Weighing is the bottleneck
Scales are accurate, and they're also slow. Yarding a mob takes a morning, stresses the animals and knocks a day off gain. So most mobs get weighed a handful of times a year, and in between you're guessing — right when feed and sale decisions depend on knowing where the cattle sit.
Herd Scan fills the gaps. Walk the paddock, photograph a sample of the mob, and get an estimated liveweight for each animal in seconds.
Photo estimate vs weigh band vs scales
| Method | Animal handling | Speed | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crush and load bars | Yard and restrain | Slow | Sale weights, trials, anything needing an exact figure |
| Weigh band / girth tape | Restrain each animal | Moderate | Small numbers where no scale is available |
| Herd Scan photo estimate | None — photograph in the paddock | Seconds per animal | Between weigh days, hill blocks, tracking growth |
Growth targets and carcase specifications for New Zealand and Australian systems are published by Beef + Lamb New Zealand and Meat & Livestock Australia.
What you get from each scan
- Estimated liveweight in kilograms for each animal photographed
- Estimated growth weight, so you can see how the mob is tracking between scans
- Breed estimate across the common beef breeds and crossbreds
- Herd sample growth rate over time from your saved assessment history
- A built-in AI consultant for technical comment on the result
- PDF reports to send to your stock agent, vet or consultant
Common questions
- Can you estimate cattle weight from a photo?
- Yes. Herd Scan reads frame size, body depth, muscling and condition from a photo and compares them against thousands of reference animals to return an estimated liveweight in kilograms. It is an estimate, not a scale reading, and should not be used where a certified weight is required.
- How accurate is a photo weight estimate compared with scales?
- A weigh crush and load bars remain the accurate measurement. A photo estimate is for the situations where weighing isn't practical — mobs on hill country, stock in a distant block, or a quick check between weigh days. Use it to see direction and drafting decisions, and weigh when the number has to be exact.
- How do I weigh cattle without scales?
- The traditional method is a weigh band or girth tape measuring heart girth, converted to liveweight with a breed table. Herd Scan replaces the tape with a photo: no yarding the animal, no restraint, and up to 20 animals per assessment.
- Does it track growth rate over time?
- Yes. Each assessment is saved against the herd, so Herd Scan can estimate herd sample growth rate between scans and show whether the mob is tracking to target.
- Does it work for Angus, Hereford, Charolais and crossbreds?
- Herd Scan estimates breed alongside liveweight and works across the beef breeds and crossbreds common in New Zealand and Australia.