When you think of the word ‘innovation’, you might think of the big tech companies. Or, you might think of the organisations that are developing space travel technology. Those industries are pretty innovative, right? Of course, they are!

Beef farming and agriculture isn't something you'd usually consider innovative, is it?

Well guess what? It is!

Here at Princess Royal Station, we are always on the hunt for better, more efficient and innovative ways to do things.

We always look for ways to improve the economics of our operations. One of the best ways to do this is through the use of modern methods, techniques and technology.

We have a passion for Australian beef. This is why we work to cause the least amount of harm possible to our environment.

Innovation in agriculture is a way of life for us. We're committed to doing whatever we can to add more value into everything we do. From designing our feedlots to how we check the weather, we're assisting the pioneering of agricultural innovation.

Tag Race Readers

One of the ways that we are pioneering agricultural innovation is through our Tag Race Readers system. This system is installed in our Transit Cattle yards and Feedlot. It then reads the electronic ear tag that you will often see attached to livestock.

This tag is an NLIS tag, which records information about the animal from birth on a national database. All our cattle have one of these, as do all Australian beef cattle.

In the past, all the animals’ tags were scanned by hand every time they entered or left the station. With a tag reader installation, the tag information goes to a computer as the animal walks past. We’ve also installed them on the cattle ramps to check that the right cattle leave the property.

Regulating Animal Activity

Animal health is a top priority and their happiness is vital to their wellbeing. We use many methods to ensure that our livestock undergo the least possible stress during their stay with us.

On arrival, we inspect each animal to ensure they didn’t come injured or ill in any way. If they did, we prescribe treatments and separate them until they are well again.

Nutritional balance is important for animals. Ours receive theirs from their feed, (which we grow ourselves), their physical environment and their social groups.

When animals arrive, we gather all the information and enter it into our internal database. This information includes age, breed, sex, medical history and NLIS information.

The cattle are then sorted into groups and sent to either the paddock or into the feedlot.

We watch our animals closely to make sure they are healthy and happy throughout their stay with us.

We track feed levels as well to ensure the animals are receiving the right nutrients for the time of year.

We also ensure that every animal has enough space to move and display its natural behaviour because allowing time to establish social groups and husbandry is important in reducing the animal's stress.

Animals, like humans, have friends and social groups that they like to stay near. Keeping animals together with their friends reduces stress and improves product quality.

Feedlot / Cattle Yard Design and Pen Layout

Our feedlot is a Class 1 Standard Feedlot. It is made with the highest level of construction and operates under recognised national guidelines.

The feedlot did not appear overnight, we designed it ourselves. It ensures the efficiency of daily operations and that each animal has enough space. It also captures, collects and recycles manure and runoff.

Our feedlot also ensures appropriate surfaces to avoid animal injury and stress. The neighbouring communities also appreciate it, as it reduces air and noise pollution.

Our feedlot is one of the best examples of how we are pioneering agricultural innovation.

Want to learn more about our feedlot? Click here.

Weather Monitoring

Almost every agricultural industry depends on the weather. Getting the right amount of rain and sunshine is vital.

Modern weather technology helps us predict the performance of our crops and animals better.

During heat waves or freezing temperatures, we need to adjust feed amounts to the needs of the cattle. This ensures that we can make the animals as comfortable as possible during these times.

Bulk Spreading of Manure and Wastewater

Cow manure is a great fertiliser for your garden, right? Well, it is for our crops too. Our cattle produce waste each day, so we spread the manure on our cropping country. This reduces our need of purchasing synthetic fertilisers and makes us more self-sufficient.

The pens at the feedlots are routinely cleaned out so the collected manure can be spread over our land.

We also ensure that the manure is spread at a rate that the vegetation and soil can absorb. We do this to prevent causing any harm to the environment.

There are many innovative groups conducting research and producing innovative agricultural technology. They improve our agricultural processes so we can supply the increasing demand for produce.

We watch progress and innovation in the industry closely. We do this to be better able apply new methods and technology. This will allow for growth and strength in the industry going into the future.   

Here at Princess Royal Station, agricultural innovation is our way of life.

That’s why we have made it our mission to always be on the cutting-edge of modern technology and practices, which allows us to produce the best quality beef around.

To learn more about us, please feel free to get in touch today. Or, if you're interested in finding out more about how we care for our cattle, click the link below.