Most beef farmers will recognise the importance of weighing cattle as a key performance indicator on their farms. However, this can be a laborious and time-consuming task.
Frequently, even where cattle are being weighed, they are not weighed often enough to give accurate daily liveweight gains. A typical finishing animal’s live-weight can fluctuate anywhere between 15kg to 20kg within a 24-hour period depending on how full the animal is.
However, manufacturer Ritchie, in collaboration with Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), may have the answer. The Ritchie beef monitor, on display at last week’s Royal Highland Show, incorporates a weighing scales with a drinking trough that will weigh an animal each time it enters for water.
The unit is placed in a finishing pen and must be the only source of water available to the animals. Once the animal enters the unit, a tag reader recognises the animal via its electronic (EID) tag and records the weight of the animal using a TRU-test indicator.
Andrew Edwards, Ritchie sales and marketing director, told the Irish Farmers Journal: “At the moment, when you download the data you receive it in an excel format that requires some manual interpretation.”
However, the company is currently looking at ways to make the system more user-friendly. “We are currently developing a user-friendly app for smartphones that will interpret the data automatically and send regular updates via cloud computing,” said Andrew.
Cost
Like all new technology, it doesn’t come cheap. The unit, which includes the weigh cells, drinking unit and EID tag reader, costs £4,575 + VAT (€5,625).
The TRU-test indicator is not included in the price and retails at around £1,500 + VAT (€1,845).
However, according to Andrew, the system can pay for itself in two years due to increased accuracy in slaughter weights, helping to consistently produce in-spec animals. Farmers will also save on feed costs by getting animals out of the system at the correct weight, and will be able to identify animals that are failing to perform over a period of time.
Highland Show
The 176th Royal Highland Show ran from 23 to 26 June and attracted more than 187,000 people to view the £72m worth of farm machinery on display across the 40ha site.
Read more
Farmer writes: Farmers should consider purchasing a weighing scales
Uncertainty the theme of the day at the Royal Highland Show
Clean sweep for Northern Irish breeders in the commercial ring at Highland
Irish breeding to the fore in Simmental ring in Scotland
Most beef farmers will recognise the importance of weighing cattle as a key performance indicator on their farms. However, this can be a laborious and time-consuming task.
Frequently, even where cattle are being weighed, they are not weighed often enough to give accurate daily liveweight gains. A typical finishing animal’s live-weight can fluctuate anywhere between 15kg to 20kg within a 24-hour period depending on how full the animal is.
However, manufacturer Ritchie, in collaboration with Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), may have the answer. The Ritchie beef monitor, on display at last week’s Royal Highland Show, incorporates a weighing scales with a drinking trough that will weigh an animal each time it enters for water.
The unit is placed in a finishing pen and must be the only source of water available to the animals. Once the animal enters the unit, a tag reader recognises the animal via its electronic (EID) tag and records the weight of the animal using a TRU-test indicator.
Andrew Edwards, Ritchie sales and marketing director, told the Irish Farmers Journal: “At the moment, when you download the data you receive it in an excel format that requires some manual interpretation.”
However, the company is currently looking at ways to make the system more user-friendly. “We are currently developing a user-friendly app for smartphones that will interpret the data automatically and send regular updates via cloud computing,” said Andrew.
Cost
Like all new technology, it doesn’t come cheap. The unit, which includes the weigh cells, drinking unit and EID tag reader, costs £4,575 + VAT (€5,625).
The TRU-test indicator is not included in the price and retails at around £1,500 + VAT (€1,845).
However, according to Andrew, the system can pay for itself in two years due to increased accuracy in slaughter weights, helping to consistently produce in-spec animals. Farmers will also save on feed costs by getting animals out of the system at the correct weight, and will be able to identify animals that are failing to perform over a period of time.
Highland Show
The 176th Royal Highland Show ran from 23 to 26 June and attracted more than 187,000 people to view the £72m worth of farm machinery on display across the 40ha site.
Read more
Farmer writes: Farmers should consider purchasing a weighing scales
Uncertainty the theme of the day at the Royal Highland Show
Clean sweep for Northern Irish breeders in the commercial ring at Highland
Irish breeding to the fore in Simmental ring in Scotland
SHARING OPTIONS