A computerised method of pasture planning

Abstract

Analysis has shown that economies in feed costs provide the dairyman with the best opportunity for increasing financial efficiency. The nutritional requirements of the cow have been accurately determined. Feed analysis and relative costs have also been ascertained for most feedsluffs available. The task of matching the cow's requirements from the sources of supply appears deceptively easy but is difficult in practice as the apparently simple problem soon evolves into a complex set of simultaneous equations. This paper describes a computerised method of obtaining a minimum cost feeding programme for a dairy herd in terms of the prevailing restrictions imposed.

Keywords: nutritional requirements|dairy farming|milk yields|Natal|animals|cows|pastures|economic analyses|feed costs|analyses|methods|planning|dairy cows