Award-winning Lambing Planner app gets upgraded after international take-up

The award-winning Lambing Planner app is getting a major upgrade after being recently restored to full functionality for sheep producers.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and the Esperance-based ASHEEP grower group, developed the Lambing Planner app, which has been downloaded more than 10,000 times since it was launched in 2017.

“DPIRD is also in the process of an extensive upgrade to the app, based off user feedback and recent survey results from the app,” she said.

“There will be updated technical content, and a more user-friendly interface and functionality.

“The updated app is currently in the build phase so users are advised to keep an eye out for the new and improved app.”

Ms Davies said the app brought together best practice guidelines in one easy-to-use tool for sheep producers and has been taken up across the country, as well as internationally, with downloads recorded from China, the US, the UK, South Africa, and to a lesser extent France, Senegal, Gambia, Malaysia and the Falkland Islands.

“The Lambing Planner sets out key management operations that make up the breeding cycle, providing information on ewe and ram nutrition, condition score targets at different stages, reproductive management and lambing guidelines,” Ms Davies said.

It is available as a handheld, paper-based tool, or as an app in both Android and iOS formats.

The app, which won gold in the 2017 TECH Design Awards, is one of DPIRD’s most popular in its suite of more than 20 apps.

ASHEEP chief executive Sarah Brown said the Lambing Planner app was “the first major project” of the grower group and they were “proud to be involved” in it.

“It has been very successful and it has been found to be a useful tool,” Ms Brown said.

She said there had also been plans to develop a Weaner Planner app but during the design phase it was determined to be “more complicated”.

“Because of the variables of the farming systems with cattle we were unable to take it further,” she said.

“Technology and apps are much better now and in the last six months there has been some consideration to incorporate it in an updated app or a new weaner app.”

Ms Brown said it may be a possibility for Meat and Livestock Australia to further the concept.