36 NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN January 2025 Technology-Driven Solutions for the SYDNEY WELLSANDT | NEBRASKA BEEF INDUSTRY SCHOLAR STUDENT Nebraska Beef Summit attendees were joined by Eric Behlke, DVM, veterinarian at Feedlot Health Management Services and one of the founding partners of Blackshirt Feeders, for his presentation, “Future Design and Use of Technologies in the Feedlot Industry.” Behlke began the presentation by providing background on TELUS Agriculture. TELUS, a Canadian telecommunications company, sought to make a meaningful investment in society, which led to the creation of TELUS Health and a nationwide digital medical reference system. Building on this initiative, TELUS turned its focus to agriculture, launching TELUS Agriculture, a subscription-based service aimed to enhance communication and connect traceability across the entire production cycle. Behlke works within the animal agriculture business unit, collaborating with a team of veterinarians to deliver animal health consultation and nutrition services. His role relies heavily on the company’s use of the following advanced digital solutions and technologies. TELUS FEEDLOT RECORD MANAGEMENT When an animal arrives in a feedlot, everything that happens to that animal is recorded through chute-side data-collection software. These records include vaccinations, antibiotics, dosage amounts, illness occurrences and treatments administered. If there are digital cow-calf records for the animal, they can be matched with feedlot records. Those records stay with that animal digitally until it is harvested. TELUS DIGITAL ANIMAL POST MORTEM When an animal dies, the feedlot crew performs a prosection, dissecting organs from the carcass and arranging them in a specific orientation for a photo. These photos are then analyzed by a licensed veterinarian to determine the cause of death. The entire process is completed through an online platform with a 24-hour turnaround, providing feedlot owners or managers with quick insights into the cause of death. The software also enables producers to track records by pen and lot, helping to identify disease outbreaks early and prevent further spread. TELUS DYNAMIC SORTING The sorting algorithm uses AI to analyze the entire cattle population in real time, sorting them efficiently based on weight distribution. This system allows producers to create subpopulations of cattle with varying average daily gains and marketing endpoints. PUTTING TECHNOLOGY INTO ACTION Behlke has come full circle as one of the founding partner of Blackshirt Feeders, a feedlot with a planned capacity of 150,000 head. Located on 660 acres near Haigler, Blackshirt Blackshirt Feeders has been constructed as a state-of-the-art facility in the southwest corner of Nebraska. Feedlot Industry PRODUCTION
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