What’s Going on at Wise Ag?

Laura Mushrush 8/6/24 Laura Mushrush 8/6/24

Reduce concentrate inputs in store lambs by 45% while maintaining DLWG with controlled supplementation

Wise Agriculture is the UK agent for Advantage Feeders (previously known as 3 in 1 Feeders). Learn about Advantage Feeders and see the full range here.

Sheep farmers looking to hit spring market premiums in store lambs and reduce supplement feed costs will benefit from controlled supplement feeding, says Gerard Roney of Advantage Feeders, formerly known as 3 in 1 Feeders.

“The most effective way to optimise both your lamb and homegrown forage performance is by little and often feeding a small amount of starch feed such as cereals or pellets throughout the day,” explains Mr Roney. “By controlling the intake of supplemented feed, rumen conditions are stabilised and microbes develop to improve digestion and feed utilisation.”

Working with a 3-way restriction system that controls the height, width and depth of where feed sits, farmers can control feed intakes and provide it in little and often quantities with Advantage Feeders.

“In a restricted setting, stock requires saliva on their tongue to lick the feed. Stock can only feed for about five minutes until their saliva dries up. They will then go graze for about an hour before repeating the process,” explains Mr Roney.

This method of controlled supplementation has been found in farm trials to decrease the consumption of growing grass by one-third, while maintaining growth rates, allowing for a stocking density increase by 50%. Increased rumen efficiency has also been shown to decrease supplementation intake by 33% when grazing dry pasture while maintaining growth rates.

In an Advantage Feeder farm trial, it was found that livestock grazing dry pasture require 45% less supplement through the controlled little and often system compared to trough feeding every second day. This way of controlled feeding offers sheep farmers an economical option for supplementing lambs for premium markets.

“Store lambs require around 3.5% of their body weight in dry matter per day, with forage requirements quickly increasing as they get bigger. The ability to maintain growth rates on fewer feed inputs gives producers a lot more management scope to increase stocking density and to make selling decisions based on market conditions and not forage availability,” says Mr Roney.

These efficiencies are achieved as a result of optimising rumen conditions for improved digestibility and feed utilisation. According to Mr Roney, the added supplement increases microbial populations and decreases rumen passage rate to increase the energy extracted from feed stuffs and lower forage intake – making it a better supplementation option for both economic and flock health benefits.

In an Advantage Feeder farm trial, it was found that livestock grazing dry pasture require 45% less supplement through the controlled little and often system compared to trough feeding every second day.

“Traditional supplementation methods such as ad-lib feeding or once a day feeding lead to overconsumption of high starch feed in a short amount of time, which throws off rumen pH and kills off rumen microbes. This can take 24 hours to stabilise and for microbes to rebuild and return to digesting pasture,” explains Mr Roney. “Best case scenario, there’s an unnecessary amount of feed consumed to fill the energy gap caused by the rumen not fully utilising forage. The worst case scenario is losing stock to acidosis.”

Strategic supplementation

While pasture is the cheapest form of feed on farms, quality will decline towards the end of the grazing months and over winter. Strategic supplementation will yield a ROI by stretching forage stocks and filling nutritional gaps.

“Along with providing additional energy to growing lambs to help hit finishing weights for early spring markets, controlled supplementation is going to support rumen function so poorer quality forages are more efficiently digested,” concludes Mr Roney.

Laura Mushrush 3/15/24 Laura Mushrush 3/15/24

Qualifying items for the 2024 Farming Equipment and Technology Fund for Animal Health and Welfare grant

Laura Mushrush 3/11/24 Laura Mushrush 3/11/24

Wise Agriculture becomes the sole GB distributor for Arrowquip cattle handling equipment

*Wise Agriculture has been named the Arrowquip supplier for GB. The North Yorkshire based firm has been an Arrowquip dealer since 2018.*

North Yorkshire firm Wise Agriculture has been appointed sole distribution rights in England, Scotland and Wales for Arrowquip’s cattle handling equipment portfolio.

The appointment will drive innovations and enhance customer care for the GB market says Arrowquip’s UK Manager Darren Brennan.

“Arrowquip’s mission is to improve the safety and efficiency of cattle handling by providing the farming community with equipment that combines world-class engineering with designs based on practicality and animal behaviour. This is supported with industry-leading warranties of up to 15 years on some crush models and a customer-first approach to follow-up support and care,” says Mr Brennan. “Wise Agriculture shares this mission and has been instrumental to Arrowquip’s development for the UK and customer service.”

After seeing a need in the industry for quality livestock equipment supported by quality customer service, livestock farmers Edward and Laura Wise established Wise Agriculture in 2018 with their first shipment of Arrowquip manual squeeze crushes from the Canadian company. Their business has since grown to be Europe’s largest Arrowquip importer and has also taken on sole UK distribution rights for Advantage Feeders (formerly known as 3-in-1) and Landquip NZ’s Porta-Yards mobile sheep handling range. The firm is also a leading distributor of Tru-Test weighing and EID equipment and AgriCow brushes.

“Wise Agriculture was founded on the base of efficiency, innovation, practicality and quality in both the equipment we provide and the way we conduct business. We are here to provide farmers and other stakeholders in the livestock supply chain with products built to last and customer service they can have faith in,” says Mr Wise, Managing Director of Wise Agriculture. “Arrowquip has been and will continue to be an excellent partner in upholding this ethos.”

Wise Agriculture has been Arrowquip’s distributor in Scotland since June 2023. All GB customer support will be handled by the firm who can be reached by visiting wiseag.co.uk.

Laura Mushrush 8/8/23 Laura Mushrush 8/8/23

Wise Agriculture appointed as the GB agent for Advantage Feeders

Wise Agriculture has been appointed GB distributor for Advantage Feeders livestock feeding systems.

Advantage Feeders will now be supplied by Wise Agriculture throughout England, Scotland and Wales. The extensive Advantage Feeders range includes grain and pellet feeder options for beef, dairy and sheep farms.

Wise Agriculture has been appointed GB distributor for Advantage Feeders livestock feeding systems.

Headquartered in Victoria, Australia, and formerly known as 3IN1Feeders, Advantage Feeders offers an extensive range of grain and pellet feeders designed to optimise productivity in beef, dairy and sheep.

“Advantage Feeders promotes ‘little and often’ controlled feeding by utilising stock’s saliva production to manage feed intakes. This improves rumen function and digestibility, which increases feed conversion rates to achieve higher output on lower feed input,” explains Gerard Roney, managing director of Advantage Feeders.

According to Mr Roney, the partnership with Wise Agriculture will support the company’s mission of providing new innovative feeding solutions to British farmers and allow it to continue to provide a high level of customer service to existing and future customers.

Based near Richmond, North Yorkshire and established in 2018 by livestock farmers Edward and Laura Wise, Wise Agriculture specializes in premium livestock handling, data recording and animal welfare solutions for beef, dairy and sheep producers. The business is the UK distributor of Landquip’s Porta-Yards sheep handling portfolio and is the primary UK dealer of Arrowquip cattle handling equipment.

“We are excited to partner with Advantage Feeders and work alongside them to enhance customer experience and availability of advanced feeding solutions to livestock producers,” says Edward Wise, managing director of Wise Agriculture. “Their commitment to quality, service and product development aligns with our company ethos as we strive to provide tools to farmers to enhance their resource utilisation and profitability.”

Since launching in the UK in 2012, Advantage Feeders have been popular options for British producers looking to maximise performance with homegrown feeds and pasture conversion.

Trial work has found Advantage Feeders to increase growth rates by 0.5kg/day in store cattle grazing fodder crops and supplemented with homegrown barley while simultaneously decreasing forage intakes by 3kg/day.

In a UK sheep trial, lambs that were creep fed with Advantage Feeders grew 9% faster than the control group, allowing the farm to achieve an 11% premium by having lambs sold three weeks earlier. Ewes fed with Advantage Feeders on the same farm were also able to have increased ewe stocking rates by 50%, for an overall profit increase of 208% compared to the control group.

“As livestock producers work to future-proof their businesses against unstable markets and challenging weather conditions, strategic investments to help them maximise homegrown feed utilisation and optimise livestock performance will be essential,” concludes Mr Wise. “We are looking forward to working with Advantage Feeders to not only deliver quality tools to help achieve this but the technical support and service for farmers to help them see a return on investment.”

Learn about Advantage Feeders UK offering here.

Laura Mushrush 7/31/23 Laura Mushrush 7/31/23

11 lessons on stress-free cattle handling from Dr Temple Grandin

Here are 11 lessons Dr Temple Grandin has for British beef and dairy producers on creating stress-free cattle handling systems.

This information came from AHDB’s July 27, 2023 Webinar “Stress-free stockmanship with Temple Grandin.”

*Credit: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign*

World-renowned for her work in developing low-stress livestock handling practices and livestock handling systems, Dr Temple Grandin is an industry pioneer in animal behaviour research.

Here are 11 lessons Dr Grandin has for British beef and dairy producers on creating stress-free cattle handling systems.

#1 Cattle handling has improved, but there is still room to get better

A 2020 study found:

46% of handlers overload the crowding pen
30% of handlers make too much noise
28% of handlers stand in the wrong position

All of these factors impact cattle working flow and stress levels.

#2 Calm cattle are easier to handle

Once an animal becomes fearful or excited, it takes a minimum of 20 minutes for it to become calm again, says Dr Grandin.

Some stressful events are unavoidable, such as calmly bringing cattle in from pasture to working pens.

However, agitation can be escalated or unnecessarily brought on by:

Using too much force
Making a lot of noise such as screaming, yelling and loud whistling
Waving arms and driving aids around erratically
Slipping on flooring

“Calm cattle are easier to handle. If you’re bringing cattle in from the pasture, it is worth taking a little break and allowing them to settle down before handling.”

Cattle also remember whether a handling experience was positive or negative, which will impact how easy they are to work in the future.

“When you’re handling (cattle) a lot, like TB testing, give them some treats after they go through,” says Dr Grandin. “You don’t have to feed them very much, just a taste of a treat is enough to work.”

#3 Cattle show physical signs of stress

These include:

Excessive pooping
Swishing their tails
Seeing the whites of their eyes
Vocalization during handling, including when you are restraining them

*Additional panels can be added to the sides of Arrowquip’s adjustable Easy Flow cattle races to block off distractions.*

#4 Distractions in the cattle handling facility will cause animals to balk and refuse to move

Common distractions Dr Grandin comes across include:

Shadows and high contrasts of light and dark
Reflections on metal or water
Shiny metal
Seeing people up ahead of where they need to move
Moving objects inside and outside the handling system
Pieces of string tied to gates and fence
Air blowing in their faces
Coats hung on fences
Objects lying on the ground
Drain grates
Changes in flooring type causing visual contrast
Dripping water
Dangling chains
Turning fan blades

#5 Lighting and shadows require extra attention to avoid balking

Shadows

Both research and Dr Grandin’s observational experience show that sharp shadows are likely to stop cattle from moving forward. An example of this would be a shed roof casting a sharp shadow across a forcing pen, causing cattle to not want to cross over it and into a race entry.

Because these have a wide range of variable causes such as cloud coverage, time of day and even a handler’s positioning, Dr Grandin recommends farmers assess their handling systems at multiple times throughout a day and in a variety of conditions.

Lighting

Cattle want to move towards light, but not blinding light, says Dr Grandin. Animals will enter into a cattle crush more easily if the entrance is lit. Because of this, it is important headgates and systems don’t close off light coming through at the exit.

*Arrowquip’s 3E Q-Catch head gate allows light through to utilise natural animal behaviour.*

Dr Grandin recommends farmers experiment with different lighting sources and LED lighting, but to make sure they don’t flicker.

It’s also important to avoid the “dark movie theatre” effect, which is caused when an animal is expected to move from a sunny crowing pen into a dark working system.

#6 Animals will look right at what they don’t like in a handling facility

If cattle are balking at something in a handling facility, “they will show you the stuff they don’t like,” says Dr Grandin.

According to her, a calm animal will stop and look directly at something that is bothering them. This gives farmers and opportunity to assess their handling facility to see what is causing the issues.

A large abattoir in the US was having issues with cattle getting halfway up the race and stopping. Dr Grandin advised them to take a calm group through and to pay attention to where they stopped and assess their behaviour and the area. It ended up being leftover lights stored at the edge of the building from a construction project.

#7 Use inexpensive materials to experiment with changes

Rather than making assumptions and then investing time and resources into making immediate big changes to a handling system, Dr Grandin recommends farmers experiment with simple tools like portable lighting and cardboard.

#8 Invest in non-slip flooring

“I cannot emphasize this enough. In all cattle handling facilities – no matter where they are – the importance of non-slip flooring,” says Dr Grandin.

Slippage is a major point of agitation for animals but also jeopardizes safety. While grooved concrete flooring is a good option, Dr Grandin cautions that it does wear over time and at a gradual enough rate that it is hard to notice.

Rubber mats or woven tire mats are especially good options for cattle crush exits.

With all flooring, visual contrast between materials must be avoided to prevent animals from balking. If there is contrast, Dr Temple recommends spreading a uniform material like dirt over the floor to cover up any contrasts.

#9 Work cattle in small groups

The amount of cattle brought into a forcing pen/tub should never exceed filling the pen halfway full. Dr Grandin also recommends timing groups of cattle so there is room for the majority of them to enter into and move up the race.

If the forcing pen is filled too full and/or there is no room for them to move up the race, cattle will turn around away from the race entry.

“Good handling is going to require a lot of walking to move up small groups of animals,” she says.

#10 Use scoring to keep a record of changes made to a handling system

Dr Grandin recommends scoring cattle on the following before and after any changes are made to a facility to improvements or regressions can be assessed:

Vocalization when restrained
Balking
Slips and falls
Animal exit speed from crush
When applied pressure is required to move cattle through the race

#11 Cattle move based on flight zone, pressure zone and point of balance

Flight zone – This is what causes an animal to move away from a handler and is an animal’s safety zone

Tame animals will have no flight zone
Calm animals will have a smaller flight zone

Pressure zone – This is when an animal will turn and face the handler

Point of balance – This is at the shoulder and will dictate which direction an animal will move.

Dr Grandin’s low-stress cattle handling webinar with AHDB goes into more detail on these points and explores other areas of cattle handling. To learn more, watch the “Stress-free stockmanship with Temple Grandin” webinar.

Laura Mushrush 6/29/23 Laura Mushrush 6/29/23

Arrowquip appoints Wise Agriculture as Scotland’s cattle handling equipment distributor

Arrowquip appoints Wise Agriculture as Scotland’s cattle handling equipment distributor.

Wise Agriculture has been appointed Scotland dealership rights for Arrowquip’s cattle handling equipment portfolio.

Wise Agriculture has been named the Arrowquip supplier to Scotland. The vast cattle handling equipment portfolio includes the flagship Q-Catch manual squeeze crush range, the Q-Power hydraulic range and mobile cattle handling systems.

The extensive product offering consists of the renowned Q-Catch manual squeeze crush and Q-Power hydraulic squeeze crush ranges, along with a suite of fixed and mobile cattle handling products that include race sections, sweep pens and portable cattle handling systems.

Located in Winnipeg, Canada, Arrowquip is a global leader in cattle handling equipment, combining engineering with animal behaviour to create products to improve safety, efficiency and quality.

“Arrowquip’s innovations are never ending as we work to create solutions for farmers to improve both the day-to-day and long-term outlooks of their businesses,” says Russell Evans, UK regional manager for Arrowquip. “Wise Agriculture shares our mission in not only providing British farmers with the tools they need to improve the safety and efficiency of cattle handling but also delivering gold-standard customer service. This is essential as warranties on some of our crushes reach 15 years, with specific working components reaching a lifetime.”

Based near Richmond, North Yorkshire, Wise Agriculture was founded in 2018 by livestock farmers Edward and Laura Wise. The company offers nationwide services to beef, dairy and sheep producers in premium livestock handling, data recording and animal welfare solutions.

“Wise Agriculture was founded on the principles of efficiency, innovation, practicality and quality in both the way we work and the products we supply. Arrowquip has been an important partner in this mission since the beginning,” says Edward Wise, managing director for Wise Agriculture. “Our new appointment will allow us to further improve Arrowquip customer experience for Scottish farmers. We already have a strong customer base of Scottish farmers and look forward to increasing our service to the country.”

Since its establishment, Wise Agriculture has taken on UK distribution rights for Landquip NZ’s Porta-Yards sheep handling equipment and also supplies Tru-Test weighing and EID products and AgriCow Rotating Cow brushes.

To learn more about Arrowquip’s cattle handling equipment offering, visit wiseag.co.uk.

Laura Mushrush 5/31/23 Laura Mushrush 5/31/23

Young Welsh couple win Rumenco’s Porta-Yards mobile sheep handling system giveaway

Young farmers and newlyweds Luke and Beth Watts of Pembrokeshire are the winners of Rumenco’s prize draw for a 3.0m Porta-Yards mobile sheep handling system from Wise Agriculture.

From left to right: Edward Wise of Wise Agriculture, Luke Watts and Amy Wright of Rumenco. Luke and Beth (not pictured) Watts were the winners of Rumenco’s giveaway of a 3.0m Porta-Yards from Wise Agriculture.

Coming from agricultural backgrounds, both Luke and Beth have chosen agricultural careers with the end goal of one day farming full-time for themselves. As they work towards this long-term dream, a lot of graft is involved for the couple to make this happen. While both work full-time jobs, they also run their own flock of 100 pedigree Llanwenog sheep and Beltex cross Texel ewes. The Watts market their lamb direct to consumers through meat boxes and are also in partnership with a family-owned catering trailer where lamb is sold under the Made at Moithan brand.

“Winning the Porta-Yards in the Rumenco draw has been a game-changer for us,” says Beth. “We didn’t have the flock size or resources to justify investing in a high-quality mobile sheep system. This has improved our sheep handling so much and is going to make it possible for us to scale more efficiently when the time comes.”

With the couple’s nutritional programme focused on making the most of available forage, spring and summer farm work is primarily made up of moving electric fences and managing grass rotations in the mornings and evenings.

“Time is very tight for us. The yard is going to make things so much more efficient as we graze this year, allowing us to pull fat lambs directly off grass the morning they need to go to market without needing to bring them into the yard to sort out,” adds Luke.

Aside from their developing agricultural careers and farming work, the couple is also highly involved in the farming community. Both are officeholders for the Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society, with Luke serving as an ambassador and Beth as a Pembrokeshire Agricultural Show governor. Beth is also involved with Cows on Tour, a Welsh farming organisation that hosts UK primary schools on farms and takes livestock and machinery to schools to teach children about farming and where their food comes from.

In January this year, Luke and Beth were married after meeting at the Royal Welsh Winter Fair in 2019.

According to Amy Wright, product manager for Rumenco, the company is excited the prize draw went to a young couple working towards building their futures in sheep farming.

“We are excited the Porta-Yards mobile sheep handling system has gone to such a deserving couple who are truly going to benefit from having a piece of kit like this given to them. Our nutritional supplements are developed to give both flocks and farming businesses longevity in the future – it is great to see Rumenco further support young farmers who will be having a generational impact on the industry,” she concludes.

Laura Mushrush 4/14/23 Laura Mushrush 4/14/23

Application guide for the FETF grant: Animal Health and Welfare

Laura Mushrush 1/19/23 Laura Mushrush 1/19/23

Arrowquip adds two new units to its Q-Catch mobile cattle handling range

The new units – Q-Catch 748 and Q-Catch 7416 – feature the Q-Catch 74 Series manual squeeze crush along with the Easy Flow Adjustable Cattle Race in one towable unit allowing farmers to transport their cattle handling system anywhere work needs to be done.

Arrowquip mobile cattle handling unit, portable cattle handling, cattle crush

Arrowquip has added two new products to its extensive Q-Catch mobile cattle handling range, giving beef and dairy producers more options to improve cattle handling safety and efficiency anywhere on their farms.

Both units are manufactured with a first-grade steel top and bottom frame and feature a tractor tow bar and manual jacks. A five-year guarantee is standard, with lifetime guarantees on the crush’s rubber floor, rump fingers, squeeze locks and headgate locks.

Arrowquip 748 mobile cattle handling unit

Arrowquip 7416 mobile cattle handling unit

Other features of the Q-Catch 74 Series crush include multiple access points with full-side horizontal opening top and bottom doors which can be pegged together and operated as one, removable top gates, and a drop-down and removable needle access door for TB testing. It also has a textured rubber floor that features a lifetime guarantee.

The 748 features a single 8’ adjustable race, while the larger 7416 uses two 8’ sections to create a 16’ length. Sheeted sides with removable top blinder panels keep cattle flow moving forward by preventing cattle from being distracted from activity outside the race. A simple pull rope allows the race width to be widened or narrowed to suit different sizes of stock.

An optional weigh platform kit fits within the race and supports Tru-Test and Gallagher loadbars.

Learn more about the 748 and 7416 and get a quote

“Arrowquip mobile cattle handling units have been a game-changer for UK beef and dairy producers by allowing for uncompromised cattle handling anywhere on the farm,” says Edward Wise of Wise Agriculture, UK dealer for Arrowquip equipment. “Whether it is being used as part of a fixed handling system in the farmyard or for TB testing in a field, these mobile cattle handling units will help improve the safety and efficiency of cattle handling for any livestock farm.”

Wise Agriculture delivers nationwide and has units in stock for immediate delivery. To learn more about the Arrowquip mobile cattle handling systems from Wise Agriculture, visit wiseag.co.uk.

Key features

The Q-Catch 74 Series is the mid-range cattle crush in the Arrowquip manual squeeze offerings. It features the 3E Q-Catch Head Gate with a vertical bar design that allows light to enter the front of the crush when the gate is closed to draw cattle forward without force. The infinite lock headgate and parallel squeeze will secure in any position – allowing a small calf or a large bull to be worked on without the need for adjustments. A sliding headgate handle allows the headgate to be operated anywhere along the working side of the crush, enabling operators to run the rear sliding door and headgate simultaneously.

Laura Mushrush 1/6/23 Laura Mushrush 1/6/23

Wise Agriculture appointed as the UK distributor for Landquip NZ’s sheep handling range

As of January 1, 2023, Wise Agriculture has been appointed sole distribution rights for Landquip NZ’s sheep handling equipment portfolio. This currently consists of the Porta-Yards mobile sheep handling range.

According to managing director Edward Wise, the appointment will drive innovations for the UK market.

“We are already working closely with Landquip NZ’s research and development team for innovations to enhance the existing product range and for new products to fill the gap in the market,” says Mr Wise.

Based near Richmond, North Yorkshire, Wise Agriculture offers nationwide services to beef, dairy and sheep producers in premium livestock handling, data recording and animal welfare solutions. Established in 2018, Wise Agriculture is also a leading UK dealer for Arrowquip cattle handling equipment and Tru-Test weighing and EID products and has recently added AgriCow Rotating Cow brushes to its offering.

“Our philosophy for the products we carry and the way we conduct business has been centered around efficiency, innovation, practicality and quality. If a product or way of working does not fit into this ethos, then it is not right for our business or our customers,” says Mr Wise. “Landquip NZ’s quality engineering and emphasis on customer service have made them an excellent partner in servicing UK livestock farmers.”

Located in Hastings, New Zealand, Landquip NZ has engineered aluminium horticulture and livestock products for nearly 30 years for New Zealand, Australia, Europe, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.

To learn more about Landquip NZ’s sheep equipment offering, click here.

Laura Mushrush 11/24/21 Laura Mushrush 11/24/21

Farming Equipment and Technology Fund application for sheep and cattle handling equipment through the Farming Investment Fund grant scheme

Livestock farmers in England have from November 16, 2021 to January 7, 2022 to apply for sheep handling equipment and cattle handling equipment as part of the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund section of the Farming Investment grant scheme. Here’s everything you need to know.

The RPA has opened its Funding Investment Fund grant scheme, making available £27 million to farmers, growers, foresters and related contractors.

Farming Investment Fund is split into two categories:

Farming Equipment and Technology Fund

For grants £2,000 to £25,000
Available for equipment, technology and infrastructure to improve farm productivity

Farming Transformation Fund

For grants between £35,000 to £500,000
Available for larger investments involving water management, farm productivity improvement and adding value

This guide will focus on the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF). For more information on the Farming Transformation Fund, click here.

Farming Equipment and Technology Fund Guide

FETF Application deadline

November 16, 2021 to January 7, 2022 at noon

Funding available

Minimum of £2,000 with a maximum of £25,000

Those eligible

Farmers, growers and related contractors who service the arable, dairy, horticulture and livestock sectors

Removal of the “all or nothing” rule

In the previous Countryside Productivity Small Grant, applicants were only eligible for funding if they purchased everything they applied for. Taking industry feedback on board, the RPA has removed this “all or nothing” rule for FETF to allow case-by-case review of item removal. Minimum spend must still remain at £2,000.

Contractor eligibility

Contractors in livestock, dairy, arable and horticultural industries are now included on the list of eligible applicants

To apply for the FETF, click here.

Eligible Livestock Handling and Weighing Items

Equipment must meet specific criteria outlined by the RPA. Click here to view specifications.

The Q-Catch 87 Manual Squeeze Cattle Crush meets grant specifications and is available for nationwide delivery from Wise Agriculture

Cattle Handling Equipment

Manual Squeeze Crush

Manual Cattle Crush

Hydraulic Cattle Crush – or Pneumatically operated

Cattle Crush Head Scoop

Mobile Cattle Handling Systems

Fixed Cattle Handling Systems

Foot Trimming Add-On to Cattle Crushes

Automatic Cattle Crush

Specialist Foot Trimming cattle Crush

Calving Gate

Cattle Auto ID Shedding Gate (auto drafting)

Porta-Yards mobile sheep handling units meet grant criteria and are available for nationwide delivery from Wise Agriculture

Sheep Handling Equipment

Mobile Sheep Handling Systems

Fixed Sheep Handling Systems

Sheep Handler

Automatic Weighing and Drafting Crate for sheep

Sheep Conveyor

EID Panel reader for sheep
Electronic Weigh Crate for sheep

Weighing and EID

Weigh bars and weigh platforms for weighing livestock

Weigh bars or platform for animals less than 300 kg

EID Handheld Recorder Device
EID Handheld Device (stick reader)

EID Panel reader for cattle

Individual Electronic Weigh System (all species)

Certain Tru-Test weigh bars meet grant criteria and are available for nationwide delivery from Wise Agriculture

Laura Mushrush 4/6/21 Laura Mushrush 4/6/21

Workshop: Research and homemade elements paying off in flexible handling system

Following a fire that devastated the milking parlour in 2019, Rob Smirthwaite turned away from milking cows to rearing dairy heifers and store cattle on his 162 hectare farm in Well, Yorkshire.

With plenty of research, new equipment and recycling of existing components, one Yorkshire farmer has built a versatile and efficient handling setup for his heifer rearing and store cattle business. Farmers Guardian Alex Heath finds out more.

Photos courtesy of Alex Heath, Farmers Guardain

“We wanted to have a system that was easy to use and could handle everything from weanlings to stock bulls with relative ease. Having it enclosed means we can keep working even when the natural light goes, such as when we are TB testing the herd.”

- Rob Smirthwaite

Following a fire that devastated the milking parlour in 2019, Rob Smirthwaite turned away from milking cows to rearing dairy heifers and store cattle on his 162 hectare farm in Well, Yorkshire.

With limited handling facilities to manage his 800 head of cattle, a significant proportion of which are dairy replacements, he set about researching and installing a bespoke system, designed to make husbandry tasks simpler.

While the base of the new facility is Canadian-built Arrowquip equipment, plenty of fabrication has been done around the system, improving cattle flow and handling safety.

Wise Agriculture worked with Rob Smirthwaite to design a cattle handling system that worked with his existing building and pen layout.

The handling system sits on the site of the old parlour, with a new portal frame building housing it, providing shelter from the worst of weather and lighting for jobs that run into the night.

Mr Smirthwaite explains; “We wanted to have a system that was easy to use and could handle everything from weanlings to stock bulls with relative ease. Having it enclosed means we can keep working even when the natural light goes, such as when we are TB testing the herd.”

With cattle housed around the handling system, they enter the handling system through the old holding yard, before turning 90 degrees into a circular forcing pen. A neighbour of Mr Smirthwaite has fabricated several gates to fit into the shed, directing cattle flow and making it safe for those working. The first gate has an integral personnel gate that provides easy entry to the holding pen and, crucially, quick egress if an animal turns.

“While the dairy heifers are generally easy to work with, the occasional suckler bred beast can be temperamental, so having a quick escape is important. Once they are in the forcing pen, they can only travel in one direction, towards the crush,” says Mr Smirthwaite.

Close attention has been paid to the positioning of the system, deliberately orientated so cattle travel towards the light. “Initially we were going to have the cattle enter through the existing doorway, however, after some research we thought the flow would be better heading towards the light.”

The system was supplied by Richmond-based dealer Wise Agriculture, which sent various configuration designs to Mr Smirthwaite. The key to the design was making it versatile, by incorporating two crushes into the system; Mr Smirthwaite’s existing Bateman crush, used for foot trimming, and a new Arrowquip Q-Power 106 Series hydraulic squeeze crush, complete with weigh bars.

Both crushes have their uses says Mr Smirthwaite. The Arrowquip is used for general tasks, while the Bateman is reserved for hoof care.

To facilitate both crushes, a splitting gate was positioned immediately after the forcing circle. Cattle heading to the squeeze crush have a straight run through two, 2.4 metre race sections, while those heading to the foot trimming crush branch off at 45 degrees, before the race straightens and runs parallel to the other.

“It was important for us to have both crushes, as the squeeze does not lend itself to foot work. We get the odd case of digital dermatitis which requires quick treatment to clear it up, so having a crush that can easily lift a foot is needed,” he says.

Mr Smirthwaite says the squeeze crush is well designed and easy to use. “I really like the design of the crush. It has pieces of rubber throughout; on the hinges, bars and floor which stops any rattles and is near silent in operation. The configuration of gates is excellent, allowing access to all areas of the animal, ideal for the range of tasks we carry out, and having the hydraulic squeeze function means we can nip the sides in if an animal starts wriggling. The only thing I will be adding to it is a sternum bar to stop some of the steers dropping to their knees when nearing the head yoke,” he says.

The hydraulic motor used to run the rear gate, head yoke and squeeze function is housed in the old dairy room, with oil piped to the crush.

The width of the Arrowquip races can be altered by way of pins and five holes on either side of the top of the race, taking the width from 750mm to 458mm, allowing all cattle on the premise to use the system, without the room to turn around.

Mr Smirthwaite says the farm made the conscious decision not to concrete any of the elements into the ground, in case they wanted to reconfigure it at any point. In addition, he says the £30,000 investment would be hard to remove in the future, if they wanted to replace any of the elements. Likewise, he did not want to drill into any of the steel work and allow muck to contact unprotected steel work. Instead, he fabricated a series of bracket that wrap around the bottom rails and are bolted into the floor, holding the system in place.

Underneath the crush, Tru-Test weigh bars have been installed. “We buy and sell a lot of the cattle privately, so knowing the weight give us and the buyer a fairer price for the cattle. It is also good to see the performance of the dairy heifers and allows us to make decisions about the quality of the stock we are buying and where the best performing stock comes from,” adds Mr Smirthwaite.

Dairy heifers are served to Aberdeen Angus bulls at 14 months. The aim is to have them sold and calving in their new herds before two years old. The Angus is used for calving ease and high calf value, says Mr Smirthwaite.

With more cattle to load than previously experienced, Mr Smirthwaite says the loading area had to be addressed. “We used to load out of the holding yard, but it was always awkward to get an artic lorry backed in properly. Coupled to that, the cattle never really wanted to go up the ramp and having a large group could prove troublesome.

A single file passage way is used to load cattle for transport.

“While researching the handling system, I noticed in the US, New Zealand and Australia the lorries generally had a single door for loading and a single file chute. Cattle flow looked good so we thought of ways we could incorporate that into our setup.”

Using existing rails from the milking days, a single file walkway was made. Lorries back up the chute and cattle walk up the ramp with little encouragement, reports Mr Smirthwaite. “Because the cattle follow each other through the loading chute, they seem calmer and once the first animal is up the ramp, the rest follow, which has made loading much quicker and easier.”

Washing down also came under scrutiny. With the bulk tank now surplus to requirements, Mr Smirthwaite fitted a volume pump to the top, allowing him to give the handling system a quick wash each time it is used, keeping it looking fresh. In addition, LED lighting was installed in the roof of the shed, providing plenty of light when natural light disappears, he says.

Through a combination of purchased equipment and recycling of existing infrastructure, Mr Smirthwaite says he has developed an easy to use handling system that take the stress out of doing husbandry tasks. A bit of thought on how to fit all the elements together has resulted in an effective and efficient way of handling and loading cattle. “If jobs are easy to do, as they now are through our system, they get done on time, without any stress to the cattle, my helpers and myself,” concludes Mr Smirthwaite.

This article originally appeared in Farmers Guardian and was reposted with permission.

Edward Wise 10/17/20 Edward Wise 10/17/20

Cattle handling and weighing products that qualify for Scotland’s Sustainable Agriculture Capital Grant Scheme (SACGS)

Applications for the Sustainable Agriculture Capital Grant Scheme (SACGS) closed on October 11th.

Approved applicants must buy, pay for in full and have installed of all items by midnight on March 31, 2021.

Product availability: Wise Agriculture is receiving weekly shipments of cattle handling equipment to keep up with customer demands. We offer nationwide delivery.

Cattle handling and weigh equipment items that qualify:

Manual Squeeze Crush

Specifications:

Manually operated with full length head yoke
Sides of crush that open completely
Sliding rear gate
Galvanised or powder coated
Anti-backing facility

Disqualifications:

Painted crushes

Q-Catch 87 Manual Squeeze Crush

Nylon bushings on all pivots and hinges make this crush exceptionally quiet to operate.

Cattle handling in the Q-Catch 87 Series Arrowquip Manual Squeeze Crush.jpg

3E Q-Catch Yoke Gate features slats to draw cattle forward with light
Head gate and parallel squeeze operate on an infinite locking system, requiring no adjustments
Operate the head gate at any point alongside the crush
Full side access
GoodYear rubber floor
Powder coated
7-Year warranty

Click here to learn more about this crush.

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Q-Catch 74 Manual Squeeze Crush

Most economically friendly cattle crush available that doesn’t compromise quality or safety standards.

3E Q-Catch Yoke Gate features slats to draw cattle forward with light
Head gate and parallel squeeze operate on an infinite locking system, requiring no adjustments
Operate the head gate at any point alongside the crush
Full side access
Textured steel floor
Powder coated
7-Year warranty

Click here to learn more about this crush.

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Head scoop

Specifications:

Prohibit head moving side-to-side

Q-Catch Cattle Head Scoop

Push-pull operation
Scissor style pressure holds heads completely secure
Height adjustable
7-Year warranty

Electronic weigh system (Indicators)

Specifications:

Digital recording device
Functionality to operate with auto drafting
Ability to connect to a computer or mobile device
Weigh bars are a separate grant item

TruTest EziWeigh 7i

EID Compatible
Internal memory
Shows weight gains since previous session
Can display drafting directions based on weights

TruTest XR5000

EID Compatible
Colour Screen
Full keypad for data entry
Visualize performance with on screen graphs and charts.
Useful for full performance recording herds as data is easy to enter at the crush

Weigh bars

Specifications:

Operate with cattle crushes, sheep or pig crates
Can weigh at least 2,000kg

TruTest HD5T Loadbars

5 ton capacity
Sealed to protect against water ingress
Will bolt directly to Arrowquip cattle squeeze crushes

EID stick reader

Specifications:
RFID technology
Scans tags and stores data
Read HDX, FDX B or UHF tags

TruTest XRS2 Stick Reader

Reads up to 1,000 tags/min
Wireless connection to TruTest weigh scales
Bluetooth or Windows PC connection
19-hour battery life (rechargeable)
Reads ISO HDX and FDX-B tags

Quote Me | Tru-Test Weighing Equipment

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For the full list of qualifying items and specifications, click here.

Laura Mushrush 10/17/20 Laura Mushrush 10/17/20

Accelerating genetic progress with embryo transfer

Veterinarian and beef farmer Dr Gerard te Lintelo is making rapid genetic progress to grow his Shorthorn herd. Here’s why an Arrowquip manual squeeze crush and full handling system is important to his breeding programme.

Veterinarian and beef farmer Dr Gerard te Lintelo is making rapid genetic progress to grow his Shorthorn herd.

“Breeding with average only produces average. The quickest way of getting to where we want to be is to constantly improve generations.”

- Dr Gerard te Lintelo

From the moment of its own conception to the point of putting a live calf on the ground, the genetic turnover time in cattle is around 2 years and 9 months – making genetic progress a strategic long game.

When Dr Gerard te Lintelo, a practicing veterinarian, purchased a farm on the on the outskirts of Wolsingham in Durham three and a half years ago, this prolonged period of genetic evolution was a major obstacle for his plans of developing a pedigree Beef Shorthorn herd.

“From the start, my plan has been to develop a base of pedigree genetics for commercial producers, focusing on traits like good feet, udders, efficiency, meat quality, fertility, calving ease and temperament,” says Dr te Lintelo. “I’m after producing profitable genetics for commercial beef producers.”

Dr Gerard te Lintelo and his son, William, work together to pregnancy detect recipient cows to determine which calves are natural service from the sweeper bull and which calves are from embryos. Recipients are scanned at 35 days pregnancy and then a… — Dr Gerard te Lintelo and his son, William, work together to pregnancy detect recipient cows to determine which calves are natural service from the sweeper bull and which calves are from embryos. Recipients are scanned at 35 days pregnancy and then a sweeper bull is put in the same day.

After an initial purchase of five bred heifers, Dr te Lintelo decided to utilise embryo transfer (ET) to accelerate the development of his genetic base. Present day, his pedigree herd consists of 28 head of breeding females with plans to build it to around 150.

According to Dr te Lintelo, using ET to set up a herd has several advantages over using semen and/or natural service.

“With ET you have the ability to bring in top genetics from both maternal and paternal lines, whereas with using artificial insemination or natural service, this is limited to paternal lines,” he explains. “ET also takes down geographical barriers – allowing you to access the best of the best genetics from anywhere in the world,” he says.

Sourcing genetics from Australia and Canada, Dr te Lintelo says this has also helped improve animal performance.

“When it comes to a relatively closely linked genetic pool within a country, you can actually see internal heterosis when introducing new genetics from the same breed from unrelated lines. This goes on to contribute to offspring with more vigorous traits and improved health,” he explains.

Recipient cow management

While ET is an effective way to increase the genetic progress of a herd, it does not come without investment costs and risks. According to Dr te Lintelo, the average embryo costs £500 to purchase and averages a conception rate of 50% – not including vet and medicine fees.

Dr Gerard te Lintelo’s Arrowquip Q-Catch manual squeeze crush from Wise Agriculture allows handlers to operate the sliding rear gate and head gate at the same time, reducing labour requirements.

To maintain a profitable breeding programme even if an embryo doesn’t stick, risk is spread through the recipient herd. This starts with a careful evaluation of any recipient animals before they are enrolled into the ET programme.

“My recipients are Shorthorn and Angus crossbreds that have a good baseline of production genetics and high health status. Prior to entering the ET programme, I check their reproductive tract to ensure it is in working order.” he says. “Nutritional management of the recipient herd is also paramount, with cows receiving mineral boluses twice a year and the feeding programme consisting of high-quality grass and silage to maintain a body condition score of 2.5-3.0. Recipients also receive all vaccinations and anti-parasitic treatments prior to the start of the ET synchronisation programme.”

While these practices help to increase the embryo success rate, their quality genetics also act as an insurance policy.

“A significant hidden cost of any ET program is the delay in getting recipient animals in calf when the embryo does not hold. If an embryo doesn’t carry, it can be three to four months before the recipient cow is pregnant again. That amount of time and resource being put towards an unproductive animal quickly adds up,” he says. “I scan the recipients at 35 days pregnancy and then add a sweeper bull with the recipients the same day. So, rather than being left with an open cow, I will have most recipients in calf within 8 weeks after ET. These will then produce my next generation of recipients and male animals are sold as steers.”

Low stress handling

Currently, the operation is using a timed synchronisation protocol (see chart) that requires cows to be put through the handling system four times within 17 days. For peak fertility at ET, these processes must be done within specific time periods. Following ET, cows are put through the system two more times to detect pregnancy and to determine which calves are natural service from the sweeper bull and which calves are from embryos.

According to Dr te Lintelo, an investment into an Arrowquip cattle handling system, including a manual squeeze crush, forcing pen and race sections from Wise Agriculture that was designed to reduce stress and improve working efficiency has been essential to the success of carrying out the breeding programme.

“Stress cause by handlers and handling systems is detrimental to fertility and will cause a cow to either not breed or to abort her calf. And if cows don’t have a positive experience in the handling system, they will become sour and harder to work in the future,” he says. “Our Arrowquip cattle handling system was designed based on animal behaviour research, resulting in a very quiet and easy flowing system that allows us to accurately implement breeding protocols.”

Aside from the intense handling schedule as part of the breeding programme, the entire herd is handled regularly for performance recording, vaccinations, bolusing and TB testing.

“From a young age, we will run calves through the handling system multiple times without doing any procedures to get them familiar with it,” says Dr te Lintelo. “When we are doing procedures, especially if it is something unpleasant like being stuck with a needle, we will feed them some concentrate while they stand in the crush. Little things like this don’t require a lot of effort and go a long way towards reducing stress levels and improving their willingness to be handled in the future.”

Continuing genetic progress

As his herd numbers increase, Dr te Lintelo’s plan is to produce embryos from the top 20% of the females, with the bottom 20% going into his recipient herd. AI or natural service will be used for the middle 60% of the herd. Top performing bull calves will be developed and sold to pedigree and commercial producers for breeding, while culls are sold for fattening.

“Breeding with average only produces average,” he says. “The quickest way of getting to where we want to be is to constantly improve generations.”

This article originally appeared in the September 11th issue of Farmers Guardian and has been republished with permission.

Laura Mushrush 10/17/20 Laura Mushrush 10/17/20

Here’s everything you need to know about sheep and cattle handling equipment specifications for the Countryside Productivity Small Grant (CPSG) scheme

Qualifying sheep and cattle handling and weighing equipment for the CPSG scheme.

The recent announcement of the third and final round of the Countryside Productivity Small Grant (CPSG) scheme has opened funding for equipment and technology on English sheep, beef and dairy farms. The grant will cover up to 40% of equipment costs at a total minimum value of £7,500 and total maximum of £30,000. Applications must be received by midday on 4 November 2020.

Click here for application and payment details.

Product availability: Wise Agriculture has shipping containers of cattle handling equipment arriving weekly to ensure product stocks are available.

Livestock items that qualify:

Mobile sheep handling systems

Specifications:

Trailer mounted and integrated into the handling system to form part of the race
Minimum 250 head capacity
Comes with minimum of 20 hurdles for gathering/forcing pends and two side pens
Drafting and dosing race with ability to fit a foot bath
Road legal
Galvanised or powder coated metal work

Disqualifications:

Trailers that aren’t integrated as part of the race
Wooden elements such as the race floor or gates
Painted metalwork

3.0m Porta-Yards by Landquip NZ

The 3.0m Porta-Yard mobile sheep handling system by Landquip NZ has a 250 sheep capacity can be increased with an existing fence.

1.0m high alloy hurdles with a solid top section protects dogs legs and reduces jumping sheep
Hydraulic lift and lower
Hydraulic suspension
Forcing pen and gate
Click here to learn more.

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Manual squeeze cattle crush

Specifications:

Manually operated
Squeeze
Full length head yoke
Full side opening on both sides of the crush
Sliding rear gate that operates from both sides of the crush
Galvanised or powder coated metal work

Disqualifications:

Painted metalwork
Wooden floors

Q-Catch 87 Series Manual Squeeze Crush

The Q-Catch 87 Series manual squeeze cattle crush is easy and quiet to operate.

3E Q-Catch Yoke Gate improves cattle flow with light
An infinite lock head gate and parallel squeeze requires no adjustments
Head gate can be operated from anywhere along the side of the crush
Full side access
Textured rubber floor from GoodYear
Powder coated
7-year warranty

The Q-Catch 74-Series manual squeeze crush also qualifies. Click here for full manual squeeze crush offering.

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Hydraulic squeeze crush

Specifications:

Hydraulically operated on power-driven pump
Squeeze
Full length head yoke
Full side opening on both sides of the crush
Sliding rear gate that operates from outside of crush
Galvanised or powder coated metal work

Disqualifications:

Painted metalwork
Wooden floors
Rotating/rollover foot trimming crushes
Pneumatically operated
Hand/manually powered pump hydraulics

Q-Power 107 Series Hydraulic Squeeze Cattle Crush

The Q-Power 107 Series Hydraulic Squeeze Cattle Crush is world renowned for its quietness and ease of operation.

Spacing in the 3E Q-Catch Yoke Gate uses light to improve cattle flow
Single-phase hydraulic power pack
Curtain style front and rear gates
Power pack is mounted away from the crush
Control arm operates on either side of the crush
Removable panels plus opening top and bottom side doors give operators multiple points of access
GoodYear rubber floor
3-year warranty

The Q-Power 104-Series hydraulic squeeze crush also qualifies. Click here for full hydraulic cattle crush offering.

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Head scoop for cattle crush

Specifications:

Must restrict side-to-side head movement
Galvanised or powder coated metal work

Disqualifications:

Painted metalwork
Integrated head restraints supplied with a cattle crush as standard which cannot be purchased separately and retrofitted are not eligible under this item

Q-Catch Cattle Head Scoop

The Q-Catch Cattle Head Scoop uses a scissor action motion to securely hold the head in place.

web Arrowquip Q-Catch 87 Series Manual Squeeze Crush Head Holder Wise Agriculture Ltd.jpg

Fits all crushes in the Q-Catch and Q-Power Series range
Simple push pull operation
Single lever control uses a dual friction lock with infinite adjustments
Adjustable height to fit any size animal
7-year warranty

Mobile cattle handling systems

Specifications:

Integrated road legal trailer
Manual or squeeze crush with locking head yoke
Race
Holding pen
Gathering pen
At least 10 gates/hurdles purchased with unit
Anti-backing at rear of the crush operated from outside
U-shaped rotating rump bar on a wheel
Sliding gate
All metal construction
Galvanised or powder coated metal work

Disqualifications:

Wood elements
Painted metalwork

Q-Catch 87 Series Portable Handling Systems

Incorporating Arrowquip’s manual and hydraulic cattle crushes, there are more than 37 different portable options available. The Q-Catch 87 Series Portable Handling system is a market favourite.

Features the Q-Catch 87 Series manual squeeze crush
Infinite locking head gate and parallel squeeze
GoodYear rubber floor
Adjustable width 2.4m (8’) race
Main frame beams that run from front to back of the unit are continuous pieces of steel with no joins
Manual Jacks as standard
12 months warranty

Wise Agriculture can also supply you with required gates and hurdles.

Multiple Q-Catch portable system options qualify. Click here for full mobile cattle handling system offering.

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Fixed cattle handling systems

Specifications:

Corral and race-way handling facility to attach to a crush
Crushes are not included in this grant item but race must lead to a crush
Fixed to the ground by bolting to concrete or attaching to concrete supporting post
Minimum two metal holding pens
One circular metal forcing pen with internal radius of 2.4-5m
- Covered sides with smooth material
- Leads into curved race
Side covered race sections between 3-5m length
Sliding rear gate fitted at either end of race
All metal construction
Galvanised or powder coated metal work

Disqualifications:

Wood elements
Painted metalwork

Wise Agriculture full fixed cattle handling system.JPG

Adjustable Easy Flow cattle races

Sheeted sides prevent distractions from outside the race
Simple lever system alters width

Available in 10’ sections which peg together or to a crush or tub
Optional anti-backing bars keep cattle moving forwards
Cann be set up as a double race using a double exit tub and merge sections

3E BudFlow® Tub

The Bud Box concept with the safety of a push gate. Cattle enter the BudFlow® at the front of the pen, When they naturally turn back, they will be headed right for the race opening. If necessary the operator has the option to use the forcing gate to empty the tub.

Single race exit, available in an 8’, 10’ or 12’ radius
The BudFlow® easily attaches to other Arrowquip products.

Wise Agriculture offers full system design. Click here for full fixed system offering.

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Weigh bars and weigh platforms

Specifications:

Electric load bars or electronic weigh platform
Operate with digital weigh heads/readers
HD type load bars
Capable of weighing 2,000kg

Digital weigh heads/readers are separate grant items

Disqualifications:

Non electronic weighing systems

Tru-Test HD5T Load Bars

Heavy duty load bars, ideal for use under the heaviest of cattle crushes.
5 ton rated capacity
Sealed load cell protects against water ingress for outdoor use
Suitable for use with all current TruTest indicators
Will bolt directly to Arrowquip Q-Catch and Q-Power Series cattle squeeze crushes.

Electronic weigh systems

Specifications:

Digital weighing device
Record and display individual weights on screen
Operate EID readers and operate auto drafting systems
Connect to computer or mobile device to download data
- Items relying on mobile device must include mobile device as part of purchase

Weigh bars are separate grant items

Disqualifications:

Group and automatic average animal weighing systems

Tru-Test XR5000

The most advanced weigh indicator in the TruTest range. Excellent farm management tool

Store up to 1,000,000 records in 1000 sessions
Up to 100 pieces of information for each animal
Up to 10 way drafting by any criteria
Track, apply and manage treatments including withdrawal periods
Calculate and visualise performances with on screen graphs and charts
Link to EID readers, auto-drafters and barcode scanners
Rechargeable battery with up to 13 hours of run time
Transfer information easily through bluetooth mobile app or directly to a Windows PC with the cable provided

Tru-Test EziWeigh 7i also qualifies. Click here for more.

EID panel reader

Specifications:

Permanently fixed to cattle crush or race
Static race reader with antenna and Bluetooth connection
Reads HDX and FDX B tags

Disqualifications:

Portable readers

XRP2 Panel Reader System

Fast and accurate reading of tags
Send directly to weigh system or record and download to PC
Plug and play
Reads ISO HDX and FDX-B tags
Automate your weighing routine to save time and money
Large and small antenna options with dual connection kits available

EID stick reader

Specifications:

RFID technology
Scan tags and store tag data
Wireless connection to devices
Reads HDX and FDX B tags

Tru-Test SRS2 Stick Reader

TTWE 829958 EID SRS2 STICK READER INTL (A4).jpg

Fast tag reads (up to 1,100/minute)
Wirelessly connects with TruTest weigh scales
Easily transfer information using the Bluettoth smartphone app or Windows PC
Memory for 250,000 scanned tags
Rechargeable battery for up to 19 hours of use
Reads ISO HDX and FDX-B tags

The XRS2 Stick Recorder also qualifies. Click here to learn more.

Click here for the full list of qualifying items and specifications.

Laura Mushrush 6/29/20 Laura Mushrush 6/29/20

New Arrowquip crush range now available in the UK

Upping the standard of its world-renowned cattle handling equipment, Arrowquip is releasing four new squeeze crushes. Introducing the Q-Catch 87 Series and Q-Catch 74 Series manual squeeze crushes and the Q-Power 107 Series and Q-Power 104 Series hydraulic squeeze crushes.

The bar has been raised.

Arrowquip’s new Q-Catch 87 Series manual and Q-Power 107 Series hydraulic are the most robust line cattle crushes on the market.

Cattle handling equipment safety and efficiency is essential for beef and dairy producers looking to optimise herd performance.

“Whether it be mitigating injury of livestock and handlers, improving health programme protocols and daily liveweight gains or reducing production losses associated to stress, cattle handling equipment is going to have a long-term economic impact on beef and dairy herds,” says Edward Wise of Wise Agriculture, leading UK supplier of Arrowquip.

According to Steve Langrell, cattle handling expert lead on Arrowquip’s research and development team, the new range combines practical functionality with animal behaviour research.

“Arrowquip equipment improves handling safety and efficiency by working with – not against – the natural instincts of cattle,” explains Mr Langrell. “Combining this with customer feedback, trial work on our research farm and quality manufacturing, we have developed the most diverse and innovative range of cattle handling equipment on the market.”

Q-Catch Series Manual Squeeze Crushes

Arrowquip’s Q-Catch 87 Series manual squeeze crush operates with an infinite locking system so any size of animal can be secured without the need for adjustments.

The new Q-Catch 87 Series and Q-Catch 74 Series cover a greater demand from producers with different sized herds. With an industry leading seven-year warranty, the Q-Catch Series range ensures a quality investment.

Both crush lines feature the 3E Q-Catch Yoke Gate, a new curtain style head gate that uses light to improve cattle flow through the crush. Operating with an infinite locking system, any size of animal can be secured without the need for adjustments. The same locking mechanism operates the squeeze, easily holding the largest bull to the smallest calf.

Featuring a rear sliding door and ability to operate the head gate anywhere along the side of the crush, the Q-Catch Series is ideal for producers with limited labour resource.

“The Q-Catch Series has multiple access points, including top and bottom access doors that can be opened independently or together, and a needle door that provides generous access to the neck,” explains Mr Langrell. “This easy and safe access to the animal has made the Q-Catch Series a preferred option for many veterinarians for TB testing and pregnancy detecting.”

The heavier, more refined Q-Catch 87 Series has a textured floor made of virgin Goodyear rubber to keep cattle calm as they enter the crush. Pivots and hinges are engineered with poly bushings and slam latches are poly coated to reduce noise.

“Sudden movement and loud noises, such as clanging equipment or shouting, will kick in an animal’s fight or flight instincts and induce stress. This often leads to cattle not flowing through the system properly,” explains Mr Wise. “The calm environment provided by the Q-Catch Series and the ability for one person to operate the crush has allowed one of our Scottish customers to weigh cattle at a spot rate of 100 head per hour with only two people.”

A wide-range pivoting swinging arm allows for the crush to be operated on either side.

For producers after an entry-level squeeze crush, the Q-Catch 74 Series is a lighter weight option to improve their farm. Its steel, ribbed floor, fixed width vet cage and steel blinder panels make it ideal for producers needing to make an affordable upgrade on their current crush without compromising quality and safety.

The Q-Catch 87 Series and Q-Catch 74 Series are both available with standard and vet cage options. Outside of the seven-year warranty, these carry lifetime warranties on friction locks, rump fingers and the Goodyear rubber floor.

Q-Power Series Hydraulic Squeeze Crushes

For producers wanting to further increase the efficiency of operating their crush, the Q-Power Series Hydraulic Squeeze Crush line will remove the manual operation of the head gate, rear gate and squeeze. Hydraulic variants of the Q-Catch Series, the Q-Power 107 Series and Q-Power 104 Series come with a three-year warranty.

The flagship Q-Power 107 Series features a vet cage, curtain style rear door and wide-range pivoting swing arm allowing for operation on either side of the crush. The fast-responding hydraulic connection is run by a remotely mounted, silenced power-pack to keep noise to a minimum in the work area.

The Q-Power 104 Series is an unrivalled entry-level hydraulic crush with standard and vet cage options. Frame mounted controls and power pack allow for quick and easy set-up.

A textured steel floor and frame mounted controls makes the Q-Power 104 Series an unrivalled entry-level hyrdaulic cursh.

“Taking the labour intensity out of projects with a Q-Power Series hydraulic squeeze crush will allow users to work quicker and for longer without tiring. We have a customer that operates his contracting business in Northwest England with two Q-Power Series crushes. His crew can TB test 900 head in four hours – which is fast enough for APHA to double-check with the veterinarian that the work times are accurate,” says Mr Wise. “Without a doubt, there is a place on any farm, regardless of the herd size, for either the standard Q-Power 104 Series or the heavier duty Q-Power 107 Series.”

Mobile cattle handling systems

The Q-Catch Series manual crushes and the Q-Power 107 Series hydraulic crush have also been integrated into Arrowquip’s diverse range of mobile cattle handling systems. With a total of 37 different crush, race and forcing pen combinations, producers can tailor their portable handling system to their unique needs.

“High quality equipment that is built to last for years and engineered to improve efficiency and safety of cattle handling will yield long-term benefits for beef and dairy producers,” concludes Mr Langrell. “It’s not worth the financial and physical risk for settling for anything less.”

Arrowquip cattle handling equipment is available for nationwide delivery through Wise Agriculture Ltd. To learn more about the products, click on:

Q-Catch 87 and Q-Catch 74 Series Manual Squeeze Crushes

Q-Power 107 and Q-Power 74 Series Hydraulic Squeeze Crushes

Q-Catch and Q-Power Mobile Cattle Handling Systems

Laura Mushrush 6/4/20 Laura Mushrush 6/4/20

Making low-stress, safe work of cattle work

The practice of low-stress handling is an economic decision as well as an animal welfare issue. It also is a practice that aids in getting a job done efficiently using fewer people, less time and preventing damage to facilities, which adds to costs.

By Meranda Small, University of Idaho

The practice of low-stress handling is an economic decision as well as an animal welfare issue. It also is a practice that aids in getting a job done efficiently using fewer people, less time and preventing damage to facilities, which adds to costs.

Arrowquip Q-Catch 86 series cattle crush Wise Agriculture Ltd Jack Woodhead photo.JPG

When we get in a hurry or have some overeager or aggressive help, bruising and stress occurs, which will lessen carcass value as well as consumer confidence in beef products.

By practicing low-stress handling when working your cattle, you’re saving yourself time, money, lessening stress of the animal and, equally important, keeping yourself and help safe.

Let’s refresh on the practice of low-stress handling while gathering cattle to be worked and to remember the importance of crush side safety for cattlemen and cattle alike.

Stress is a state of physical, mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from exposure to a stressor. As cattle handlers we can cause, modify, increase or lessen stress in animals, with or without knowing it.

The idea behind low-stress livestock handling is to handle cattle in such a way as to lessen existing stress, create minimal or no additional stress and promote psychological well-being and physical health. Stressed cattle have poorer gain and reproductive performance as well as weakened immunity, all ultimately leading to more cost of production.

Before we get into handling techniques for open-area gathering, basics of animal behaviour needs to be understood:

Cattle want to see you
Cattle want to go around
Cattle want to be with and will go with other cattle
Successful low-stress handling incorporates flight zones as well as pressure zones in harmony with the animal’s natural instincts. Cattle are unable to see directly behind. Moving into their blind spot will cause them to turn to see what is pressuring them. This can be a benefit by changing the animal’s direction or a hindrance by preventing straight forward movement.

Because cattle are “prey animals,” they are naturally aware there is safety in numbers. Another fact to keep in mind is that cattle walk comfortably at 2 to 3 mph, while people walk at 3 to 4 mph, so take it easy.

In order to make successful movement of cattle occur, you’ll want to utilize their flight and pressure zones and point of balance, whether on one animal or on the herd.

In Figure 1, you’ll notice the point of balance for the animal falls at the shoulders; this is how the handler will pressure the animal to move forward or back. It is also indicated where to move to in order to initiate movement and then stop it.

Figure 1 low stress cattle handling Wise Agriculture Ltd.jpg

Once the animal begins movement, reward it for “correct” movement by backing the pressure off a bit and removing yourself from the animal’s flight zone.

When you head out to gather from an open pasture, whether done by foot or four-wheeler, you’ll want to move slowly, working in a half-circle pattern with the point of desired direction being the middle of the quarter-circle.

Ignore those lone animals; that third basic instinct of theirs will kick in and they’ll eventually come with the herd. Figure 2 demonstrates this movement.

As cattle begin to move, back off to allow for their natural pace, keeping a light pressure but making sure to not get too close. You’ll have an idea if the pressure is too much if they are stopping and turning to look at you either out of fear or curiosity, both of which defeat your goal of getting to the corral.

As cattle start to trail, you will know if you are trying to move them too fast by them bunching at the tail of the herd. Also be aware that pressuring the side of the animal will cause them to speed up, a concept to keep in mind when deciding how quickly you want the herd to move.

Notice in Figure 3 that as the handler, you’re not to be directly behind when following but rather moving back and forth to stay in their sight.

Figure 3 low stress cattle handling Wise Agriculture Ltd.jpg

Once you’ve arrived at the corral, your next goal will likely be to get the animals through a gate into the corral. You’ll want to act as a control valve for moving animals through the gate, not pushing a large number through nor encouraging a lightning-fast pace.

Utilize the animal’s natural instinct of wanting to go around when it comes to getting though the gate as well. Having one handler travel alongside the herd against the flow of traffic will encourage animals to move forward into the corral. Refer to Figures 4 and 5.

Success! You’ve brought in your herd, made it into the corral and did so in a low-stress manner, keeping cattle calm as well as yourself. A cattle commandment to keep in mind at the start of each day is “If you don’t have time to do it on cow time, you don’t have time to do it.”

Each operation has their own processing setup that consists of a variety of sorting and holding pens, alleyways or whatever path you’ve created to get cattle to the crush. If you’re working with a tub, do not overcrowd and cram in as many head as will fit.

This really prevents movement and accomplishing the goal of getting animals into the alley. Whether your alley is curved or a straight shot, movement of cattle will occur by moving against them to enter each animal’s point of balance that will instinctively make them move forward.

Observe Figures 6 and 7 to gain a visual understanding of this concept.

Figure 6 low stress cattle handling Wise Agriculture Ltd.jpg

This is not the time to get in a hurry or get flustered and start whooping and hollering or swatting at the cattle with a broken fiberglass prod pole while they’re confined. You’ll just wear yourself out and stress them out. Using proper movement in a quiet manner, the right way, will get cattle moving without encouragement of electric prods.

Figure 7 low stress cattle handling Wise Agriculture Ltd.jpg

You’ve made it to the crush and can now go to work processing. Animals should walk into the crush – preferably not ram into the head catch. Now is not the time to forget crush side safety. Watch for pinch points where a hand or arm could get caught between the crush and body of the animal while giving a shot.

If approaching an animal near the head, don’t lean down into its space. Without warning, it may fling its head up and knock you out in the process. If your crush is manual rather than hydraulic, pay attention to handles and levers as cattle come into and exit the crush, ensuring you or your help doesn’t get accidentally hit by any of these.

It would also be good practice to check all the bolts and pins on movable parts prior to beginning crush work so as to prevent a crush side from falling down mid-processing.

Release the animal by slightly loosening the body squeeze; then open the head catch. The idea is that the animal will walk out calmly, perhaps hurried – but there are those animals that will bolt. Pay attention as the animal exits for flailing back legs.

All shots have been given, pest controls administered, implants applied, and it’s now time to kick the herd back out. For some, perhaps the animals were already “out” as they left the crush, but for others, they may have exited into a pen where they were held until all animals were processed.

To push cattle out of the pen (Figures 8 and 9), enter the pen through the gate you want the animals to leave through. Remember, cattle want to go around you.

Figure 8 low stress cattle handling Wise Agriculture Ltd.jpg

Find the herd’s point of balance to initiate forward movement toward the gate and then begin moving in a straight line, back and forth, moving forward in a zig-zag pattern to keep pushing toward the gate. Again, don’t worry about the strays and don’t chase the animals out.

Figure 9 low stress cattle handling Wise Agriculture Ltd.jpg

This article originally appeared in Progressive Cattleman and has been published with permission.

Laura Mushrush 4/23/20 Laura Mushrush 4/23/20

5 key components of cattle handling facilities

Well designed and effectively operated cattle handling facilities help to ensure high-quality beef; decrease cattle injury, illness, and death; and improve consumer perceptions of the beef cattle industry.

By Leslie Nunn, University of Idaho College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Well designed and effectively operated cattle handling facilities help to ensure high-quality beef; decrease cattle injury, illness, and death; and improve consumer perceptions of the beef cattle industry.

**Superior cattle handling facilities can:**

**• Enhance safety for handlers**
**• Reduce stress for both cattle and handlers**
**• Reduce morbidity and mortality**
**• Improve beef quality**
**• Improve consumer perceptions and confidence**
**• Reduce producer costs while increasing income**

Today’s consumer is adamant that cattle producers demonstrate a high level of concern for the well-being of their livestock. Safe and effective cattle handling facilities are one way to accomplish this.

For most cattle producers, handling facilities are an integral component of the routine management of their cattle. Because handling facilities are so essential, a great amount of consideration should be given to the design, construction, and operation of these facilities. Superior facilities provide the means for processing animals (e.g., palpation, animal identification, administering vaccines and antibiotics, deworming), while ensuring the safety of cattle and handlers, and minimizing stress.

1. Planning and design

Principles of planning and design can be applied to either building a new cattle handling facility or modification of an existing facility. In either case, always plan with the cattle’s natural behaviors in mind. Cattle will move best through 2 a facility with a simple design that allows them to naturally flow through the system in a smooth, calm manner. Simple designs often better enable handlers to work cattle than complex, expensive ones.

Things to consider in the planning and design of a facility include: location, functions performed, labor, and materials.

An ideal location will have adequate drainage, wind protection, nearby utilities, and accessibility to roads that can be used in all weather. The location of the facility should fit within the general layout of the ranch to simplify the management and movement of cattle.

Facilities should be planned and designed to accommodate each of the functions performed, including, but not limited to: calving, weaning, processing, weighing, and shipping. The tasks performed may also dictate whether cattle watering capabilities need to be available in the handling facility.

The best materials to use will vary from operation to operation depending on specific needs, costs, and availability. Utilizing high-quality materials is essential in constructing corrals and structures for safety and longevity; many have learned that trying to build cheaply proves to be expensive in the long run.

“Labor can be minimized when a handling facility has been properly designed, thereby reducing costs.”

The Q-Catch 86 Series Manual Squeeze Crush and Easy Flow race sections from Arrowquip are designed to keep cattle calm and moving through the system.

2. Pens

A basic set of corrals should include at least one large gathering pen and several smaller pens for holding and sorting cattle (Figure 1). Required pen space will vary across classes of cattle, but a general rule of thumb is to allow at least 35–45 square feet for each cow-calf pair. Regardless of the operation’s size, the most important consideration is to avoid overcrowding pens.

To facilitate bringing cattle into the large gathering pen, the entrance to the pen should be at least 14 feet wide. The gathering pen should be designed to allow cattle to smoothly flow into the smaller holding pens. Since cattle instinctively seek to go back out the same way they came in, this can be accomplished by constructing the entrance to the alleyway of the holding pens near the entrance to the gathering pen.

The holding and sorting pens are connected through a system of alleyways. These pens can be used to sort, or “sift,” different classes of cattle. It is a good idea to have gates on both sides of each pen so cattle can easily enter a pen from either direction of the alley.

3. Alleyways

Alleyways are not needed in every system, but are often a key ingredient for an effective corral setup. The most common mistake when building alleyways is making them too narrow. Narrow alleys add more pressure and, thus, more stress on the cattle. An alley that is 12–14 feet wide may work better when working cattle on foot. Extra caution in handling should be taken when working cattle in an alley that is 12 feet wide or narrower.

Alleyways should be used as passageways for moving cattle from one point to another. Avoid storing and sorting cattle in alleys, especially if they are narrow. Overcrowding cattle in the alley can cause undue stress.

4. Division area: Sift pen

The division area, or sift pen, is where either the tub or forcing gate is used to arrange a small group of cattle into single file, to go through the lead-up to the squeeze crush. Though each system works differently, the same cattle handling principles should be used.

First, never crowd cattle by overfilling the sift pen. Only bring the number of cattle that will fit in the lead-up to the squeeze crush. Second, cattle should only pass through the sift pen, they should not be stored there. Third, when possible, work the cattle from the front, passing by the handler and into the lead-up. Following these three principles reduces the cattle’s tendency to become agitated before entering the lead-up.

The BudFlow Tub from Arrowquip is desgined to improve flow of cattle into the system while improving handler safety with a pushgate.

Cattle will enter more easily and stand and wait quietly when there are only one or two appropriately placed backstops (i.e., one backstop no less than two cow lengths up from the entrance to the lead-up, and one backstop no more than two cow lengths before the squeeze crush). Cattle are more likely to stand and wait quietly if the crush is sturdy and allows them a wide, solid stance. Adjustable sides and emergency exit gates are also necessities.

5. Processing area

The processing area should be comprised of a good, safely functioning squeeze crush; excellent lighting; protection from the elements; and a clean, safe work space for personnel. Firm, slip-resistant footing should be available in front of the chute to keep cattle from slipping and falling when exiting.

Conclusion

Cattle handling facilities are an essential component of any cattle operation. Regardless of the size or complexity of the facility, following basic planning, design, and construction protocols, along with applying proper cattle handling principles, will help to minimize stress and injury to both cattle and personnel. Reducing stress, illness, injury, and death to cattle, due to inferior handling facilities, is an excellent way to improve consumer confidence in the production of high-quality beef.

Laura Mushrush 2/21/20 Laura Mushrush 2/21/20

Implementing low-stress cattle handling practices

Adopting low-stress cattle handling techniques is essential for farms wanting to improve project efficiency and safety.

Adopting low-stress cattle handling techniques is essential for farms wanting to improve project efficiency and safety, says leading UK Arrowquip supplier Edward Wise of Wise Agriculture.

“Low-stress cattle handling is all about keeping things calm, quiet and under control. In return, this improves the safety and efficiency of cattle handling by minimising stress levels of livestock and their handlers,” explains Mr Wise.

**Equipment designed based on animal behaviour research will help reduce stress levels of livestock and their handlers and improve project efficiency.**

Here are his top four tips to implement low-stress cattle handling practices:

Audit facilities

“Before gathering cattle, have a walk through the route they will be traveling from their pen all the way through the cattle handling system,” says Mr Wise.

Be on the lookout for things that might make cattle spook, like a coat hanging on a gate or a chain rattling in the race. Cattle also don’t like walking from well-lit areas into dark places, so contrast caused by shadows and dark entry points can cause issues. According to Mr Wise, cattle handling equipment should also be checked over for components that may spook or even injure cattle.

“If you grab the side of your crush and give it a shake and it rattles and bangs loudly, it is only going to escalate the situation if you have an animal that doesn’t want to hold still. Simple engineering like nylon bushings to avoid metal on metal, is going to significantly improve the quietness of a crush,” he says.

Keep things quiet

To keep cattle calm, handlers should make as little noise as possible and avoid yelling.

“You can have the best set up in the world and cattle that have a good disposition, but if a handler is constantly yelling at them and making a lot of noise, it is only going to agitate them,” says Mr Wise. “It is also best to avoid sudden movements. Cattle have a prey instinct, so things like jumping around will frighten them. While this may get them moving, it will be due to fear, which may lead them to go in the wrong direction.”

Use the flight zone

Rather than yelling and jumping around, Mr Wise advises to use the animal’s natural pressure points.

“Cattle have a flight zone, which will vary based on how tame they are and whether or not they are being handled in isolation or in a group. When you step into their flight zone, cattle will move away based on where you’re applying pressure,” explains Mr Wise. “This is why it is much more productive to work cattle in small groups, because the handler can influence the flight zones for all of the cattle, rather than relying on the flight zones of the ones in the back to keep things moving.”

“Low-stress cattle handling is all about keeping things calm, quiet and under control. In return, this improves the safety and efficiency of cattle handling by minimising stress levels of livestock and their handlers.”
- Edward Wise

Take things slow

The best way to work cattle quickly is to take things slowly, says Mr Wise.

“It is easy to get up in what needs to be done and to not fully think the situation through – which is that you are working with very large, very powerful animals that have natural fight and flight instincts if put in the wrong situations,” explains Mr Wise. “Taking things slow and maintaining a calm, quiet environment is going to help maintain control of the situation and keep things moving slowly.”

This article originally appeared in the January 31, 2020 Beef Special of Farmers Guardian and has been republished with permission.

Laura Mushrush 2/8/20 Laura Mushrush 2/8/20

Cashing in on data collection

While the business philosophy of “you can’t manage what you don’t measure” is nothing new, sometimes a fresh approach is needed to make the most of that collected data. For Chapelton Farm, progressing data collection and application in the last 10 years has shaved finishing times down from an average of 24 months to 19 months.

Investing in data collection infrastructure has allowed one Scottish pedigree herd to make notable genetic advancements

Investing in the right equipment has been essential for Chapelton Farm to safely and efficiently collect data needed to improve genetic progress. Arrowquip’s Q-Catch 86 Series Manual Squeeze Crush from Wise Agriculture Ltd has allowed the farm to we… — Investing in the right equipment has been essential for Chapelton Farm to safely and efficiently collect data needed to improve genetic progress. Arrowquip’s Q-Catch 86 Series Manual Squeeze Crush from Wise Agriculture Ltd has allowed the farm to weigh finishing steers at a spot rate of 100 head per hour in a calm and safe environment.

While the business philosophy of “you can’t manage what you don’t measure” is nothing new, sometimes a fresh approach is needed to make the most of that collected data. For fifth generation pedigree and commercial suckler producer, Donald Biggar and his two sons, Duncan and James, of Chapelton Farm, progressing data collection and application in the last 10 years has shaved finishing times down from an average of 24 months to 19 months.

Located near Castle Douglas in South West Scotland, Chapelton Farm’s pedigree herd consists of 160 head, split evenly between Aberdeen Angus and Beef Shorthorn cows. An additional 240 cows make up the commercial herd, which is self-replacing utilising only genetics from the pedigree herds.

“We use our commercial herd to test and improve the genetics of our pedigree herd so that we can continue to enhance production genetics for our customers. Clients are typically commercial producers breeding their own replacements. This means they need to produce offspring that are highly fertile, easy calving and will also wean off grass and perform well on a predominately forage diet,” explains James. “Along with only utilising genetics from the pedigree herd, we started collecting additional data on the commercial herd four years ago to feed back into pedigree breeding decisions.”

For James, Duncan and Donald Biggar of Chapelton Farm, balancing terminal and material traits is a necessity to provide customers with genetics that will optimise suckler herd and finishing unit performance.

In principle, the process sounds simple. However, it requires disciplined recordings of relevant traits that are scored by the farm’s own ranking system and compiled into a spreadsheet. At birth, calving ease, birth weight, calf vigour, calf size and cow docility are recorded. Confirmation and fat cover from carcase data are also fed back into the analysis, as well as days to slaughter and average lifetime daily gain.

“This process gives each animal multiple data points which can be used to rank all sires and dams used within the business. This data is used to identify animals that are not suitable for breeding,” explains Duncan. “Ease of management is predicated on cow docility. Calving data that suggests a higher than average intervention rate is also likely to result in deselection. Interestingly, our data suggest that calving ease and calf size or weight are not always closely linked, so the full range of data must be considered.”

Production genetics

The on-farm index is then used to select the highest performing pedigree sires based on the commercial offspring’s data points, which is analysed in conjunction with phenotype, and BREEDPLAN EBVs.

“She first has to first give you a calf at two years old, and then continue to give you a calf every year for the following eight years. Until your cows do that, nothing else is worth chasing.”
- James Biggar

“We are careful to make balanced trait-selections. If we were to get too excited about a terminal trait like growth, for example, then we risk damaging maternal traits like calving ease,” explains Duncan. “It is essential to analyse all of the traits that must be combined into one animal.”

According to James, health status, fertility and structural correctness are the top priorities, and everything after that follows. Currently, conception rates average 92%, which the farm is working to progress to 96%.

“She first has to first give you a calf at two years old, and then continue to give you a calf every year for the following eight years,” says James. “Until your cows do that, nothing else is worth chasing.”

From birth to finish, data is collected from Chapelton Farm’s commercial herd to make strategic breeding decisions for its pedigree Aberdeen Angus and Beef Shorthorn herds. In the last 10 years, this practice has improved the farm’s efficiency by si… — From birth to finish, data is collected from Chapelton Farm’s commercial herd to make strategic breeding decisions for its pedigree Aberdeen Angus and Beef Shorthorn herds. In the last 10 years, this practice has improved the farm’s efficiency by simultaneously decreasing birth weight and days to slaughter.

All cows are spring calving and pregnancy detected in early September. Anything that is open is culled post-weaning. To tighten the calving pattern, the breeding season is nine weeks long. On average, 87% of the herd calves within the first six weeks.

“When you’re calving almost 400 cows in nine weeks, with the majority of those calving within six weeks, it is essential from a labour and management point of view that females are able to calve unassisted,” explains Donald. “Our sire selection strategy has proven successful in improving calving ease, with the average birth weight reducing by 2kgs in the last three years. Our target is a birth weight in the 38-44kg range.”

Performance in the finishing pen

As Chapelton Farm made breeding decisions that resulted in lower birth weights, days to slaughter have simultaneously decreased for their commercial finishing steers. 10 years ago, steers were finishing at around 24 months. Through genetic improvement, 50% of steers are finished within 19 months and the longest days to slaughter don’t exceed 24 months.

“In the current market, days to slaughter is critical. Prime steers need to be finished as efficiently as possible,” explains James. “Better genetic selection, better grazing management and feeding at finishing have all contributed to earlier finishing of prime animals. Our target remains around 19 months, but I hope we can reduce this by an additional three to four weeks using better grazing management techniques and improved grass swards. This is work in progress and will take time but should offer significant savings.”

The business’s focus on profit from efficient production rather than end finishing weight, has resulted in a 600kg liveweight at slaughter for a 320kg carcass weight. Weights are taken every three weeks to keep an eye on average daily liveweight gain to market steers to M&S, Scotbeef and Morrisons.

“Because our genetic programme has allowed us to provide suppliers with consistent and uniform cattle, we have a very good relationship with them. Currently, we are hitting spec 98.2% of the time, which is essential to stay profitable,” says James.

Investing in the right tools

Donald, Duncan and James all agree that one big key to success in continually recording and analysing data has been the investment in the right infrastructure. Recently, the business started to upgrade its cattle handling facilities with an Arrowquip Q-Catch 86 Manual Squeeze Crush from Wise Agriculture Ltd to improve safety and efficiency of cattle handling.

**Weights are taken every three weeks to keep an eye on average daily liveweight gain to market steers to M&S, Scotbeef and Morrisons.**

“The Q-Catch 86 crush is designed based on animal behaviour research into low-stress cattle handling, which means it is very quiet and keeps cattle calm and moving forward. Two of us have weighed steers at a spot rate of 100 head per hour because you can operate the headgate and the rear gate at the same time,” says Duncan. “The calmer we can achieve cattle handling tasks, the faster we can get them done. We want low stress for us, our team and our cattle. In return, all parties perform better.”

“The calmer we can achieve cattle handling tasks, the faster we can get them done. We want low stress for us, our team and our cattle. In return, all parties perform better.”
- Duncan Biggar

While it is largely anecdotal, the data collected, and visual assessment has shown a correlation between animals that get more stressed and increased days to slaughter. According to Donald, this is just one more factor why selecting for docility is so important to the business.

“Responsibly handling livestock means investing in the right facilities and making culls when necessary to provide our employees with a safe working environment,” concludes Donald.

This article originally appeared in the January 31, 2020 Beef Special of Farmers Guardian and has been republished with permission.

Livestock items that qualify

Sheep

Mobile sheep handling systems

Cattle

Manual squeeze cattle crush

Head scoop for cattle crush

Hydraulic squeeze cattle crush

Mobile cattle handling system

Fixed cattle handling system

Rotating cow brush

Swinging brushes for calves

Weighing and EID

EID panel reader for sheep

EID panel reader for cattle

Individual electronic weigh system (Indicator)

Weigh bars and weigh platforms for weighing livestock

Weigh bars or platform for animals less than 300kg

EID handheld device (stick reader)

Wise Agriculture has been appointed Scotland dealership rights for Arrowquip’s cattle handling equipment portfolio.

Farming Investment Fund is split into two categories:

Farming Equipment and Technology Fund

Farming Transformation Fund

Farming Equipment and Technology Fund Guide

FETF Application deadline

Funding available

Those eligible

Removal of the “all or nothing” rule

Contractor eligibility

Eligible Livestock Handling and Weighing Items

Cattle Handling Equipment

Sheep Handling Equipment

Weighing and EID

With plenty of research, new equipment and recycling of existing components, one Yorkshire farmer has built a versatile and efficient handling setup for his heifer rearing and store cattle business. Farmers Guardian Alex Heath finds out more.

“We wanted to have a system that was easy to use and could handle everything from weanlings to stock bulls with relative ease. Having it enclosed means we can keep working even when the natural light goes, such as when we are TB testing the herd.”

- Rob Smirthwaite

Cattle handling and weigh equipment items that qualify:

Manual Squeeze Crush

Q-Catch 87 Manual Squeeze Crush

Q-Catch 74 Manual Squeeze Crush

Head scoop

Q-Catch Cattle Head Scoop

Electronic weigh system (Indicators)

TruTest EziWeigh 7i

TruTest XR5000

Weigh bars

TruTest HD5T Loadbars

EID stick reader

TruTest XRS2 Stick Reader

Veterinarian and beef farmer Dr Gerard te Lintelo is making rapid genetic progress to grow his Shorthorn herd.

“Breeding with average only produces average. The quickest way of getting to where we want to be is to constantly improve generations.”

- Dr Gerard te Lintelo

Livestock items that qualify:

Mobile sheep handling systems

3.0m Porta-Yards by Landquip NZ

Manual squeeze cattle crush

Q-Catch 87 Series Manual Squeeze Crush

Hydraulic squeeze crush

Q-Power 107 Series Hydraulic Squeeze Cattle Crush

Head scoop for cattle crush

Q-Catch Cattle Head Scoop

Mobile cattle handling systems

Q-Catch 87 Series Portable Handling Systems

Fixed cattle handling systems

Adjustable Easy Flow cattle races

3E BudFlow® Tub

Weigh bars and weigh platforms

Tru-Test HD5T Load Bars

Electronic weigh systems

Tru-Test XR5000

EID panel reader

XRP2 Panel Reader System

EID stick reader

Tru-Test SRS2 Stick Reader

The bar has been raised.

Cattle handling equipment safety and efficiency is essential for beef and dairy producers looking to optimise herd performance.

The practice of low-stress handling is an economic decision as well as an animal welfare issue. It also is a practice that aids in getting a job done efficiently using fewer people, less time and preventing damage to facilities, which adds to costs.

Before we get into handling techniques for open-area gathering, basics of animal behaviour needs to be understood:

Cattle want to see you

Cattle want to go around

Cattle want to be with and will go with other cattle