Using Technology to Build More Profitable Ranches for Generations to Come (Sponsored Podcast)

Yeah, absolutely.

So I guess when we're talking about, um, sustaining the ground that animals are running on, we're talking about carrying capacity, we're talking about stocking rate, and ultimately, we are talking about the feed efficiency of the animals that are grazing that ground as well.

So obviously you've got pressure from livestock that comes from hooves on the ground, but then you've also got the pressure that comes from specifically the grazing.

Uh, and so one of the things that we can do here at Cerus Tag is we can help to monitor some of the feed efficiency of the animals, whether that, as you mentioned earlier, whether that's turning that into red meat protein or whether that is turning it into calves on the ground.

So, uh, for those people who might be listening and, uh, might not have heard of Cerus Tag before, do you wanna just give a quick rundown, I guess, on, uh, what we do here and how we are using technology to support ranchers around the globe?

Yes, ma'am.

No, I'd love to.

So yeah, at Cerus Tag, um, we allow for the automation of animal performance and health data.

So, um, that includes behavior metrics like, uh, minutes spent ruminating, resting, walking, grazing.

Um, but the, a really cool thing that you mentioned is we also can automate, um, all from a tag pasture feed intake, which is dry matter intake for grazing cattle.

And so, um, the things you can do with that, um, in terms of animal efficiency are, are really cool.

So that's where we can really start to look at how we optimize and select for animals that are truly converting our, um, bank, if you will, which is our grass, into red meat, um, the most efficiently.

So, um- Um, you know, you can have two animals that look very simil- similar and identical, and they might even, you know, both weigh the same.

Um, and their weaned calves might also be identical.

But whenever you, um, have a way to measure how much they're actually eating, it really opens the door and shows you, okay, well, you know, I might have animals that are eating 60 pounds of dry matter a day to wean a 700-pound calf, and then animals that are eating 40 pounds of dry matter a day to wean that identical calf.

And so we now have the ability with Cirrus Tag to select for those animals that are, uh, converting less forage into the same pounds of weaned calf, and we can ultimately select for more of those animals without increasing our available acreage to have more calves on the ground every year.

Um, and so that's all done to direct to satellite.

So I think that's super important for us to mention, is that there's no infrastructure needed, um, with Cirrus Tag, which is, uh, super important not only for scalability, but, um, just by also lowering the cost for producers to implement it into their operations.

So there's no need for cell service, um, Wi-Fi towers, any of that, since we operate direct to satellite.

Yeah, and that is super important to mention because, uh, when I think about how we are using the Cirrus Tag devices on our own operation, uh, we don't have any cell service.

We don't have, uh, we also have a lot of trees, uh, on our property.

So, you know, to be able to put up towers that need line of sight, it just wasn't something that was gonna be scalable for us specifically.

So having that direct to satellite, um, was really, really important.

And I know it is for a lot of producers around Australia and, and ranchers in America, from what I'm hearing, have a very similar issue that they're coming up against.

You know-

Yeah, absolutely.

So I guess when we're talking about, um, sustaining the ground that animals are running on, we're talking about carrying capacity, we're talking about stocking rate, and ultimately, we are talking about the feed efficiency of the animals that are grazing that ground as well.

So obviously you've got pressure from livestock that comes from hooves on the ground, but then you've also got the pressure that comes from specifically the grazing.

Uh, and so one of the things that we can do here at Cerus Tag is we can help to monitor some of the feed efficiency of the animals, whether that, as you mentioned earlier, whether that's turning that into red meat protein or whether that is turning it into calves on the ground.

So, uh, for those people who might be listening and, uh, might not have heard of Cerus Tag before, do you wanna just give a quick rundown, I guess, on, uh, what we do here and how we are using technology to support ranchers around the globe?

Yes, ma'am.

No, I'd love to.

So yeah, at Cerus Tag, um, we allow for the automation of animal performance and health data.

So, um, that includes behavior metrics like, uh, minutes spent ruminating, resting, walking, grazing.

Um, but the, a really cool thing that you mentioned is we also can automate, um, all from a tag pasture feed intake, which is dry matter intake for grazing cattle.

And so, um, the things you can do with that, um, in terms of animal efficiency are, are really cool.

So that's where we can really start to look at how we optimize and select for animals that are truly converting our, um, bank, if you will, which is our grass, into red meat, um, the most efficiently.

So, um- Um, you know, you can have two animals that look very simil- similar and identical, and they might even, you know, both weigh the same.

Um, and their weaned calves might also be identical.

But whenever you, um, have a way to measure how much they're actually eating, it really opens the door and shows you, okay, well, you know, I might have animals that are eating 60 pounds of dry matter a day to wean a 700-pound calf, and then animals that are eating 40 pounds of dry matter a day to wean that identical calf.

And so we now have the ability with Cirrus Tag to select for those animals that are, uh, converting less forage into the same pounds of weaned calf, and we can ultimately select for more of those animals without increasing our available acreage to have more calves on the ground every year.

Um, and so that's all done to direct to satellite.

So I think that's super important for us to mention, is that there's no infrastructure needed, um, with Cirrus Tag, which is, uh, super important not only for scalability, but, um, just by also lowering the cost for producers to implement it into their operations.

So there's no need for cell service, um, Wi-Fi towers, any of that, since we operate direct to satellite.

Yeah, and that is super important to mention because, uh, when I think about how we are using the Cirrus Tag devices on our own operation, uh, we don't have any cell service.

We don't have, uh, we also have a lot of trees, uh, on our property.

So, you know, to be able to put up towers that need line of sight, it just wasn't something that was gonna be scalable for us specifically.

So having that direct to satellite, um, was really, really important.

And I know it is for a lot of producers around Australia and, and ranchers in America, from what I'm hearing, have a very similar issue that they're coming up against.

You know-