By Charlie Brown, Product Development Manager, Ritchie Agriculture
Developing new agricultural technology doesn’t end with a working prototype. The real test is seeing how it performs on commercial farms and whether it can build the confidence needed for adoption.
LambMonitor aims to help sheep farmers monitor lamb growth without the need for regular gathering and handling. By automatically recording weights as lambs naturally move through the field, the technology has the potential to reduce labour, improve animal welfare and provide farmers with better information to support finishing decisions.
We’re currently trialling three different prototype systems, each designed to work with natural sheep behaviour rather than requiring changes to flock management. The systems automatically capture EID and weight data before uploading it to an online platform, allowing farmers to monitor growth rates and receive alerts when target weights are reached.
While the concept is straightforward, developing reliable automated weighing for sheep is far more challenging than for cattle. That’s why testing under real commercial conditions is so important.
Through the UK Agri-Tech Centre’s commercial farm network, we’ve been able to evaluate the technology across a range of sheep farming systems and gather independent performance data. Just as valuable has been the feedback from farmers, helping us understand how the equipment fits into everyday management and where it can be refined.
That independent validation is critical.
Farmers want confidence that new technology has been proven in real farming situations before they invest, and those trials help build that confidence while accelerating product development.
For us, the UK Agri-Tech Centre has provided far more than access to trial sites. It has connected us with commercial farmers, generated valuable evidence and helped ensure we’re developing technology that addresses genuine on-farm challenges.
When successful, LambMonitor will make it easier for sheep producers to monitor flock performance, identify issues earlier and make more informed management decisions. This project shows how collaboration between innovators, farmers and the UK Agri-Tech Centre can help turn promising ideas into practical technologies that deliver real value on farm.
