Livestock Junction.
Providing software that is both useful from a management point of view, and practical from a data collection point of view.
Cattle Fattening Records (2).
Cattle Fattening Records package - details.
Electronic Weighing
To get the most out of the system, cattle should be weighed at convenient intervals.
The software has a built in option to directly interface with various types of Electronic data collecting scales, (Gallagher, TruTest etc.),
thus saving long sessions of data entry into the computer.
Numerous Dates/Weights can be stored for a beast, and intermediate and overall weight gains per day are automatically calculated.
See How do we collect data?
Electronic ID (RFID)
If the system is used on a computer in the yards, an RFID scanner can be connected to scan for Electronic ID tags.
The RFID number is then stored against the beast in the computer. If Electronic Scales are used that collect RFID numbers, these too can be transmitted to the computer.
The system can also export specified data, allowing interaction with other computer systems. (eg NLIS Database).
Batch Update
Data can be entered individually for each beast, or in "Batch Mode".
In the latter case, the system will automatically apply similar data to a given selection of cattle.
This is used for items such as Group Name, PIC, Sex, Costs, HGP and Vet Treatments, etc, etc.
Cost Analysis
The system can store all direct costs relating to the enterprise, enabling accurate analyses to be produced.
Listings of Cattle show averages and totals for various cost and weight figures. Annualised Gross Margins are also calculated and reported.
All reports are generated for groups of cattle as specified by the user.
Projections
The Projection Report will give you estimated weight figures at some specified future date for a given selection of cattle.
You can either assume that their weight gains per day will remain consistent, or specify a projecting weight gain for the computer to use.
This helps in planning forward selling.
Identify low Weight gains
Reports can be produced that identify cattle that are not performing from a weight gain point of view.
"Bad-doers" can therefore be culled before too much feed is wasted on them.
If the package is used on a lap top computer in the yards, a beast's updated performance can be viewed as it is being weighed.
Decisions can therefore be immediately taken on its future.
Carcase Feedback
Information supplied by the abattoir (either electronically or manually) can be stored against each beast.
This can also be used to identify which cattle have performed best, and where they came from.
The Carcase Listing report groups cattle by Supplier, and gives averages and totals for each group.
Vet Records
A Vet Records sub-system is also available to record cattle illness and drug administration.
Slaughter withholding dates are automatically calculated for cattle treated with certain drugs (as defined by the User).
Reports can be generated by the system analysing sickness and drug usage for Month and Year to date.
(Click here to see example reports).
When cattle are being processed for dispatch, the system will issue a warning if any beast should be withheld from slaughter due to drug administration.
Pen Feeding (basic module)
For Feedlots, there is a module where data can be entered on a daily basis to record quantities and values of feed given to each Pen.
This data is allocated to cattle according to the Pen they are in, thus enabling Feed Conversion Ratios and Feed Costs to be analysed.
Feed Commodities Inventory System.
This optional add-on package keeps track of feed stocks on hand and values of feed commodities.
Record what feed has been purchased by the feedlot, and to what cattle it has been fed.
Ration descriptions can be defined, and feeding requirements for each Pen for the day are calculated and either printed for feed truck drivers, or passed to systems such as Digistar's Datalink software.
Reporting.
A large selection of standard reports are available in the system to present information on cattle performance.
Cattle to be reported are selected out of the database using a powerful "Record Selection" process. For example; "Select all cattle for GROUP A123 with PIC NA123456 with a WEIGHT GAIN /DAY > 1.4 .
Data may also be "exported" out of the system for use in other software (eg Spreadsheet programs).
Computer Screen layout for beast data entry.
The example screen below shows a beast’s main data entry screen. Much of this data can be collected from electronic scales or applied to "batches" of cattle automatically.
Colours are used on the screen to make it more readable. Many other screens are available for entering financial data, batch updates, generating reports etc.etc.
Crush side processing screen.
The example screen below shows
the screen that can be used when a computer is used at the Crush. An RFID scanner and electronic scales are plugged into the computer. "Default" data can be specified for each data item, thus reducing the amount of data entry that needs to done.
Package Cost
We can tailor systems components to meet your requirements and then give you a costing. Just give us a call or send an email and we can advise you in this regard.
The system components are:
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Main Module - Cattle Fattening Records
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Vet records plus optional vet analysis reporting sub-system
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Module for data collection in the Yards on a crush side computer (includes RFID scanner, Scales, and Bar Code scanner interfaces)
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Basic cattle feeding data entry module.
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Feed Commodities Inventory system, including cattle feeding module. (more accurate feed costing)
Trial versions are available free of charge (Download, or contact Livestock Junction). "Help" files are built into the system. Trial versions are the same as the "live" version, but limit the number of cattle that can be stored on file to 20. The software also contains an example database with cattle data already recorded. Assistance with using the package is only a telephone call away.
