The FeedSmart app brings together a raft of variables to give farmers instant information on nutritional requirements of different classes of livestock, feed values and feed allocation.
Developed by Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) in conjunction with the Red Meat Profit Partnership (RMPP), the app will help farmers estimate the feed requirements for sheep and cattle at any time of the year and for different levels of production.
B+LNZ senior extension manager Aaron Meikle says the app also has simple tools for day-to-day feed allocation information. This includes how long a paddock of feed will last, the size of the break needed to meet nutritional requirements and stocking rates.
While it is set to standard levels of feed quality, topography, supplement quality and animal size, farmers can customise the settings to suit their operations.
Meikle says the app was developed in response to demand for feed management information from farmers. He says the most searched for items on the B+LNZ website are feed demand, feed values and feed nutrition calculations.
Similarly, the most popular of the organisations' regular publications are “A Guide to Feed Planning for Sheep Farmers” and “Energy Requirements of Cattle.” These publications contain feed tables but Meikle says tables require some interpretation and often multiple tables have to be used to generate the required data for different classes of livestock at different times of the year.
"Back in 2012, B+LNZ started tossing the idea around about an app or software that would make the process of feed management simple and effective. With the advent of RMPP and with requests from other partners in the programme, the idea was picked up and delivered.”
The app is available free of charge at www.feedsmart.co.nz and once downloaded, it works offline anywhere, anytime a device is turned on. FeedSmart is compatible with any computer, tablet or smart phone.
For more information, including user guides, visit youtube.com/beeflambnz
| Downloads | Size |
|---|---|
| FeedSmart app user guide | 1.7 MB |
