Could you weigh cattle with your phone—or monitor sheep liveweight as they walk past a camera? Camera-based livestock weighing could make growth monitoring easier, reduce handling and help farmers make better feeding and sale decisions. But how accurate does it need to be?

In this episode of In The Paddock — Field Notes, farmer and agronomist Martin Murray explores Scanabull’s cattle weight-estimation technology and FlockMate, the Australian sheep research project led by CSIRO with Meat & Livestock Australia and Australian Wool Innovation.

We explain how 3D imaging and artificial intelligence estimate livestock weight, then examine the practical question: can those estimates provide information you can confidently act on?

IN THIS EPISODE

• Scanabull WeighApp: estimating cattle liveweight using an iPhone Pro.

• WeighPoint: Scanabull’s automated camera development.

• FlockMate: estimating sheep liveweight and fleece weight, with records linked to RFID tags.

• Why a correct mob average can hide errors in individual animals.

• Accuracy, repeatability and detecting meaningful changes in growth.

• Practical checks against conventional livestock scales.

• Indicative costs, scan allowances and development timelines.

Whether you run beef cattle, sheep or a mixed grazing enterprise, the opportunity is more useful information with less effort. The test is whether that information helps you identify poor performers, assess feed supply or select livestock for sale.

HAVE YOUR SAY

Where would camera weighing help most in your business: tracking mob growth, finding animals falling behind, or deciding which stock are ready to sell? Share your thoughts in your podcast app’s comments, where available, or join the discussion on the In The Paddock YouTube channel.

MORE FROM IN THE PADDOCK

Explore practical agronomy, livestock management and emerging agricultural technology:

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SOURCES & FURTHER READING

Scanabull — cattle weighing technology:

https://scanabull.com/

Scanabull — technical explanation and company-reported accuracy:

https://scanabull.com/index.php/2026/08/31/scanabull-tech/

Scanabull — indicative pricing:

https://scanabull.com/index.php/pricing/

CSIRO — measuring sheep liveweight:

https://www.csiro.au/en/news/All/News/2026/July/Measuring-sheep-live-weight

MLA — FlockMate liveweight and fleece-weight project:

https://www.mla.com.au/news-and-events/industry-news/new-tool-for-estimating-sheep-liveweight-and-fleece-weight/

AWI — FlockMate development update:

https://www.wool.com/news-events/beyond-the-bale/issue-106-winter-2026/flockmateputs-sheep-measurement-in-a-new-frame-106/

Follow In The Paddock for practical Australian farming insights, agricultural research and emerging agtech. Share this episode with a livestock producer interested in weighing without scales.

Information checked 19 October 2026. This episode reviews published information, not a hands-on product test. FlockMate remains in research and development. Scanabull’s website retains early-access and future-release messaging; broad Australian availability is unverified. Accuracy figures are company-reported, not guaranteed limits for every animal. Pricing is provisional, with currency unspecified on the pricing page.

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