Farming near Bridgnorth, shepherd Hayden Woolley has increased the efficiency and greatly reduced the labour hours and maintenance of his 4,000 ewes through better monitoring and data-led decision-making. The sheep graze over some 1,700 acres of parkland in the summer months across six different locations. During the winter, the flock is split across grazing on 15 arable farms.

Performance recording

Growing his sheep farming business over the past 25 years, Hayden’s biggest breakthroughs came after adopting the iLivestock platform to better understand what was working, and how he could improve.

Adopting the phone-based software back in 2020, Hayden started by using the data captured to monitor and measure the productivity of different breeds within his large flock. Already using an EID reader and weigh crate, iLivestock easily connected to both through the eWeigh weigh head, collating all the different elements of data into one place on his iPad and phone.

Hayden says, “Initially I was only collecting basic production data but was surprised how the information built up. Even though I was only recording the basics, such as scanning results, breed, age and weights.”

Recording the basics and building up the information

Exploring his growing database of stats, Hayden found that he could potentially create a more efficient farming system by swapping to a wool-shedding breed.

Gradually building up a highly comprehensive profile of individual animals, Hayden commented, “Each ewe is allocated a visual management tag corresponding to her EID, single sire mated, with lambs tagged as they’re born outdoors in April.

“We collect ewe weights at tupping and weaning, while tagged lambs with known parentage are weighed at eight weeks and weaning. This allows us to make comparisons under commercial farming conditions.”

“… time and management savings just too big to ignore.”

This detailed knowledge led Hayden to substantially reduce his labour costs, whist maintain productivity, as he explains, “My original EasyCare ewes averaged 62kg, which almost matched the output figures of my original New Zealand Romneys. When you consider the time and management savings of the EasyCares, this was just too big to ignore.”

Adding, “It’s been easy to gather the data as we complete routine tasks, and I’m getting a true picture of the risks and benefits these different breeds offer. I’m also starting to identify maternal and terminal traits needed for my flock, and shedding sheep in general.”

Hayden is also finding important differences in his imported New Zealand Wiltshire and Texel breeds, “The Wiltshire offers maternal characteristics and is very similar to the Romney, but without the wool and work requirements, whereas the Texel adds terminal traits shedding sheep lack.”

With iLivestock, “Licences only take moments to complete.”

Given the complex movement of so many sheep across Hayden’s summer and winter grazing, the iLivestock app also reduces the time spent on movement orders and admin, Hayden again, “All the information I need to complete movement licences is pre-populated in the movements section of the app, so licences only take moments to complete.”

Finally, adding, “My holdings, markets, vehicles, medicine stocks and customer locations are also saved in the app, making it easy to treat and move batches or individual animals.”

With less time spent on lost or inaccurate paperwork, there’s more time for the real job on the farm among his flock, and Hayden is keen to reap the rewards.

In 2020, Hayden adopted iLivestock Software to capture data and monitor breed productivity across his large flock

Original article featured in Shropshire Star Magazine | 'Managing data helping to streamline business' | November 2024

With a shared ownership of Sezincote Farms, near to Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire, together with his own smaller flock of Texels, Cotswold’s shepherd Sam McPherson uses iLivestock to improve the efficiency of his 1,000 strong organic ewe flock.

The flock, mainly of pedigree Lleyns and a smaller amount of Lleyn cross Texels, ranges over some 2,000 acres. Alongside the main flock, some 150 ewe hoggs, lamb from a New Zealand composite meat sire, the Innovis Primera tup.

Efficient and effective: better data means better decisions

Sam came across the iLivestock data management software in 2020, giving him a year’s free use of the phone-based app, as part of an Alligator equipment package. Today, Sam also uses the eWeigh system through the iLivestock monthly paid subscription service, and feels it’s invaluable to his operation.

“Recording and managing data electronically is far easier than doing it with paperwork…”

Operating an outdoor lambing system throughout April, Sam closely monitors lamb weights during finishing. Sam says, “We finish all the lambs on grass leys – including a mix of red clover and chicory – and a roots mix of vetch, oats, fodder rape, radish, and turnips.

“The cross-bred lambs are generally all gone by October, and the pure lambs are finished in time for the next lambing.”

With an average deadweight of around 22kg, all Sam’s lambs are finished on the farm, and, more recently, integrating the Texel breed to the Sezincote’s flock has meant the lambs finish quicker.

Helping to pick up problems early on

Regular weighing is accompanied by a firm culling policy. “We run a hard culling process to try and make it all as easy as possible. Anything that goes lame or has any lambing problems will be culled. We can’t have any stragglers in the system.

“The software captures all the weights and plots daily live weight gain, so we can usually see if something is wrong early,” adds Sam.

“Based on this, I can then do faecal egg counts to see if there is a problem with worms affecting lamb weight gain.”

Using health data to cull smarter

Crucially, it’s this careful weighing, monitoring and recording of data for more accurate and better decision-making that is helping to drive up the productivity of Sam’s operation, with iLivestock’s app delivering plenty of practical functionality. Capturing data on mastitis, lameness and birthing difficulties with a flexible flag system to highlight issues, making culling decisions more focussed, easier and faster.

Around medication too, the phone-based app affords easy access to critical information, helping to avoid errors and save time, as Sam explains, “The app is also really useful when I’m drawing lambs. The eTagReader vibrates if you scan a lamb which has had medication and is currently in its withdrawal period – alerting you that it can’t go for slaughter yet.”

Supporting farm assured inspections

Particularly important to organic flocks is the ability to prove their organic status during farm assurance inspections. This too is made quicker and easier with iLivestock data capture and recall. Plus, as Sam points out,

“Recording and managing data electronically is far easier than doing it with paperwork, and it can’t be lost as everything is stored in the cloud.”

Sam is in no doubt about the benefits of iLivestock to improving his overall flock health, and plans to continue using the system to support breeding and lambing, concluding, “I’d also like to increase the number of Lleyn cross Texels, and reduce the number of pure Lleyns, because the cross-bred lambs finish much quicker.”

Improving genetics and breed choice for greater profits

Adding, “By improving the genetics to get them away quicker, I can look at buying organic store lambs and finishing them for additional income after my own lambs have gone.”

Sam McPherson optimises his 1,000-ewe organic flock with iLivestock, improving weighing, health tracking and culling decisions.

Original article featured in Anglia Farmer Magazine | 'How Data Boosts Organic Sheep Productivity' | March 2025

iLivestock has expanded its livestock solutions portfolio with the launch of the iLivestock eWeighCell, a new weighing solution designed to help sheep farmers modernise existing analogue weigh crates—without replacing their current setup.

The eWeighCell installs directly into an existing crate structure, supporting the weight of the crate and livestock and connecting straight to a compatible digital weigh head for accurate weight capture of up to 300 kg (660 lbs). At its core is a load cell – the weighing sensor that measures weight by detecting the load applied to the crate and animals – allowing farmers to access digital weights while retaining their current equipment.

Designed for sheep systems, the eWeighCell is built for tough farm environments and repeated use. With a compact footprint and minimal modification required, it is ideally suited to upgrading older weighing setups that are incompatible with load bars.

Key features include:

• Converts analogue weigh crates into digital weighing solutions
• Supports the full crate load and delivers precise, repeatable weight readings
• Direct connection to compatible digital weigh heads for seamless data transfer
• Minimal installation and retrofit-friendly design
• Rated for loads up to 300 kg / 660 lbs
• No batteries or complex electronics in the load cell itself

How it works

Once connected to a digital weigh head, weight data can be synced to the iLivestock app, enabling farmers to monitor livestock performance and make more informed management decisions.

The iLivestock eWeighCell is available now.

Get in touch

Interested in how iLivestock supports innovation in livestock and agriculture? Learn more about our weighing solutions or contact us today. We’d be happy to start a conversation.

iLivestock has returned from UAE Scotland Week having strengthened relationships and explored new partnership and investment opportunities across the United Arab Emirates.

The four-day programme, held in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, brought together more than 35 Scottish organisations from agritech, energy transition, food and drink, technology and innovation sectors. UAE Scotland Week was led by Kate Forbes, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy & Gaelic, and supported by Scottish Development International, Scottish Enterprise, the GlobalScot network and the British Embassy UAE.

Representing iLivestock was Jamie Pugh, Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) and Co-Founder, who took part in agritech-focused meetings and roundtable discussions centred on food security, climate-resilient farming and the role of practical, data-driven livestock technology in future food systems.

A key highlight of the week was the Agritech Roundtable, chaired by the Deputy First Minister alongside The James Hutton Institute, which brought together Scottish and UAE government, industry and research leaders to explore collaboration on sustainable and climate-resilient food systems.

Engagements with UAE organisations, including agricultural producers and innovation centres, provided valuable insight into regional priorities and reinforced the growing demand for scalable, farmer-led technology that supports productivity, compliance and environmental sustainability.

Jamie Pugh said:

“UAE Scotland Week was a valuable opportunity to have direct, practical conversations with partners who share our focus on sustainable food production. The week reinforced the relevance of farmer-led, data-driven livestock technology in addressing global food security and resilience challenges.”

By taking part in UAE Scotland Week, iLivestock continues to build international relationships, explore new routes to market and position its technology to support livestock farmers in new global regions.

Video recap

Here’s a short video recap from the week:

UAE Scotland Week 2026 partners:

Get in touch

Interested in how iLivestock supports innovation in livestock and agriculture? We’d be happy to start a conversation.

iLivestock is taking part in UAE Scotland Week 2026, working in collaboration with the Scottish Government, Scottish Development International (SDI) and global partners to pursue new partnerships, investment opportunities and routes to market in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Running from 27 to 29 January 2026 in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, UAE Scotland Week connects Scottish businesses with UAE investors, government representatives and innovation leaders across priority sectors including agritech, energy transition, advanced manufacturing and technology.
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iLivestock’s participation reflects the growing global demand for innovative, sustainable solutions in livestock and food systems. The company is represented by Jamie Pugh, Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) and Co-Founder, who is engaging with potential UAE partners and investors as part of a programme of roundtables, one-to-one meetings and sector-led showcases.

UAE Scotland Week is led by Kate Forbes, Scottish Government Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy & Gaelic, and supported by Scottish Enterprise, SDI and the GlobalScot network. The initiative builds on momentum from Investopia Global, hosted in Edinburgh in December, and aims to help Scottish companies scale internationally while attracting inward investment.
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The UAE remains a strategically important market for Scotland, offering a stable business environment and access to fast-growing global markets. In 2023, the UAE was Scotland’s 16th largest export destination, with exports valued at £635 million.
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UAE Scotland Week has been developed in partnership with Investopia and the UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism, reinforcing shared ambitions around innovation, sustainability and long-term economic collaboration.
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By joining the delegation, iLivestock is positioning itself at the forefront of Scotland’s global trade efforts. Thereby, seeking to form meaningful partnerships, explore investment opportunities and bring its practical, farmer-led livestock technology to new international markets.

Get in touch

Interested in how iLivestock supports innovation in livestock and agriculture? We’d be happy to start a conversation.

iLivestock, the UK’s leading livestock management platform, and Ariat Europe, known for durable and comfortable workwear and footwear, have joined forces to give British farmers the tools and kit they can rely on, day in and day out.

Both brands share a commitment to supporting farmers with practical, innovative, performance-driven products that make things on the farm easier. iLivestock helps farmers manage key tasks—from weight recording and breeding to compliance and on-farm decision-making—more efficiently. Ariat is trusted for hard-wearing boots and workwear built to withstand long days outdoors and the unpredictable British weather.

“British farmers deserve products that can keep up with the demands of their work and won’t let them down,” said Yoni van Breukelen, Head of Marketing & Communications at iLivestock. “Partnering with Ariat, a name already well known on farms across the world, is a natural fit. We share a focus on work-ready, practical products, farmers can rely on every single day.”

As part of the partnership, the iLivestock team is now kitted out in Ariat Workwear as they travel around the globe, visiting farms, attending shows, and connecting with producers at markets. Ariat’s Work range, designed for tough outdoor environments, supports the team as they demonstrate iLivestock tools and speak directly with farmers.

“At Ariat, we’re committed to supporting the people who keep British agriculture moving by providing hardworking and durable workwear,” said Melanie Selman, European Marketing Manager at Ariat Europe. “Partnering with iLivestock allows us to stand alongside a company that shares our focus on practicality, innovation, and reliability. The agricultural community trust Ariat to deliver workwear that performs in all conditions, and together with iLivestock’s smart on-farm tools, we’re proud to champion solutions that make life easier for producers across the UK.”

Throughout 2026, the collaboration will be visible across online campaigns, co-branded events, farming shows, and on-farm demonstrations—all focused on championing reliable tools and workwear that meet the real, day-to-day needs of British farmers.

Start a conversation

Interested in partnering with iLivestock or learning how we support British farmers? We’d love to explore how we can work together.

2025 has been a defining year for iLivestock. Not because of one headline moment, but because of sustained progress across product development, industry engagement and real-world adoption. Over the past 12 months, iLivestock has continued to evolve from a fast-growing agri-tech platform into a trusted part of everyday livestock management for farmers, markets and industry partners.

Our end-of-year video captures the numbers. This article tells the story behind them.

Building software that works in the real world

Throughout 2025, our focus remained clear: build technology that reflects how livestock businesses actually operate.

This year saw nine major platform updates, including improved medicine management, advanced weighing, enhanced breeding functionality and greater reporting capability. We also delivered key industry and government integrations, including ScotEID and BCMS-CTS, alongside CSV animal uploads, Spanish-language support and a redesigned new-user journey.

Each update was shaped by user feedback and practical on-farm requirements — helping reduce admin, improve accuracy and support confident decision-making.

On the ground, across the industry

Technology only works when it’s understood and trusted. In 2025, the iLivestock team spent more time than ever on the ground, attending 42 livestock markets, shows and farm events across the UK.

From major agricultural shows such as the Royal Highland Show, Royal Welsh Show and Royal Cornwall Show, to specialist breed society events, NSA sheep events and weekly livestock markets, our presence reflected the breadth of the industry we serve.

This face-to-face engagement remains central to how we develop, support and improve the platform.

From adoption to everyday use

One of the strongest signals of progress in 2025 has been adoption at scale.

During the year, hundreds of thousands of animals were added to iLivestock by farmers, marts and livestock businesses using the platform as part of their day-to-day operations.

As usage grew, so did our investment in support and education. In 2025 alone, we published 50 support videos and 157 support articles, ensuring users can get the most from the platform with confidence.

Growing the team behind the platform

Behind the software is a growing team committed to supporting users and partners for the long term. In 2025, iLivestock welcomed four new team members, strengthening our capacity across development, support and delivery.

As the business has grown, we’ve also taken time to celebrate milestones together — recognising that sustainable growth is built by people as much as technology.

Independent recognition for innovation and impact

2025 also brought significant external recognition for iLivestock’s work and direction. During the year, we were proud to receive:

• Winner, Scotland Final of the KPMG UK Tech Innovation Competition
• Winner, Scotland’s Life Sciences Awards for: Global Export Impact & Innovation, and Animal Health, Agritech & Aquaculture
• FIGAN Technology Improvement Award for outstanding contribution to technological innovation
• Highly Commended, Digital & Technology, at the UK Government’s Made in the UK, Sold to the World Awards

These awards reflect not just innovation, but measurable impact across agriculture and livestock supply chains.

Laying the foundations for international growth

While remaining firmly rooted in UK livestock farming, 2025 also saw iLivestock take important steps internationally.

The team visited 13 countries across Europe, Africa and the Americas, supporting export growth, partnerships and market understanding. A new international office was opened during the year, alongside the launch of Spanish-language platform support.

These steps mark the foundations of long-term international growth, built carefully and responsibly.

Looking ahead

Everything achieved in 2025 has been driven by the farmers, markets, partners and stakeholders who use, challenge and shape iLivestock every day. Thank you for being part of the journey so far. Here’s to 2026!

Start a conversation

If you’d like to learn more about iLivestock, explore a partnership or start a conversation, we’d be glad to hear from you.

At iLivestock, we’re growing quickly, but we’re intentional about staying connected. That’s why we invest in a yearly Christmas get-together — a chance to step away from screens, slow things down, spend time together, and act silly, just because! And this year, we leaned into something that reflects where we’re heading as a business: going international.

On 12 December, colleagues travelled to Glasgow to do just that. With teams spread across countries and often working across time zones, days like this don’t happen by accident. They’re deliberate, and increasingly important as the company continues to scale.

The day began at Jungle Rumble, where mini-golf, darts, pizzas, and drinks broke the ice almost instantly. It was relaxed, noisy, and full of laughter. Teams were mixed up, titles quickly disappeared, and friendly competition (and questionable golf skills) took over.
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Later in the afternoon, the group moved to Malo for a wine flight and company update. This part of the day reflected iLivestock’s expanding international footprint, with wines from countries we’re already working with — and others we’ll be rolling out to next. From South Africa to Romania, the flavours sparked conversation, curiosity, and more than a few surprised reactions. The update offered time to pause, look back on the year, and reflect on what the team has achieved together. It was an impressive list. As the afternoon went on, silly hats and costumes made an appearance — a reminder that while iLivestock takes its work seriously, it doesn’t take itself too seriously.

The evening wrapped up at Gaucho, gathered around a long table over good food and easy conversation. Steak lovers were well catered for, and our vegetarians didn’t miss out either. The silliness continued, achievements were quietly celebrated, and plans for “round two” were made well beyond the official end time.

As iLivestock grows, days like this show the kind of company we want to be. One that puts people first, values connection, and keeps up momentum for what builds for the long term.

More information

Interested in working at iLivestock or learning more about the products we’re building? Visit our Careers page or get in touch with us by email — we’d love to hear from you.

Supporting farmers is central to everything we do at iLivestock. This year, we strengthened our commitment to customer support by expanding the tools available to help users get the most from the platform. A dedicated video support library has been created to guide farmers through every part of the software.

Whether you’re getting started during onboarding or exploring iLivestock before signing up, the library provides clear, step-by-step guidance to help you use the software effectively. The library now includes 50 support videos, with 25 available in English and 25 in Spanish. This sits alongside the iLivestock Help Centre, which contains over 100 articles, including a growing number available in Spanish, covering all core features of the platform.
Support doesn’t stop with self-service resources. Farmers can contact our team directly through the in-app messenger or speak to a dedicated UK-based support team by phone. This combination of practical guides and real human support ensures help is always available when it’s needed.

Watch our tutorials and visit the “Learn to use iLivestock” YouTube playlist

Step-by-step tutorials

To make learning even more accessible, our support tutorials are also available on YouTube. The “Learn to use iLivestock” playlist includes step-by-step videos covering everything from setting up your account and using key software features to getting the most from hardware tools such as eWeigh and readers. These videos are designed to make managing sheep and cattle simpler and easier to understand.

By building support around how farmers actually work, iLivestock offers one of the most complete and accessible support setups in the agricultural software industry — helping users spend less time figuring out software and more time focusing on their farm.

More information

Whether you’d like to learn more about our support videos or need a hand with iLivestock, we’d love to help. Give us a call at +44 1383 324 358, or email us at [email protected].

Adding large numbers of animals to iLivestock is now quicker and easier with the new CSV upload tool, available directly from the iLivestock dashboard.

The CSV upload tool allows farmers to import sheep, cattle, and groups in bulk, removing the need to add animals one by one. This is especially useful for larger farms or anyone getting started with iLivestock who already has livestock records stored elsewhere.

By uploading a simple CSV file, farmers can bring large volumes of livestock into iLivestock in just a few steps. Once uploaded, the data syncs with the mobile app, allowing livestock to be managed on both desktop and mobile.

Import Sheep, Cattle, and Groups

The CSV upload tool supports:

• Sheep imports
• Cattle imports
• Group imports, allowing animals to be assigned to groups in bulk

There are no limits on the number of animals or species you can upload. Farmers can also mass update animals, saving time when managing large herds or flocks.

Simple Step-by-Step Process

Uploading livestock follows a clear four-step process:

1. Get started from the iLivestock dashboard
2. Upload your CSV file
3. Match your columns to iLivestock fields
4. Import your data

An identifier is required for each animal, while all other details are optional. This gives farmers flexibility to upload as much or as little information as they have available, including breed, date of birth, weights, parentage, and notes.

Built For Everyday Use

The CSV upload tool has been designed to simplify onboarding and help farmers get up and running faster. It’s also useful for ongoing management, allowing records to be updated in bulk rather than individually.

This feature forms part of a wider set of improvements to the iLivestock dashboard, making it easier to manage livestock records alongside the mobile app. Together, they give farmers more control over their data and reduce time spent on admin.

More information

Whether you’d like to learn more about the CSV-import tool or need a hand with iLivestock, we’d love to help. Give us a call at +44 1383 324 358, or email us at [email protected].