Sam Fryer, a cattle producer near Hughenden in north-west Queensland, says switching to drone mustering paid for itself within a year. He estimates his A$12,000 DJI Matrice 4 thermal drone, bought from SkyKelpie, saved about A$20,000 in its first year, a return of around 110%.
Much of his herd is agisted on leased paddocks. Each muster used to need a helicopter for three hours at A$500 an hour and two people on motorbikes at A$350 to A$400 a day each, about A$2,000 a time, two or three times a year. Now he musters alone in two hours, using the drone to move the herd towards water before getting on his bike for the close handling.
The thermal camera does more than save labour. Starting at 4.30am in cool conditions, he can pick out lost or hidden animals, and says he has not missed a cow since, against five to 10 head missed per muster before. He uses it to find dingoes, decide where to set baits and traps, check fresh weaners at night, and in the wet season to inspect fences and floodgates from the highest point of the property without risking vehicles. He also saves on vehicle and bike repairs and on ground checks of water and infrastructure.
Over a conservative five-year life he expects a return of about 950%, or A$9.50 for every A$1 invested. Fryer, who runs a podcast on helping young people into land ownership, says the economics open a door for young producers who cannot afford staff: "Having the drone is like having an extra employee." Even his father now plans to buy a drone instead of a A$13,000 motorbike.
He warns that a drone does not replace stockmanship. He spends five days breaking in weaners, in the yard, then with a bike and a horse, before introducing them to the drone in small mobs, because poorly handled cattle panic and inexperienced operators can cause stress and calf losses. The figures are Fryer's own; the article was first published by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA).
Photo: CSIRO (a stockman musters cattle, Belmont Research Station, Queensland) / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
Source: Beef Central
Comments
(0)