mode, scanning an animal will display the animal’s information. The real power however is with integration with the data capturing screens. Recording tasks such as camp movements is a breeze. Common data such as date moved, reason moved and camp moved to, is defined once. Then the animals just need to be scanned. The movement is automatically saved upon scanning. Other tasks may require entering additional information per animal. When recording pregnancy tests, for example, pregnancy status, period pregnant and the number of foetuses will need to be recorded per animal, depending on the applicable task definition.

Problem solving with unassigned or wrongly assigned EIDs is also easily handled with a simple pop-up screen whereby the applicable EID can immediately be reassigned to the correct animal or a new animal can quickly be registered.

Count Animals

With the Count Group feature, animals in a specific camp or management group can be counted or, alternatively, animals can be checked in the list. This makes it easy to take stock of animals in a camp or group and, if the numbers differ, easily check which animal(s) is missing.

Farm Maps

The Farm maps feature enables you to draw your camps on Google Maps in Android. Different types of data, such as animal numbers, total LSU, etc. can then in colour code fashion be displayed for all the camps. The feature is currently unavailable in BenguFarm MOBILE for Apple iOS but is planned to be incorporated in the foreseeable future.

Sessions, Entering Multiple Data, Camp Comparisons and Alerts

A user may select to enable session recording when capturing data. When a session is enabled, all the animals for which data is captured, are placed in the selected session. Such a session can then be used further in two ways.

Firstly, you can capture additional information for all the animals in the session. Animals can for example be moved to another camp and at the same time the animals are also vaccinated. If the camp movement was recorded on BenguFarm-MOBILE and the recorded animals linked to a session, it is very easy to record vaccinations for all these animals: select the vaccination task, record the common fields (date vaccinated, vaccine used, dosage, etc.) and then press a button to add the vaccination to all the animals in the selected session. This process can be repeated similarly for as many types of data as needed.

Secondly, the animals in the selected session can be compared to the animals in a camp. Simply select the session and the camp. BenguFarm-MOBILE will display a list of animals that were found, not found, are marked non-active and animals assigned to another camp.

With the Alert when Animal in Group option you will be alerted with an "Animal in Alert Group” display on a dark red background at the top of “View Animal” and “Enter Data” screens when the selected or scanned animal is in the specified group.

Synchronise with BenguFarm on your Computer

When finished with recording, the information recorded on BenguFarm-MOBILE can be synchronised with the BenguFarm database to bring the data on the PC/laptop(s) up to date. With synchronisation, data recorded in BenguFarm on the PC/laptop is also updated on BenguFarm-MOBILE. Synchronisation of data can be done via Wi-Fi or the Internet ("Cloud"), depending on which method is available and the method preferred by the user.

Language Options

The app is available with Afrikaans and English language options and it can be changed at any time at Advanced Options.