Coota Park’s challenge: After 19 years of labour-intensive manual feed efficiency testing that was physically unsustainable, they needed an automated solution that could preserve their existing genetic database while scaling operations.
How Vytelle helped: Vytelle SENSE™ automated feed intake and weight measurements while integrating two decades of historical data into their worldwide database, enabling Blue-E to scale operations and achieve results that position them as the world’s number one feed efficiency herd.
About Coota Park Blue-E
Coota Park Blue-E is a composite cattle breeding operation run by Jon Wright in Woodstock, New South Wales. The business breeds an open composite line of cattle that were initially based on Angus and Shorthorn genetics, with Simmental-based composite genetics introduced from 2018. The operation runs a comprehensive feed efficiency testing program where every bull is tested and added to the Vytelle worldwide database.
The challenge: Scaling beyond manual limits
For 19 years, Jon operated a labour-intensive manual feed efficiency system using 48 individual pens. “We’d put one animal in each pen, weigh the feed in, come back the next day, and weigh what was left. We’d jot it down and enter it into the computer. It was basic, but it worked,” Jon explains.
However, while Jon deeply valued feed efficiency testing, the physical demands of manual testing proved to be unsustainable. “I’d nearly worn my body out doing the manual stuff,” Jon admitted. At the same time, the industry was shifting rapidly towards automation, and Jon knew he had to adapt. With almost two decades of comprehensive records forming an invaluable genetic database, he needed a solution that could both preserve this historical data and deliver the automation required for future progress.
The solution: Vytelle SENSE
The decision to invest in Vytelle SENSE came in 2016 when automated feed efficiency technology became affordable enough for on-farm implementation. “I knew if we were going to continue, we’d have to invest in that technology,” Jon explained.
The Vytelle SENSE system’s feed intake nodes measure individual animal consumption at the bunk with unprecedented accuracy, while in-pen weighing positions collect precise partial body weights for calculating average daily gain (ADG) and Residual Feed Intake (RFI).
By combining feed intake and growth data, Vytelle SENSE enables the calculation of RFI – a measure of how much feed an animal consumes above or below what would be expected for its body weight and gain. This data is then processed using Vytelle’s comprehensive data analytics and identifies and ranks animals based on their feed efficiency performance.
Crucially, Vytelle worked with Jon to integrate his historical data into their worldwide database. “I said I wouldn’t do it unless we could bring that history in. I wasn’t about to let all that information go to waste,” he emphasised. This integration preserved 25 years of genetic progress while eliminating the physical demands of manual measurement and enabling comparison with feed-tested animals globally.
No. 1 feed efficiency herd in the world
The results speak for themselves: Blue-E sires now represent an extraordinary 20% of the world’s top 1% feed-efficient cattle in the Vytelle database, positioning them as the number one feed efficiency herd in the world.
Their comprehensive dataset helps establish relationships between feed efficiency and multiple traits including methane emissions, carcass quality, fertility, and marbling. With an expected genetic improvement rate of 1% per year through multi-trait selection, the program’s 28-year head start translates to approximately 28% improvement in herd RFI.
“Once you start collecting feed intake data, you can’t unsee it,” said Jon. “You become really aware of how much variation there is between animals and how valuable that knowledge is. You can’t imagine not testing once you know.”
