What does the cattle weight gain tracker calculate?

It records the starting and current weights, then provides Days on Feed, Total Gain (kg), ADG (kg/day), Performance Status and Estimated Value ($). The estimate uses the current weight multiplied by the Sale Price ($/kg) entered in the log.

Can I use this template for NLIS records?

Use the Tag ID (NLIS) column to identify animals in your management records, but do not rely on the workbook as your official NLIS movement record. Cattle movements still need to be handled through the relevant Australian NLIS system, and NVD paperwork must be retained where required.

How is ADG worked out in the spreadsheet?

ADG is the total weight gain divided by the days between Date In and Weigh Date. A steer gaining 92 kg over 160 days records 0.575 kg/day, so check both dates carefully before acting on the Performance Status.

Can I track cattle in different paddocks?

Yes. Enter each animal's location in the Paddock column, such as North Paddock, River Flat or Back Block. You can then filter the Cattle Weight Log to compare animals or groups, while keeping the NLIS tag as the individual identifier.

Is Estimated Value the price I will receive at sale?

No. It is a working liveweight estimate based on Current Weight (kg) and Sale Price ($/kg). A 450 kg animal at $3.60/kg gives $1,620 before freight, deductions, dressing percentage, grid results or other sale adjustments.

How often should I weigh cattle?

Use a consistent interval suited to your operation and decision, commonly 30 to 60 days for a meaningful growth comparison. Weighing under similar conditions matters because gut fill, water intake and yarding can create short-term changes that are not genuine weight gain.

Inventory & Purchasing

Cattle Weight Gain Tracker Excel - Free Template

Track NLIS-tagged cattle, weight gain, ADG, target performance and estimated sale value across paddocks in an Australian Excel log.

2026-07-15

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Screenshot 1: Cattle Weight Log tab - Excel template cattle weight gain tracker excel template australia

This cattle weight gain tracker Excel template records each animal's NLIS tag, breed, paddock, starting and current weight, days on feed, total gain, ADG, target ADG, performance status and estimated sale value. It is designed for Australian beef producers monitoring herd performance between weigh-ins.

Enter the yellow input cells on the Cattle Weight Log sheet and use the Summary Dashboard to review results across the mob. Image 1 shows the log's 14 columns, while image 2 shows the dashboard layout for a quick management view.

The key benefits of this Excel template

See each animal's total weight gain and average daily gain without calculating the figures by hand.
Compare actual ADG with a target ADG and identify cattle that need a closer look before the next weigh-in.
Filter records by NLIS tag, breed or paddock when deciding which group needs feed, treatment or a management change.
Estimate sale value from live weight and sale price per kilogram, such as 420 kg at $3.80/kg producing an estimated $1,596.
Keep starting weights, weigh dates and days on feed together so you can compare a feeding period consistently.
Use the Summary Dashboard to review herd-level results instead of scanning every animal in the log.
Replace the sample cattle with your own records while retaining a clear, colour-coded layout for regular weigh days.

Step-by-step guide

Open the Cattle Weight Log sheet and replace the sample rows with your own cattle records. Keep each animal's NLIS tag in the Tag ID (NLIS) column so the row can be matched to your yard or property records.
Enter the breed and paddock, then record the Date In and Initial Weight (kg). Use the same weighing method and equipment where possible, because gut fill and scales can distort a short comparison.
On each weigh day, enter the Weigh Date and Current Weight (kg). For example, a steer moving from 320 kg to 412 kg has gained 92 kg.
Set the Target ADG (kg/day) for the group or individual. Use a realistic target for the cattle type, feed supply and market plan rather than copying a figure from a different season.
Enter the Sale Price ($/kg) you are using for the estimate. The Estimated Value ($) column then gives you a working value based on current weight and the entered price.
Review Total Gain, ADG and Performance Status after each weigh-in. Investigate an unusually low result before changing the ration, moving cattle or making a sale decision.
Open Summary Dashboard for the overall picture and save a dated copy after major weigh days. Keep the original template unchanged so it remains available for the next mob.

Screenshot 2: Summary Dashboard tab - Excel template cattle weight gain tracker excel template australia — Figure 2: Worksheet "Summary Dashboard"

What is included

NLIS tag tracking with a dedicated Tag ID (NLIS) column for identifying individual cattle.

Breed and paddock fields that let you compare performance between Angus, Hereford, Brahman, Droughtmaster and other groups.

Date In, Initial Weight (kg), Weigh Date and Current Weight (kg) fields for tracking a defined feeding or grazing period.

Calculated Total Gain (kg), Days on Feed and ADG (kg/day) fields for measuring progress between weigh-ins.

Target ADG (kg/day) and Performance Status fields for comparing actual growth with your management target.

Sale Price ($/kg) and Estimated Value ($) columns for a practical liveweight value estimate.

A Summary Dashboard sheet and separate Instructions sheet, with teal headers, pale input cells and readable table formatting.

Who uses this cattle weight gain Excel template in Australia

A cattle producer usually opens this spreadsheet on weigh day, not at tax time. It suits a family beef operation checking a backgrounding mob, a feedlot manager reviewing induction groups, or a station overseer comparing paddocks before the next rotation. The useful question is whether the cattle are converting feed and pasture into saleable kilograms at the rate you expected.

Using the log between weigh-ins

Image 1 shows the Cattle Weight Log with Tag ID (NLIS), Breed, Paddock, Date In, Initial Weight (kg), Weigh Date and Current Weight (kg) across the first part of the table. The later columns calculate or record Days on Feed, Total Gain (kg), ADG (kg/day), Target ADG (kg/day), Performance Status, Sale Price ($/kg) and Estimated Value ($).

For example, a steer entering at 320 kg and weighing 412 kg has gained 92 kg. If the period is 160 days, the ADG is 0.575 kg/day; at an assumed $3.80/kg, its estimated value is $1,565.60. That is a more useful management figure than simply saying the animal is going well.

Comparing paddocks and groups

A small producer can sort the log by Paddock and see whether North Paddock is outperforming the Back Block. A manager with 300 cattle can use the same row structure, provided each animal has one consistent record and weigh dates are entered correctly.

Image 2, the Summary Dashboard, is the place to look for the broad result after entry. Use the individual log when deciding what to do with one animal; use the dashboard when reviewing a mob, feeding period or paddock. For a four-employee chippie there is a roster; for a cattle business, this is the practical weekly or fortnightly performance check.

Screenshot 3: Instructions tab - Excel template cattle weight gain tracker excel template australia — Figure 3: Worksheet "Instructions"

Australian cattle identification and record requirements

This spreadsheet is a management tool, not a replacement for Australia's livestock traceability records. Cattle generally need an approved electronic NLIS ear tag before they leave a property, and movements must be recorded on the NLIS database using the relevant property identification details. The exact process is handled through the state or territory NLIS system.

Keep the NLIS and movement trail separate

The Tag ID (NLIS) column should contain the tag number exactly as shown on the animal's electronic tag. Do not use a paddock name as the identifier. If NLIS-4021 moves from North Paddock to River Flat, update the management record carefully, but retain the movement evidence required by your state system and property records.

When cattle are consigned, the National Vendor Declaration (NVD) carries information about the animals, treatments and food-safety declarations. A weight tracker does not prove an NVD was completed, a movement was uploaded or a chemical withholding period was met. Keep those records with your livestock paperwork and the spreadsheet as supporting management information.

Using weight figures for sale decisions

Estimated Value ($) is a calculation, not a guaranteed invoice amount. A 450 kg animal at $3.60/kg gives $1,620 before any adjustments, deductions, freight, dressing percentage or grid penalties. Liveweight, carcase weight and saleable value are different measures, so do not treat the cell as a final market settlement.

For a defensible comparison, weigh cattle under a repeatable routine and record the date. A 20 kg change over a two-day gap may reflect gut fill rather than real growth. The technical preference here is to compare groups over a meaningful interval, such as 30 to 60 days, rather than making a management decision from one noisy reading.

Where cattle performance records go wrong and what it costs

The most expensive mistakes are often small entry errors repeated across a mob. A swapped digit in an NLIS tag can attach a strong animal's history to the wrong row, while entering 45 instead of 445 kg can make one animal look catastrophically underweight and distort the group review.

Wrong dates produce misleading ADG

ADG relies on both the weight change and the number of days between Date In and Weigh Date. If a 320 kg steer reaches 412 kg in 160 days, the result is 0.575 kg/day. Entering 16 days instead produces 5.75 kg/day, which could prompt a manager to increase feed or hold cattle that are already on track.

Another common problem is mixing scales or weighing conditions. A mob weighed straight off lush pasture may show a different result from the same mob after yarding and a controlled wait. If a 100-head group is overestimated by 15 kg each and the assumed value is $3.80/kg, the paper value is overstated by $5,700. That can affect sale timing and cash-flow planning.

Sale price assumptions can hide a weak result

Entering an optimistic $4.20/kg when the likely price is $3.60/kg adds $270 to the estimate of a 450 kg animal. Across 80 head, that gap is $21,600. Use a conservative working price and change it when your agent, processor or market report gives you a better basis.

Do not delete poor performers just because they make the dashboard look untidy. A low-status row is useful evidence: check health, teeth, genetics, water, pasture allocation and tag accuracy before deciding whether to cull, move or treat. The spreadsheet flags a result; it does not diagnose the cause.

Make the cattle weight log part of your property routine

The template works best when it is attached to an existing yard routine. Choose one person to enter weights on the same day the cattle are drafted or weighed, then save a dated copy after the figures have been checked. A five-minute review of 40 rows is easier than reconstructing six months of figures from notebooks and sale dockets.

Set a repeatable weigh-day process

Prepare the scale, NLIS reader and a printed or offline copy of the tag list before cattle enter the yards.
Enter weights in one sitting, then check the lightest and heaviest rows for misplaced decimal points or tag numbers.
Keep the target ADG and sale price assumptions visible, and record why you changed them when feed or market conditions shift.
Save files using a clear name such as Mob_A_2026-07-10.xlsx so earlier weigh days can be compared.

Know when Excel has reached its limit

For one or several mobs, Excel is a sensible low-cost starting point. Use filters and, if you extend the workbook, data validation for Breed and Paddock so entries stay consistent. A 300-head operation with monthly weigh-ins creates 3,600 animal records a year if you keep one row per animal per month, so disciplined file naming and backups matter.

Move to livestock software or a system such as Xero alongside a dedicated herd platform when multiple staff need simultaneous access, you require automatic NLIS integration, or you are maintaining thousands of historical measurements. Keep this workbook as an export or review tool rather than forcing a simple log to handle traceability, treatments, feed costs and sales all at once.

That simple log still pairs well with a head count sheet when you need a quick cross-check on animals, treatments, feed costs and sales without turning it into full herd software.

Frequently asked questions about this template

It records the starting and current weights, then provides Days on Feed, Total Gain (kg), ADG (kg/day), Performance Status and Estimated Value ($). The estimate uses the current weight multiplied by the Sale Price ($/kg) entered in the log.
Use the Tag ID (NLIS) column to identify animals in your management records, but do not rely on the workbook as your official NLIS movement record. Cattle movements still need to be handled through the relevant Australian NLIS system, and NVD paperwork must be retained where required.
ADG is the total weight gain divided by the days between Date In and Weigh Date. A steer gaining 92 kg over 160 days records 0.575 kg/day, so check both dates carefully before acting on the Performance Status.
Yes. Enter each animal's location in the Paddock column, such as North Paddock, River Flat or Back Block. You can then filter the Cattle Weight Log to compare animals or groups, while keeping the NLIS tag as the individual identifier.
No. It is a working liveweight estimate based on Current Weight (kg) and Sale Price ($/kg). A 450 kg animal at $3.60/kg gives $1,620 before freight, deductions, dressing percentage, grid results or other sale adjustments.
Use a consistent interval suited to your operation and decision, commonly 30 to 60 days for a meaningful growth comparison. Weighing under similar conditions matters because gut fill, water intake and yarding can create short-term changes that are not genuine weight gain.