Livestock Management Software: A UK Buyer's Guide

The medicine book in the shed has a coffee ring on it and three entries nobody can read. Compliance asks for more every year, and the phone in your pocket can now do the job of a drawer full of paperwork. So for most farms the question is which app, and how to pick one without paying for the wrong fit.

In short: livestock management software replaces the paper herd register and medicine book with an app you use at the crush, which syncs to the office. Five things decide which one suits a UK farm: the species it covers, how it reports movements, whether it tracks medicines and withdrawals for you, whether it works without signal, and what it costs at your herd size.

We make one of these apps, Agrianta, so we'll be upfront about where we fit and where others fit better. Everything we say about other apps comes from their own websites, checked on 5 October 2026.

What does livestock management software do?

A good app does the jobs you'd otherwise have to remember. It:

• keeps your animal records (births, deaths, movements and tag numbers) in one place
• sends movements to the national system for you, or gives you the records to send yourself
• tracks medicines and withdrawal periods, so an animal still in withdrawal can't go to slaughter unnoticed
• records weights, daily gain, calving intervals and milk yields, so you can see your best and worst stock
• works without signal, so the record gets made at the pen and not from memory that evening

Where apps differ is what they're built around. Some are built for compliance and record keeping. Breedr is built around performance and selling stock. A few, Agrianta included, add sensors that keep an eye on the herd for you. Work out which of those matters most on your farm and you're most of the way to a decision.

Paper, spreadsheet or app?

Paper still works, and plenty of farms pass inspection with a well-kept book. If you'd rather start there, our free medicine record template covers every field an inspector checks.

Paper starts to cost you when the same number gets written three times: in the notebook, the medicine book and the movement report. It costs you when a relief milker records things their own way, or when the vet rings and the book is in the other shed.

A spreadsheet stops the copying in the office but not in the yard. An app earns its place when you only enter things once, and it catches the withdrawal date or the missed movement before an inspector does.

Ten things to check before you choose

Run any app you're considering through this list. It's what a good salesperson would ask you if they weren't trying to close a sale.

1. Species. Does it properly handle your enterprise: beef, dairy, sheep, pigs or a mix? Some apps are cattle first and treat sheep as an afterthought, and few cover pigs at all.
2. Movement reporting. Does it send births, deaths and movements to BCMS in England, ScotEID in Scotland or EIDCymru in Wales? Or does it give you an export to submit yourself? Both work, but know which one you're buying. In England, cattle reporting moves to the Livestock Information Service from mid-2027, so ask whether the app is ready for it. Our livestock record keeping guide covers what you're legally on the hook for.
3. Medicine records and withdrawals. Can it record every treatment and count the withdrawal forward for meat and milk on its own? This is where farms lose marks at inspection, and where good software protects your income. See inventory and medicine.
4. Works without signal. Signal at the handling pen is patchy on most farms. If the app can't record offline and sync later, it won't get used where the work happens.
5. EID readers and weigh heads. If you weigh and tag, check the app reads your stick reader over Bluetooth and takes weights without retyping. Ask for the exact models it supports.
6. Sensors. If you'd rather have a warning before a problem than a record after it, check whether the app connects to collars, boluses and gateways and turns the readings into alerts. Most record-keeping apps don't. See sensors.
7. Ease of use. The best system is the one your team will use at 6am in the rain. If it needs a training course, it won't stick.
8. Pricing model. Per farm, per head or a one-off licence? What's included, and what's an add-on? There's more on this below.
9. Your data. Check you can export everything, and that you're not locked in if you leave.
10. Vet and team access. Can your vet see what they need without you copying it out? Do extra users or vet logins cost more? See vet sharing and operations.

If an app can't give you a straight answer on the first four, keep looking.

How the main UK apps compare

These are the apps that come up most when UK farmers search for livestock software. The table shows what each company says on its own website, checked on 5 October 2026. Where a company doesn't say, the table says so rather than guessing. We've left out other companies' prices: they change, and several only show a price once you enter your numbers, so check their sites for the current figure.

If you use AgriWebb, one change is worth knowing about: it agreed in May 2026 to be bought by URUS, so it's a good time to look at where it's heading.

For a closer look at two of these, our Herdwatch vs Breedr vs Agrianta comparison goes through them one by one, including where we'd point you elsewhere.

What does it cost?

Most livestock software is priced in one of three ways. Some apps charge per farm, in steps as the herd grows, which keeps the bill predictable. Some charge per head, often worked out in a calculator. That's cheap to start on a small holding, but the bill grows with the herd. Sum-IT sells its programs outright, with a smaller yearly fee for updates and support.

None of these is wrong. The trap is comparing a headline price on one model against another without running both at your real numbers. An app that looks cheap at 50 head can be the dearer one at 400. Price it at your herd size, on the plan you'd use, and add the extras: EID readers, sensors, extra users and vet logins.

Where Agrianta fits

We built Agrianta for farmers who want the records and the medicine book handled, with a layer on top that keeps an eye on the herd. You get animals, movements, tasks and a medicine book that counts withdrawals down for you. Your compliance records export in one click, for an inspection or for BCMS, and a direct link to LIS, the service taking over from BCMS, is on the way. The same records work for NLIS, NAIT and CLTS if you farm in Australia, New Zealand or Canada.

Three things stand out against the table above. Agrianta covers pigs as well as cattle and sheep. It connects to collars, boluses and gateways without tying you to one brand, and turns their readings into alerts. And your vet and your whole team get logins at no extra cost, which none of the others publish. Our prices are on the pricing page, from £25 a month.

Others may suit you better in two cases. If you want movements sent to BCMS from the app today, Herdwatch, Breedr, AgriWebb, Sum-IT and iLivestock all do that now. If buying and selling stock through the app matters most, look at Breedr.

Every plan comes with a 30-day free trial with full Pro access, and you're not charged until the trial ends. You only find out if software fits your farm by putting it on your own herd.

Common questions

How much does livestock management software cost in the UK?

It depends on how the app is priced and how many animals you keep. Some charge per farm in steps by herd size, some per head, and some sell a one-off licence with a yearly support fee. Several only show a price once you enter your numbers. Agrianta's prices are on our website, from £25 a month.

Is there free livestock management software?

Some apps have a free tier with limited features, such as Herdwatch's free calving book and Breedr's free basic plan. Full records and movement reporting are usually paid. A free trial is a better test: Agrianta gives you 30 days with full Pro access.

Does livestock software work without signal?

Most farm apps now record offline and sync when you're back in range, but check before you buy. Agrianta, Herdwatch, Breedr, AgriWebb and iLivestock all say so on their websites. If an app needs signal to save a record, it won't get used at the pen.

Can livestock software report movements to BCMS for me?

Many apps send births, deaths and movements to BCMS, ScotEID or EIDCymru for you. Others, including Agrianta for now, record them and give you an export to submit. Check which systems an app links to for your nation. In England, also ask whether it's ready for the Livestock Information Service, which takes over cattle reporting from mid-2027.

Do I need an EID stick reader?

Not to get started, as you can type or scan tag numbers. If you tag with EID, a Bluetooth stick reader saves you copying numbers by hand, so check the app supports yours. Agrianta works with the Shearwell SDL440S and Allflex AWR, or reads the tag with your phone's camera.

Can my vet see my records?

Most apps let you invite your vet, but check whether it costs extra. Agrianta gives your vet their own login at no cost, and you choose which animals they see.

Sources

• Report and record cattle movements, GOV.UK
• Sheep and goat keepers: how to report animal movements, GOV.UK
• Pig keepers: report and record movements, GOV.UK
• Veterinary Medicines Guidance Notes, Veterinary Medicines Directorate
• Livestock Information Service, Livestock Information Ltd
• EIDCymru guidance, Welsh Government
• ScotEID
• Other apps' pricing models and features, from their own websites, checked 5 October 2026: Herdwatch, Breedr, AgriWebb, Sum-IT Total Beef, Sum-IT Total Sheep, iLivestock; offline working: Breedr app, AgriWebb mobile sync
• URUS acquires AgriWebb, AgFunderNews

Want to put Agrianta on your own herd? Start your free trial and get 30 days with full Pro access. You won't be charged until your trial ends. Not ready for software yet? Start with our free medicine record template.

Not sure which features you need? Drop us a line at hello@agrianta.com and we'll talk it through.