Bill and Jacqui Mitchell
The innovative in-paddock weighing system, Optiweigh, was designed by graziers Bill and Jacqui Mitchell, who run a grass-fed backgrounding and fattening operation in northern New South Wales.
After years of undergoing the production loss and frustration of mustering and yard weighing cattle, the couple decided to start developing their own in-paddock weighing system. They were inspired by a prototype walk-over system designed for weighing sheep.
Bill and Jacqui designed several prototype walk-over platforms and found that cattle were unwilling to walk over a full-length platform. They soon discovered, however, that the cattle could be enticed to put their two front legs onto a platform using a lick block as a lure. From this, the couple began developing an algorithm that would calculate the beast's whole weight, from just the front feet.
They have since completed their innovative system and now operate more than 110 units across Australia weighing over 150,000 cattle every month. Multiple research bodies have validated the front foot weighing system and have found it just as reliable as yard weighing.
