PET Livestock
PET- Livestock provides a means of estimating and explaining livestock body condition at the time of the mission. However, the true value of the process is identifying change in condition of the same herds and flocks in the same place over time; and/or differences between different herds and flocks in different areas at the same time. Therefore, the timing and frequency of assessment missions applying PET needs careful consideration and planning to make best use of the system.
Driving Transects - Travelling at a slow, steady speed, observers score individual animal’s body condition on a scale of 1 to 5, as seen through the windshield of a vehicle. At such a distance and speed*, the designated target area of each of the animals’ bodies as seen as the observer approaches or passes through groups of livestock, is matched against one of the five PET approach photo-indicators and the group scored according to the mode i.e. the most frequently occurring score of individuals in the group. In such a way, at this level, individuals are observed but the herds and flocks are scored, collectively. At the end of the transect, weighted averages calculated for each species and for each area traversed.
Walking Transects - On arrival at a designated area, or, an area of specific interest as determined by the results of the initial observations, or at predefined regular intervals, observers leave the vehicle and switch to walking transects which enables them to observe animals much more closely. Different classes of animals may now be identified and scored accurately using the close-up, photo-indicators to differentiate between the scores of for e.g. milking cows and dry cows. In each case animals are scored individually and weighted averages calculated.
These PET App Videos, which are step-by-step guides on how to use the different components of the app, provide insight into how the methodology works:
PET Livestock Walking Transect Video Guide
PET Livestock Driving Transect Video Guide
PET Livestock Hybrid Transect Video Guide
PET Forage - PET- Livestock also contains photo-indicators for rangeland forages, which can be used to estimate the dry matter yield of common grasses. This methodology follows that used by PET- Crops.
Key points:
- PET is a tool for rapid assessment using Optiumum Levels of Accuracy (OLA)
- As such speed of application, analysis and reporting is essential. The general scores for each species will differ from specific scores of classes of stock within species, but the scores should relate to one another in a way that can be explained by information received during the cases studied;
- The PET manual provides the formulae to be applied to assess condition and performance, but it is the rigour, consistency and stamina of the teams using the manual and associated methodology that makes the approach successful;
- PET- Livestock provides a means of estimating and explaining livestock body condition at the time of the mission. However, the true value of the process is identifying change in condition of the same herds and flocks in the same place over time and/or differences between different herds and flocks in different areas at the same time. Therefore, the timing and frequency of assessment missions applying PET needs careful consideration and planning to make best use of the system.
