App to detect cattle bloat in southern NSW is now available for Android users and will hopefully help prevent serious health issues for cattle. Photo: Charles Sturt University.
The Bloat Alert app designed to flag cases of bloat to southern NSW beef producers is now available on Andriod devices.
Charles Sturt University developed the app as part of its research into bloat – a form of indigestion marked by excessive accumulation of gas in the rumen that can have critical repercussions – in the southern beef production system.
The alert app was launched in July 2021 for iPhone users and has more than 250 users.
Charles Sturt School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences professor in livestock systems and Gulbali Institute of Agriculture, Water and Environment researcher Bruce Allworth led the research and said the Bloat Alert app provided producers an early warning system.
Professor Allworth said the producers who download the app could be notified when bloat is reported in their area, providing critical information about potential hazards.
“It gives them (producers) the heads up that they need to check their cattle and possibly initiate or increase preventive measures,” he said.
“Importantly, producers that report bloat won’t be specifically identified.
“The Bloat Alert app only reports the postcode where the bloat occurs, not the exact location, so producers can report cases to assist fellow producers without being identified themselves.”
Even though 2021 was not considered a bad bloat year, there were more than 30 reports of bloat using the app.
Professor Allworth said it was encouraging to receive feedback from producers.
“Bloat has not been an issue yet this season in southern NSW because of the grass dominant pastures, and I am hoping it will be another low-risk year for bloat,” he said.
“But having the Bloat Alert app will help producers know immediately if that risk increases in their district.
“Typically, July and August are the highest risk months for bloat, so we were very keen to get the Android and updated iPhone versions out now so producers could be in the best position to know what’s going on in their district.”
Professor Allworth said he is keen for producers who have downloaded the app to provide feedback on it.
The iPhone version of the app has been updated and those using the app have bloat reports reset so they can just see new cases this year.
With the success of the Bloat App, the development team and former Charles Sturt researcher Doctor Cara Wilson (Central Queensland University) are looking to oversee a similar app for three-day sickness.
Bloat Alert can be downloaded for free from the App Store for iPhone users and the Google Play Store for Android users.
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