Sheep producers are set to benefit from a new automated system that will revolutionize the way lamb growth is monitored. Innovate UK and Defra have provided over £430,000 in funding to David Ritchie Agricultural to develop a field-based auto-weigher that will gather extensive data on lamb growth rates, enabling farmers to make accurate predictions on when their animals will reach target finished weight.
This funding is a significant step towards bringing sheep technology in line with other sectors, where automated systems have long been used to monitor and optimize productivity. The auto-weigher will provide farmers with valuable information to support their feeding, grazing, and breeding management decisions, ultimately improving flock efficiency.
According to Charlie Bowyer from Agri-EPI, the system will not only help farmers measure and monitor lamb performance, but it will also address the limitations currently faced in this area. By reducing the number of gathers and subsequent stress on lambs, the auto-weigher will promote better growth rates and overall welfare. Additionally, the system will result in substantial labor savings for farmers.
The three-year project will evaluate three different designs of the auto-weigher. These include a walk-over weigher, a monitor with creep to incentivize throughput, and platforms in a field for lambs to jump on. Each design will be accompanied by a data-handling app, making it easier for farmers to access and interpret the collected data.
For farmers using creep feeding, the project will also develop a metered feed lamb weigher. This innovative feature will allow farmers to adjust the amount of feed given to individual lambs, preventing dominant animals from consuming more than their fair share. This will not only promote fair distribution of feed, but also prevent over-feeding and potential health issues.
The auto-weigher prototypes will be tested on three of Agri-EPI Centre’s innovation farms and one of Ritchie’s trial farms. Lamb weights will be continuously recorded from four weeks of age until finishing, providing real-time average weights for the entire flock. The data will be transmitted over mobile phone networks to an online cloud database, where it will be processed and displayed on a user-friendly web platform.
The National Sheep Association (NSA) has expressed its support for this technology development. Nicola Noble, the NSA project manager, believes that this system will not only reduce costs and save time but also improve health and welfare, enhance data recording accuracy, and increase overall productivity and efficiency at the flock level.
This funding and research project mark a significant milestone for the sheep industry. By embracing automation and advanced data collection techniques, sheep producers will be better equipped to make informed decisions, optimize their flock’s growth, and ultimately improve their bottom line. The auto-weigher is set to transform the way sheep farming is conducted, bringing it in line with other sectors that have already reaped the benefits of technology integration.
