MOOTERNAL: The impact of maternal investment on calf productivity and survival
Reducing calf loss has been identified as a research priority for the northern beef industry. There are a number of potential causes of calf loss, including poor mothering by cows. The intricacies of maternal investment, particularly in extensive grazing environments, remains poorly understood.
The Mooternal Project, is led by Central Queensland University (CQU), in collaboration with the Northern Territory Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (NT DAF) and funded by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA). The project will span five years, commencing in 2025 and aims to improve calf survival and productivity by developing a deeper understanding around maternal investment, and how it can be optimised in northern Australia. NT DAF will be conducting the project’s northern fieldwork on Katherine Research Station and Manbulloo Station initially, with plans to test the developed algorithms and technology on commercial properties once they are developed.
Mooternal will progress the tools and systems required to develop the knowledge and understanding necessary to answer two key questions:
- How does maternal behaviour impact on calf loss?
- How does maternal behaviour impact on calf productivity?
In doing this, the project will identify opportunities for management interventions that can optimise calf survival and productivity outcomes.
This project looks to develop the emerging commercially available sensors and systems to enable producers to identify and overcome the key causes of calf loss in their herds. Data generated by sensor systems will enable producers to develop insights into their own herd’s maternal investment, as well as enabling data-driven interventions on their own property.
The Mooternal project commences in 2025 with initial results to be reported after the first deployment of technology in mid-2026.
Further project updates will be published on FutureBeef.
Who to contact if you want to know more?
NT DAF Project lead:
Christie Pearson (Livestock Research Officer)
P: 08 973 8476
M: 0448 541 080
CQU project lead:
Anita Chang (Senior Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Precision Livestock Management)
M: 0416036998