Year in review Q&A with customers
To wrap up 2024, we thought we’d check in on some customers to see how their year went and what they are looking forward to in 2025.
Some of these customers have been using Black Box as well as RePRO BI, to achieve real benefits for their businesses, despite each operation facing uniquely different production challenges.
We’re sure they are not the only ones facing these situations and that other graziers will relate to their experiences – thank you to the following producers for being part of our Q&A and sharing these valuable insights!
Kurt Mayne, Broken Plains, Rolleston
Mitch and Danille Koster, St George
Liv Marks, Winvic Pastoral, Clermont
Ainsley McArthur, McArthur Holdings, St Lawrence
What worked well in 2024?
Kurt: For me, 2024 was about focusing on data collection, particularly in the areas where I had been a bit slack on. We are moving in the right direction now, with all the help of the tech we are using on our farm.
Mitch & Danille: What we like most is seeing our cattle coming through the system using the predicted weights chart, then being able to extract that information and identify what breeds they are, which enables us to better market the cattle to feedlots.
Liv: Without a doubt, using RePRO BI results to select our best yearling bulls to use over yearling heifers was a great decision! The calves are dropping now, right at the same time as our IVF calves so it will be great to use Black Box to see how they measure up as they grow.
We selected homebred bulls in the top 20% for weight and the top 20% for both fertility traits (puberty and P4M) because we believe we can select for carcase plus fertility, all with our preferred phenotype.
Ainsley: Now 60% of us are naming files consistently and correctly.
What was your biggest stuff up in 2024?
Kurt: Other than not putting enough chickpeas in, I really can’t think of anything. All in all, every year is fantastic.
Mitch & Danille: There was some confusion with mapping our Optiweigh data to the right paddock but the system got it sorted!
Liv: We’ve had multiple challenges with tech, some things were within our control and some things not. Let’s just say the older generation is stepping back from device charging duties and should have done so years ago!
Ainsley: Putting an E instead of a 0 for empty! We need to be recording numbers not letters!
What was a decision you made in 2024 using Black Box?
Kurt: It really helped with showing the banks what we are doing in a way that’s clear and accurate, and allowed them to be happy to lend me some money for a new property. The Optiweigh data feeding into my Black Box is helping us with data collection as well and planning selling decisions.
Mitch & Danille: We were able to look at historical data to see how different genetic lines are performing. From these insights, we were able to make future breeding decisions.
Liv: We continued to use RePRO BI as a selection tool for replacement bulls and females this year. We’re expecting to see the impact on our herd performance really speed up as the results compound.
Ainsley: Embracing RePRO BI genomics for bull selection.
What are you looking forward to focusing on in 2025?
Kurt: Developing my new bit of dirt is at the forefront of what we will be doing in 2025, so all the fun and games that come with that. I’m looking forward to having some good, solid data to make decisions easier.
Mitch & Danille: Starting to use single sire joinings to see how the bulls are performing based on their progeny data.
Liv: We’re going to work with Meg to get better at tracking and analysing both our feedlot and our grass-fed MSA index using Black Box so we can look for opportunities to optimise performance.
Ainsley: Putting our data to work to make better decisions.
