ANIMAL MANAGEMENT
Simple weighing is easier than ever For Ella and Matt King, weighing is all about running an efficient and profitable business. The Kings manage a 700-cow dairy operation in Clydevale, South Otago and for the past 7 years, Ella has also been a hands-on calf-rearer. This season, the couple swapped out their trusted EziWeigh 7 indicator to trial its successor, the JR5000. The JR5000 is a new entry-level weigh scale indicator from Datamars, with improved functionality including a large colour screen, auto transfer from EID readers and a large, durable keypad for data entry. It is an ideal tool to help small to medium farming operations achieve their growth targets, sell animals at the right weight for the best price and ensure herd traceability for NAIT. Ella King knows the ins and outs of weigh scale indicators. She has used a few over the years to watch what is happening with the young stock. Even when working with calves every day, she doesn’t rely on the eye-o-meter to assess their progress. “I am regular with the weighing, every 2 to 3 weeks. I weigh my calves to see their growth rate and figure out which ones are gaining.”
| Understanding individual animal weights and gains is straightforward with a weigh indicator.
“I don’t want to spend any more milk on the calves than I need to. As soon as our calves get to 85kg they are weaned and go to the run-off. While weighing the calves, I have a look over each of them for health issues as they come over the scales, one on one. Spot them then and there and take whatever action I need before anything becomes an expensive vet problem.” The JR5000 has made it easier for Ella to record and manage groups in the yard. “I don’t want to have calves that are 120kg in the same mob as the ones that
Ella rears 170 heifer replacements and the regular weigh sessions provide useful information to better manage farm resources, keep money in their pocket and improve the overall health of their future herd.
are 85kg so I’m sending calves over to
“This year we used the JR5000 to weigh and track the weight of our spring calves. It is so straightforward.
gain history for every animal at the
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the run-off in groups. With the JR5000 we can label groups. “I can see the average weight and the
“Farmers never have a lot of time so instead of going away and thinking ‘this was this, or that, it means we can make decisions on the spot. “Being able to use the JR5000 has required minimal training and we recommend it for sure!” Ella says. The JR5000’s simplicity and ease-of use makes it a perfect weighing tool for stock and station agents, graziers, calf rearers, farmers who are solely focussed on weight and gain and staff who are new to animal management. As with all Datamars weigh indicators, the JR5000 uses Tru-Test’s proven Superdamp™ IV technology, for accurate live animal weights more quickly than any other weigh scale on the market.
crush. We’ve found it so easy looking at
For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
the data on the screen.
Article supplied by Datamars
number of calves I have run through. The JR5000 also shows weight and
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