BIGG hosted its Optiweigh Producer Sticky Beak Day on 17 September, featuring separate sessions for cattle and sheep producers and bringing together activities from several current BIGG projects. Livestock Sustainable Solutions Project (LSSP) participants attended workshops throughout the day, alongside additional producers and industry representatives who joined the practical “sticky beak” sessions.
Producers had the opportunity to see the Optiweigh unit in action and discuss how real‑time liveweight data could support decision‑making within their own livestock systems. A key message from the day was that Optiweigh’s value lies not in collecting more data, but in detecting changes in animal performance earlier so management decisions can be made sooner.
Event highlights included:
- Emissions benchmarking: Nathaniel Modra presented to LSSP participants on how emissions intensity is calculated and the production factors that influence it. The session emphasised how early identification of slowed growth through liveweight monitoring can prompt investigation into issues such as worms, feed availability or nutrition, reinforcing the link between productivity and emissions intensity.
- Pasture trial visits: Cattle producers visited a forage cereal trial with Barenbrug’s Aston Barr whilst sheep producers visited BIGG’s long‑term multi‑species perennial pasture trial at Marananga that compares mixes ranging from simple lucerne–phalaris through to diverse 12‑species blends.
- MLA Weaner Project: The sheep session incorporated BIGG’s MLA Weaner Project, with BIGG's Deb Scammell discussing practical weaner management and how improved monitoring can support lamb survival, growth and ewe recovery during challenging seasons.
- TEKFARM program: TEKFARM Advisor Pene Keynes outlined opportunities for producers to test and integrate agricultural technologies on farm.
The Optiweigh units will now rotate between participating LSSP properties. Trial timing at each property is aligned with key decision points in each livestock enterprises production cycle.
The Livestock Sustainable Solutions Optiweigh project is supported by PIRSA and Meat & Livestock Australia, with additional support from the Northern and Yorke Landscape Board and SA Drought Hub. BIGG also secured Livestock SA Biosecurity Uplift funding to support biosecurity as the Optiweigh units move between producer sites.