Anyone keeping sheep, goats, or cattle in Switzerland cannot avoid the TVD. Every birth, every departure, every change of location must be reported — and on time. Importantly, deadlines are based on the event, not the species. For sheep, goats, and cattle alike: report births within 30 days, arrivals and departures within 3 working days. While this serves disease monitoring and traceability, it often means considerable administrative work for animal keepers.
The Tedious Route via agate.ch
Most notifications are submitted today via the agate.ch portal. The system is functional, but not particularly user-friendly — especially on a smartphone. Anyone wanting to quickly record a birth notification after a long day in the barn needs patience: log in, navigate, fill in forms, type ear tag numbers by hand. With multiple births in spring, this adds up quickly to hours.
Add to this the potential for errors. A mistyped TVD number, a missed notification date, or an overlooked deadline — and reminders or even sanctions at the next inspection may follow.
What Animal Keepers Want
In conversations with sheep, goat, and cattle keepers we consistently hear the same wishes:
- Less typing: animal information should not have to be re-entered every time.
- Mobile recording: create notifications directly in the barn or on the pasture — not later at the desk at home.
- Deadline overview: see at a glance which notifications are pending or overdue.
- Fewer error sources: automatic validation of ear tag numbers and plausibility checks.
How It Works Digitally
Modern herd management apps solve exactly these problems. Instead of clicking through a web portal, you record events where they happen: in the barn. A birth is documented directly with the animal; the relevant data — dam, sex, ear tag — is already stored or quickly selected.
The result: a TVD notification that used to take five to ten minutes is completed in under a minute. And you have the certainty that nothing is forgotten, because the app reminds you of pending notifications.
Herdy: Built for Swiss Animal Keepers
That is exactly why we developed Herdy. The app is tailored to the needs of Swiss sheep, goat, and cattle keepers and supports all common TVD notification types:
- Birth notifications with automatic link to the dam and pedigree
- Departure notifications (death, slaughter, sale)
- Arrivals and departures for changes of location
Notifications are displayed clearly in a dashboard. You immediately see which notifications are pending, which have been successfully submitted, and where action may be needed.
Summary: Less Admin, More Time for the Animals
Digitising TVD notifications is not a luxury — it is a practical relief for everyday life on the farm. Managing your herd digitally not only saves time, but also reduces errors and keeps you ready for inspections at all times.
Want to try it out? Herdy is free for farms with up to 5 animals — no commitment required.