New Technology: StockProtecta
Big innovations for simple solutions, Darling Downs producer Beau Skerrett, has developed a portable panel attachment for easier and safer livestock management in the yards
Oftentimes we come across a very simple solution to a universal problem and think, why didn’t I think of that? Well, for Darling Downs producer, Beau Skerrett, he did just that. Upon returning to Australia after some time spent training horses in Argentina, he went about setting up a round yard to break horses in. The round yard was never intended to be a permanent fixture, so Beau was looking for a temporary lightweight alternative to the heavy rubber traditionally used to line a round yard. Yet, no such alternative could be found.
That particular conundrum was around 15 years ago, fast forward to around three years ago, when Beau and wife Nicole moved to their property Blue Hills, located just outside of Warwick QLD, they again set about building cattle yards for their mob of angus cows and round yards for their horse breaking and training business, and still no lightweight alternative to the heavy cumbersome rubber could be found.
Though, this time Beau was in a position to do something about it. Alongside friend Rory, who just so happened to run an Australian owned business manufacturing recycled plastic goods, Beau set about putting together the early sketches for the first prototype of the StockProtecta.
What emerged from those sketches was a lightweight, durable attachment to a portable panel, made from recycled plastic. The StockProtecta will attach to any standard portable panel being 2400mm long and around 600mm high with specially designed features to prevent warping in the sun. Three StockProtectas can fill any portable panel, blocking out distractions and gaps for easy animal handling in cattle yards, sheep yards, loading ramps, round yards and more. Weighing in at just 8kg, and without the need for screws to affix them to panels, they are easy to move and rearrange for any yard set up.
The use-cases are endless for the StockProtecta. Beau and Rory have tested the StockProtecta for eight iterations of the design, making changes to perfect their suitability in practical situations on farm. They have been trialled by feedlots, cattle studs, and by Beau himself for his equine training set up. Simply lift and hook onto the panel rail, the StockProtecta can be rearranged to suit different livestock work in the yards, blocking the stock at eye level to minimise stressful handling in the yards, and to protect workers and even working dogs operating from outside of the portable panels, protecting them from wayward kicks.
By November 2023, Beau saw an opportunity to showcase the StockProtecta to the masses at one of the biggest meetings of cattle producers in Australia, Beef Week. Applications to the Evoke Ag Pitch in the Paddock were open, and Beau was one of just eight finalists who would get the opportunity to present their pitch at Beef Week 2024 in the hopes of winning $10,000 for their project. Beau came up against some tough competition, it was widely thought that Beau’s idea was the most simple and effective solution for a real on-farm problem. Though he was eventually pipped to the post by winning pitch, Agscent, the experience was immeasurable for Beau.
Now, Beau is ready to take the StockProtecta to market. We can’t wait to see this simple, effective, Australian solution become commonplace on farms across the country. If you would like to find out more, you can reach out to Beau directly via Skerrett Equestrian online.