Western Australian sheep producer Allan Wilson invented the flock in your pocket app, MyMobTracker.
The flock in your pocket or the modern version of the old notebook in the ute is the new mobile phone app, My MobTracker.
When Katanning farmer Allan Wilson started looking around for a tool to help manage his sheep flock, and share that information with farm staff, he searched for an app to fit the bill.
When he found nothing suitable was available, he did what farmers do – he made one himself.
The result is MyMobTracker – a simple, accurate and easy to use web-based app that keeps track of stock movements, numbers and actions such as marking, joining, pregnancy scanning, condition scores and weaning.
It also tracks water quality and quantity, and automatically calculates stocking rates.
All sheep are identified according to the NLIS colour coded year, which is now standardised across Australia.
Possibly the most important element of MyMobTracker is the treatment section.
Using a drop-down menu which includes all chemical treatments available in Australia, farmers can record dips, drenches and vaccines, even down to the batch number.
In this era of traceability, MyMobTracker is a simple and accurate way to keep on top of treatment records.
The app also includes a sales and purchase function, to record stock bought and sold, and has the capacity to enter National Vendor Declaration codes to aid traceability.
A key feature of the app is that information input is date stamped to ensure data integrity.
And the reaction from sheep growers throughout Australia has been overwhelmingly positive.
Allan Wilson said one of the key features of MyMobTracker was its mobility and simplicity, and capacity to share recorded actions with other members of the farm business via mobile phone.
“MyMobTracker allows all farm staff to know exactly what’s happening in real time, and as principal, I will know what they have done, simply by viewing the activity log,’’ Mr Wilson said.
MyMobTracker is a web-based app that is backed up on-line through the website.
“That means even if there is no mobile coverage in the paddock, once there is connectivity again, it will automatically update the website, and the mobile phones of other users,’’ Mr Wilson said.
“So, even if a mobile phone is lost or dropped, or goes into the water trough, all information is still available and recorded.’’
MyMobTracker will be at the Henty Machinery Field Days on site 22A and is available for a free three-month trial period to ensure all potential users have an opportunity to make sure it works for them and their enterprise.