Australia primary producers are known for their efficiency and innovation.
One of the most cost effective ways of increasing herd efficiency is to pregnancy test your breeder herd and cull the empty cows.
Depending on where you are in the country, calving rates can run from 40 per cent to 90pc. Those empty cows are a liquid asset that can be sold for an immediate cash injection into your business.
The cash from the sale of these non-performing cows can go directly into funding a supplement program for the wet and pregnant breeders left behind to give them a better chance of raising their calves. One property in Northern Australia has told us that by preg testing their breeders, they netted $500,000 in the sale of empty cows in their first year alone.
Some producers have a problem selling their “breeders”, but let's be clear that there is a difference between a breeder and a cow. A cow is only a breeder if she is bringing in a calf every year, if she isn’t, she is a liability that is costing you money for a guaranteed negative return.
As technology has improved and become cheaper, ultrasound pregnancy testing is the quickest, most reliable method of pregnancy testing when done by a trained and competent operator.
One man who openly admits to being the biggest skeptic of ultrasound technology and who resisted even looking into it is John (Curly) Firman. However, after 18 months of using a BoviScan in his own business, Curley will never go back. He has incorporated it into his own business, and reported that he is testing more cows per day and isn’t as “buggered” after a day in the yards.
Not only that, in a complete 180, Curley has joined the Catagra team as a rep for northern Australia. He is now convinced that ultrasound is a crucial tool in any breeder herd management program and has found his calling by helping producers incorporate this technology into their business.
Catagra Group’s operations manager Owen Henry, owner Col Hammond and sales manager Sean Hammond enjoyed a busy time at Ag-Grow showcasing the Catagra product range including the Silencer Hydraulic Cattle Crush, Turret Gate, BoviScan and TePari Scales.
For enquiries call Curly on 0411 863 033 or the Catagra office on 1300 795 607.