Why Is Counting Cattle So Hard?

Earlier this year Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) released an estimate on herd size - 28.8 million was the figure stated. That was the estimated number of cattle in Australia. This was then heavily questioned by a number of stakeholders exclaiming that the number was inflated given that a record 30 year low herd size was stated only two to three years earlier. Some early rebuttal put the herd size at 24 million, whilst other research estimates the AUstralian herd at anywhere between 30-40 million.

So this begs the question why is it so hard to count cattle?

In order to get a national herd estimate organisations like MLA and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) have to rely on a few sources entered into a complex model. The most concrete of sources is the slaughter data. This is provided by the abattoirs and details the sex of the animals, from this data the model can estimate the female retention and approximate the growth of the herd. This was largely accompanied by an ABS run Agricultural census and teh annual Rural Environmental and Agricultural Commodities Survey, however poor responses has led to the abandoning of the survey.

Many would believe the National Livestock Identification Scheme (NLIS) which has been manadatory in cattle for over 15 years would hold some answers, however active devices on the property can include tags bought and stored well ahead of branding.

For producers looking for an accurate stocktake there are not many options. The NLIS database is likely to be a large overestimate with no way to discern a tag in a cupboard from a tag in animal. Farm management applications rely on diligent record keeping and tracking through out the year and using crush-side records without analysis can be time consuming and prone to errors.

End of financial year isn’t the only time farmers need an accurate stocktake, there is increasing need for accurate numbers - from carbon calculators to loans and insurance, farmers need to know their stock numbers.

As Black Box has evolved we have realised we may be in the best position to assist farmers in getting an accurate herd inventory. By analysing NLIS transfers, sale records, slaughter information and crush-side data, Black Box can now give the most accurate on farm stock take to a producer. This exciting new release will save farmers weeks in the office and can be shared securely with third parties as needed. To find out more get in touch with us .