BILOELA cattle producers Gavin and Megan Muller have made the transition to electronic recording of individual animal performance which they believe will ultimately improve the profitability of their breeding and finishing enterprise.
The Mullers were co-operators in a Meat and Livestock Australia and Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI) co-funded three-year Producer Demonstration Site project that aimed to show how the collection of NLIS (National Livestock Identification System) data could effectively deliver livestock management solutions.
At the on-property July 15 field day, 50 fellow producers and industry representatives heard how Gavin Muller was able to use the daily weight gain data to quickly identify non-performing cattle from a finishing program targeting the premium EU (European Union) export market.
“Our aim is to finish our two-year-old crossbred steers and heifers off buffel grass and leucaena pasture and use the daily liveweight gain as a vital indicator of when an animal has reached its potential,” Mr Muller said.
“We have used a paper-based liveweight recording system for many years but have been impressed with the electronic data collection that enables us to assess the relevant performance data for each animal while it is still on the scales in the crush.
“The accuracy of the NLIS-based software technology takes all the guesswork out of the equation and we can readily identify which cattle are going to be most profitable.”
The demonstration trial was an initiative of the eight family beef businesses within the CQ BEEF Biloela group, the on-going activities of which are supported through the Fitzroy Basin Association as a part of DEEDI’s state-wide FutureBeef program.
DEEDI industry development officer Lindy Symes said the FutureBeef objective would help producers address improved nutrition, grazing and land management, breeding and reproduction and business management.
For the duration of the trial, the individual animal’s NLIS electronic ear tag was used to collect a wealth of information from weaning through to the meatworks kill sheets using specialist NLIS-based computer software technology.
Don Menzies, director of Outcross Performance Pty Ltd, demonstrated the types of equipment and commercial software packages that are available to collate animal performance data from the breeding herd through to the grow-out and finishing phase.
Gavin and Megan Muller purchased a Boyne Valley Ubobo district breeding property, Cooinda, in 2003 in partnership with Paul Ross and are rebuilding a Brahman crossbred herd on the back of a good 2009-10 summer season.
The weaner progeny are relocated to the Mullers’ Callide Valley finishing blocks, Gavyna and Dellmor.
Don Menzies said that using a crush-mounted NLIS panel reader in conjunction with the electronic liveweight scales, it was possible to process up to 120 head an hour and this throughput could be increased to 180 head/hour when reweighing.
The laptop computer and enterpad using the AginfoLink – BeefLink software can be used to record breed type, sex, property of origin, paddock nutrition, supplementation, HGP use, breeder fertility, liveweight with an immediate average daily gain assessment, visual appraisal of body score condition (linked to P8 rib fat depth) and compliance with market specifications.
Mr Muller said he intended to continue the electronic recording of animal performance and sell off the non-performing animals and those that are unlikely to meet the EU carcase specifications which included the 7mm to 22mm P8 fat cover.
“If we have the available feed and room, there is an option to buy in EU-accredited replacement cattle with the potential to meet the market requirements and lift profitability,” he said.
DEEDI economist Rebecca Gowen said since the 2005 introduction of NLIS, producers now had access to a wealth of data.
“To justify the investment in NLIS equipment and associated software or to contract a data analysis service, producers need to appreciate what data they need to collate to best meet their enterprise objectives and how that information can be used to improve management and profitability,” Ms Gowen said.
“Net present value of costs over a 10-year period to own NLIS equipment and software can range from $8282 to $10,274 or alternatively a fully contracted on-farm scanning and data analysis service could cost $13,327. Professional analysis of producer-collected data assessed twice yearly could cost $11,726.”
Biosecurity Queensland principal project officer Michael Lancaster, Toowoomba, was on hand to share his experience with the appropriate selection and correct installation of NLIS equipment.
Mr Lancaster said the objective was to achieve maximum traceability of all cattle to maintain industry access to markets currently valued at $625 million annually.
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