Choose a group's animals by hand or by rules

When you create an Animal profiles group, How should animals get added? decides who is in it: a fixed list you choose, a list Creatures keeps up to date from rules, or rules plus a few animals you add by hand. You can check the result at any time under Why these animals are included.

Choose how animals get added

On Create group, pick Animal profiles under What are you tracking?, then choose one option:

• Choose animals myself: a fixed list. You pick the animals, and the list changes only when someone edits it. The group shows Chosen by hand. This suits a show string or a treatment group.
• Keep updated by rules: animals join and leave on their own as they start or stop matching your rules. The group shows Updated by rules. This suits a living list, such as all heifers under two.
• Use rules, then adjust: every animal that matches the rules, plus animals you add by hand that do not match. The group shows Rules with edits.

You can switch to another option later in Edit group. Of the three, only groups chosen by hand can be split or merged; see Split, merge, or archive a group.

Build a rule

Set one or more filters: Species, Breed (after you pick a species), Sex, Status (Active or Deceased), Age under (in years) and Withdrawal status. An animal must match every filter you set. Leave a filter on its "Any" choice, or leave Age under blank, to skip it.

In withdrawal now finds animals with an active withdrawal hold, such as the waiting period after a medicine. It does not create or clear a hold.

As you set filters, the preview shows how many animals match and why each one does. Animals with no birth date never match Age under.

Let Creatures suggest the rules

Under Describe the animals, type what you want, such as "All Highland heifers under two", and select Suggest rules. The AI suggestion shows the rules it would use and lists the animals Included and Not included, with a reason for each. Then you can:

• type a change in Refine the suggestion and select Update suggestion
• select Use suggested rules to fill in the filters for you
• select Use this as a one-time animal list instead to turn the matches into a fixed list chosen by hand

Nothing is saved until you select Create group.

Check the result

Open the group. On Overview, Why these animals are included explains how the list works and shows the rules.

With Use rules, then adjust, the group holds every animal that matches the rules plus the ones you added by hand. You cannot leave out a matching animal by hand. To drop it, change the rules.

If a group updated by rules has no matches yet, Overview shows No animals match yet with an Edit rules button.

Change the rules later

Select Edit. Edit group opens with your saved rules filled in. Change a filter, check the preview, and select Save group. For Use rules, then adjust, the Animals field lists only the animals you added by hand. Animals that match the rules are included on their own.

If an animal is missing or extra

• Compare the animal's profile with each filter: species, breed, sex, status, birth date and any withdrawal hold. A missing birth date or breed is a common cause.
• Check that the group's Owner can manage the animal.
• If you see "Milking reminders use this roster", the group is your milking roster. To change its rule, first end the plan under Milking reminders.
• A group named Everyone at a location follows the animals there and in the locations inside it. Change its coverage in Care Plans, not Edit group.

Related information

• Create and manage animal groups
• Add a record for a whole group
• Care plans for animal groups

Updated on: 29/10/2026