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A brand new data-recording app permits sheep farmers to doc lambing particulars, weights and drugs utilization straight into their telephone, totally free.
The sheep component is the most recent addition to precision livestock community Breedr’s Livestock app – and sits alongside present beef and dairy modules.
See additionally: Tech Speak: Breedr – the precision livestock device
Farmer targeted
The brand new characteristic has been designed with the assistance of Steve Prentice, a sheep farmer from Pembrokeshire.
“There are lots of software program programmes for managing cattle, however there are variations in how sheep farmers suppose and work – the worth of cows is considerably extra, they usually don’t have triplets on a regular basis,” he says.
“There are additionally variations in necessities for pedigree flocks, the place all the pieces is recorded, and the extra business flocks the place particular person genetics are much less vital however general lambing efficiency and weight acquire are key. Breedr can have a look at each.”
With record-keeping shifting to a extra digital format, Mr Prentice says the app can change the Defra drugs ebook by recording medicines, batch numbers and remedy, for each animal.
He’s utilizing it in his personal enterprise to file and add new lamb information. This contains particulars on the dam and sire, the beginning weight and date and data of any vaccinations or therapies given.
In the long run, Mr Prentice says he’s seeking to make higher data-driven choices to optimise flock efficiency. “With restricted land we have to resolve which sheep to maintain and which to promote, based mostly on efficiency and bloodlines – with the app these choices are based mostly on information.”
Recording for combined farmers
For combined farmers, Breedr has launched a Professional model of the app, to allow beef and sheep information to be stored in a single place. Not like the fundamental parts within the app, this improve comes at a further price.
The Professional model of the app additionally provides customers the flexibility to report key efficiency indicators and to benchmark towards business targets and different Breedr farmers.
Cornish farmer Peter Broad is among the many mixed-farm customers. Mr Broad runs a beef and sheep enterprise in Launceston, comprising a 400-head flock of Mules and retailer cattle purchased in to complete indoors.
He says the flexibility to have a deeper understanding of the information from each enterprises is significant.
“The most important factor is that I’ll be capable of predict what number of lambs to promote every week and ebook them in, so we’re not conserving them any longer than we have to.”
The app can be helpful for capturing the breeding info for every sheep, he provides. “By linking the lambs again to their moms and capturing all of the lambing historical past we now have a clear, easy-to-access set of data in relation to changing a number of the older or underperforming ewes.”
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