Background
A family-run beef operation in central Queensland running 3,000 Brahman-cross cattle across both breeding and finishing blocks. The property spans open grazing paddocks and a centralized feedlot area where steers are finished on grain before processing. The operation runs with a lean team of six full-time staff.
Products Featured
Self-locking headlocks, automatic FCR monitoring system, GPS ear tags
The Challenge
During mustering, identifying individual animals and tracking their treatment history was entirely manual and time-consuming. In the feedlot, there was no way to measure individual feed conversion — the manager had only pen-level averages, making it impossible to identify which bloodlines were performing best. The owner wanted to make data-driven culling and breeding decisions but lacked the infrastructure to collect individual animal data.
Our Solution
We supplied a complete package: self-locking cattle headlocks custom-fitted to the feedlot bunk line for safe handling during vaccinations and pregnancy checks. A 4-station automatic FCR monitoring system was installed to track individual feed intake and weight gain on their top-performing steers. GPS ear tags were deployed across the breeding herd to enable remote head counts and location tracking across the large paddocks, saving hours of staff time during musters. The property required 8 gateways to cover their varied terrain — we designed the network layout at no additional cost.
The Result
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Individual FCR data identified the top 15% of bloodlines, allowing targeted bull selection.
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Time spent locating cattle in remote paddocks was cut significantly.
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Vaccination and pregnancy check cycles were completed faster and with fewer staff.
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The owner now makes breeding decisions based on individual performance data rather than visual estimates.