Demonstration of an in-paddock cattle weighing system
| Project start date: | 02 January 2023 |
| Project end date: | 15 May 2026 |
| Project status: | In progress |
| Livestock species: | Grass-fed Cattle |
| Relevant regions: | Western Australia, Mediterranean |
| Site location: | WA: South Stirlings, Manypeaks, Kojaneerup, Kalgan |
Summary
Cattle producers growing out cattle in extensive paddock environments are not regularly weighing their animals and can therefore be delayed in noticing any changes in growth rates. Monitoring weights with in-paddock weighing equipment in real-time allows Producers to respond to growth rate changes by providing additional supplementation or other suitable interventions in a timelier manner. Real-time data can be used to plan sale dates and numbers, ensuring cattle are more likely to meet target weights and hit market specifications more accurately.
This Producer Demonstration Site (PDS) project will utilise an Optiweigh unit on properties in southern WA to demonstrate the value of in-paddock cattle weighing systems for improved labour efficiency, monitoring animal weights and optimising compliance with target market weight specifications. Demonstration sites will be established on six properties across the South Coast region of WA - South Stirlings, Manypeaks, Kojaneerup, & Kalgan over three years.
Objectives
By October 2025, Stirlings to Coast Farmers (SCF) will have achieved the following outcomes in the Southern WA region:
- Trialled an Optiweigh system on a minimum of six herds of beef cattle across six properties to achieve:
- 70% of site hosts reduced the time, or labour typically spent on cattle weighing activities
- 100% of site hosts were able to identify more timely variations in animal weight gains
- 50% of site hosts use the Optiweigh data to make a more informed sale or herd management decision (i.e., nutrition)
- Demonstrate the function of the Optiweigh system to an open audience of at least 30 producers across the life of the project (two producer field events 2023,2024).
- Build producers skills in use and analysis of the Optiweight data to make better herd management decisions and target market weight specifications more accurately.
- Produce at least three case studies and one video summarising the findings from site hosts and extend widely.
- Conduct a cost-benefit analysis to demonstrate the value of adopting this technology.
- Engaged 10 Core and 50 observer producers, with
- 90% of core producers and 70% of observer producers having increased their knowledge of the Optiweigh system from this project
- 80% increase in confidence among the core producer group in knowing the value of an Optiweigh (and data it produces) to their system and a 50% increase among observer producers
- 80% of core and 50% of observer producers believe that in-paddock weighing equipment would benefit their livestock enterprise.
Progress
The south coast region of WA is home to approximately 312,000 cattle. Most of these cattle enterprises, grow out cattle in extensive paddock environments weighing animals infrequently. This can be a costly exercise due to delayed growth rate change detection, time and labour required for yarding and weighing activities.
Stirlings to Coast Farmers commenced the PDS of an in-paddock cattle weighing system in February 2023 that will continue for three years. The PDS aims to demonstrate the value an in-paddock weighing system can provide to a cattle enterprise. This will be achieved by two hosts per year demonstrating the Optiweigh system, collecting real-time weight data, the host producer’s experiences, and having a cost benefit analysis performed.
Core PDS members will gain skills and experience through:
- Trialling the Optiweigh machine
- Observing real time growth rates
- Interpreting the data
- Understanding the cost benefit analysis
To date, data collection from the Optiweigh machine and the cost benefit analysis (CBA) has been completed for the first three host sites. CBA shows the Optiweigh to be a positive investment for two out of the three producers. Most of the benefit is derived from improved labour efficiencies, along with monitoring animal weights to meet nutritional needs.
Follow the link https://app.hubspot.com/documents/7962537/view/812250209?accessId=2902ea to our TRB article analysing the first two host results and a newsletter article link https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5c00a4b3620b859f65cfa797/t/6666a6510705a029531653a9/1718003285164/SCF_Focus_Winter_2024_F+MLA.pdf highlighting key learnings from the third host.
