The design of a production management system for an intensive northern Australian grazing operation to determine optimal production approach

Summary

The Pardoo Wagyu beef program is located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, utilising a pivot-irrigated tropical pasture base. The innovative nature and scale of the operation would require rigorous management control and data recording. An aim was if possible to gather all data into a single recording program.

Two aspects of this were identified as

• Grazing management recording
• Cattle weight change data collection

To this end, the approach (1) was to use and assess at least two off the shelf software recording programs to evaluate suitability, including ease of data collection, connectivity and real time availability to multiple levels of staff and facility for management and analysis. The alternative was a much more complex and expensive process to commission a custom built program.

Two commercially available programs were utilised, based initially on their capacity to record the movement of cattle rotationally grazing over up to 80 cells within the initial 12 pivots. Over the time of the project hay and crop production were integrated into the area, requiring an additional suite of data records. The capacity of the programs was evaluated for these additional requirements as well for sharing of data from existing recording software measuring soil water, weather, irrigation, and cattle weighing and other treatments.

Both programs had excellent grazing recording, and cattle and paddock treatment capacity. One was found to have more capacity in the Pardoo context to upload relevant data from a range of other farm recording systems, and to build in specific requirements identified.

With final stage feedlotting imminent and the marketing of high-grade Wagyu beef emerging, management effects on individual animal and carcase data are seen as of advantage. It is not to be expected that any grazing or farm management software would accommodate the magnitude of this aim, but program capacities are being evaluated.

With regard to cattle weighing (2) timely capture of cattle weight changes in association with grazing management was essential. It was an additional means of calibrating pasture quality and alerting to any impending cattle health issues. In the early period before cattle turnoff, weight gain in association with accurate recording of costs provided the only means of calculating beef Cost of Production (CoP), a vital business Key Performance Indicator (KPI).

In consultation with staff the challenges inherent in conveniently weighing cattle in the intensive grazing environment were identified. At the time of commencing the project the concept of mobile weighing equipment was seen as efficient. Recognising the use for portable equipment for needs other than weighing, basic cattle capture and restraint features were proposed. These concepts were proposed to a commercial manufacturer of cattle handling equipment and an appropriate prototype facility constructed.This was employed and objectively evaluated in the context of the grazing operation. Cattle management, time and labour including OH&S considerations were considered.

The equipment was used in a variety of contexts including unforeseen grazing subdivision alterations and remodelling of facilities (fencing, water points, landways, paddock size). A template was created to objectively compare methods of weighing responsive to cattle management and staff issues.

Fully transportable scales and the required yards were found to be inefficient, taking approximately twice as long (in the circumstances, 332 compared with 170 minutes on average) to weigh cattle in the context of the pivot pasture layout as did the use of a fixed facility. In addition, the labour and effort necessary had OH&S implications.

Movement of cattle to a number of robust, fixed, strategically located yard facilities with scales, either permanent or mobile, was identified in the circumstances of the Pardoo operation to be the most efficient means of frequent weighing of variable cattle mob sizes and types over a 10 km location range.

For timeliness, it was established that the distance to the yards should be minimised where possible. With the pivot cluster arrangement as located a distance of approximately 1 km from any cell this had challenges with three yard locations.

The place of walk over weighing in intensively grazed pivot-irrigated pastures should be further evaluated.