Monitored Risk Level
What is the Monitored Risk Level?
The HLI Threshold is the HLI at which a cattle population will start to accumulate heat. The AHLU is then the accumulated heat load units for that cattle population, based on its HLI Threshold. The Monitored Risk Level is therefore the AHLU for the cattle population you wish to monitor.
Most sites will have many different cattle populations that they are monitoring. We recommend setting the Monitored Risk Level to represent your highest risk animals.
The Monitored Risk Level is displayed on your dashboard, drives the colours of the cards and sets the SMS alert level.
Remember, the risk level of your cattle will change depending on various factors.
For example, production cattle that are usually monitored at AHLU89 will be at a higher risk if the pens are wet. In this case you would use AHLU83 if your pens are wet.
Determining your Monitored Risk Level
To determine your Monitored Risk Level:
Calculate the HLI Threshold for each of your cattle populations, using any of the following methods:
With the HLI Threshold Calculator - go to the Cattle Heat Risk dashboard and select the HLI button.
Using a RAP - on top of the HLI Threshold, this also generates a forecast for your population’s risk throughout the year and lets you assess different heat management scenarios.
Through Cattle Observations - allows details to be considered which are specific to the moment in time, such as cattle coat condition.
The population with the lowest HLI Threshold has the highest risk of heat stress. Therefore use this lowest HLI to choose your Monitored Risk Level according to the table below:
General Risk Description | Monitored Risk Level | HLI Thresholds |
|---|---|---|
High risk | AHLU80 | 78, 79, 80, 81 and 82 |
High risk | AHLU83 | 83, 84, 85 |
Moderate risk | AHLU86 | 86, 87, 88 |
Moderate risk | AHLU89 | 89, 90, 91 |
Low risk | AHLU92 | 92, 93, 94 |
Low risk | AHLU95 | 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100 |
Setting your Monitored Risk Level
The Monitored Risk Level can only be changed by the feedlot site admin.
You can change your Monitored Risk Level by doing the following:
Navigate to the Settings page.
Select the Global Settings tab.
Select the AHLU level you wish to monitor from the drop-down list.
Press SAVE.
Reviewing and Interpreting your Monitored Risk Level
Once you’ve set your Monitored Risk Level, you can review the forecast for this AHLU category on the Cattle Heat Risk dashboard. The cards along the top provide a nice summary of each day's risk.
If the AHLU category is above 50 units (it will be coloured red), this means that some cattle with panting scores 2-4 can be expected. If the AHLU category is above 100 units the colour is Black and cattle with a panting score of 4 are likely.
You can then also review your heat management strategies, and once they are implemented, reassess the risk of your animals. Use the HLI Threshold Calculator or a RAP to determine your new AHLU category (note it will be higher than the unmitigated risk category).
For example, if your cattle normally sit at an HLI Threshold of 86 and you have implemented a heat load ration, installed extra water troughs, and strategically removed high manure areas, your HLI Threshold for these animals is now 91.
Therefore, once you have implemented your heat mitigation strategies, you can use AHLU89 to monitor your risk.
Example HLI Threshold with Mitigation Strategies