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The ability to make timely and accurate decisions about livestock performance and pasture management without the associated labour costs is proving to be a worthwhile investment for beef producers.
Boasting benefits including accurate data recording, enhanced pasture management, and improved animal welfare, walk over weighing systems by Tru-Test have become a key ingredient in the recipe to maximise production.
For the McMurtrie family, the decision to incorporate a WOW system into their operation 18 months ago has paid dividends.
Operating across 16,000 acres between Bingara and Barraba in northern New South Wales, the family runs a 3000-head Angus breeder herd with Wagyu sires, turning off F1 Wagyu progeny.
Supplying Paradigm Foods monthly, Hugh McMurtrie said they target turnoff weights of 400 to 450 kilograms.
“The weigh platform is great in that it gives us the daily data on weight gains and stuff like that, so we can see how the cattle going over it are trending,” Mr McMurtrie said.
“It also gives us a good indication of the number of cattle that have met the target weights and are going to be ready to go each month, or alternatively how light we will have to go to make up a certain number of cattle to deliver that month.”
Traditionally, the McMurtries would run cattle through the yards every month to pull out the lead of the mob in preparation for turning them off, however the WOW system has taken the work out of the process.
“The draft module has given us the ability to just leave the weigh unit with the lead mob, and we now have a good idea of what their weight ranges are,” Mr McMurtrie said.
“You can sort their weights by whatever parameter you want really, but if I sort heaviest to lightest and just select the hundred heaviest, I can put those eIDs in and the module will draft those off.”
Originally, the McMurtries had been drawn to the WOW system for its ability to give them accurate feedback of what’s happening in the paddock, but the draft module has been an added benefit.
“The ability to not have to run the cattle through the yards is a huge cost saving in that they’re not putting any weight on while they’re going through the yards, so there’s an economic benefit there,” Mr McMurtrie said.
“And I’m not having guys out there mustering and putting them over the scales, so that’s another big economic saving.
“If you’re weighing cattle regularly - putting them through the yards on a regular basis just to pull off the lead ones or something like that - I think it would be a huge cost saving.
“The information you can gain from actually having an idea of what’s happening in the paddock is also very beneficial, so I’d highly recommend it.”
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The productivity and cost-saving benefits have also been evident for Warren and Meg Salter of Mt Pleasant, Dalby, QLD.
They operate a 2500-acre mixed farming and grazing business, with the core of their business being a 250-head stud Angus herd.
“The walk over weighing system has really benefited our beef operation and our farming operation because it allows us to collect data on weight gains, to identify when they stop gaining weight and make some health decisions and also some performance decisions,” Ms Salter said.
“That also means that we’re not overgrazing any of our pastures or our paddocks.”
Setting the system up around a watering point means a consistent data collection process, which they find very valuable, Mr Salter said.
“We also have a reconciliation system in place, so we know there’s a hundred cows in that paddock that should be all weaners that should be walking over that unit,” he said.
“If we identify a problem where we have 95 head or 99 head come through for a couple days in a row, it’s a flag for us to say ‘righto, there’s a problem in that creek paddock and we need to go and investigate it’, so it’s really good for that.
“From a manager’s perspective, I find that really reassuring when we are not on site.”
As far as incorporating the system into their business, Mr Salter said it was a simple and cost-effective process.
“We started with one, and we’ll be expanding to have several in our business,” he said.
“It just makes good sense.”
This article is sponsored content from Datamars.
