Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-ndw9j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-03T05:42:05.214Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Bioeconomic modelling of compensatory growth for grass-based dairy calf-to-beef production systems

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 August 2013

A. ASHFIELD
Affiliation:
Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc, Grange, Dunsany, Co. Meath, Ireland School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
M. WALLACE
Affiliation:
School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
M. MCGEE
Affiliation:
Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc, Grange, Dunsany, Co. Meath, Ireland
P. CROSSON*
Affiliation:
Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc, Grange, Dunsany, Co. Meath, Ireland
*
*To whom all correspondence should be addressed. Email: [email protected]

Summary

Feed makes up c. 0·7 of total variable costs on Irish beef farms. A period of reduced growth (caused by nutritional restriction) followed by a period of accelerated growth (compensatory growth) can be used to take advantage of lower cost feedstuffs (grazed grass) during the grazing season. The Grange Dairy Beef Systems Model (GDBSM) was modified to capture more accurately the implications of compensatory growth and, thus, the energy demand of beef cattle was partitioned into energy required for maintenance and energy required for growth. For the current study, three production systems were evaluated where the male progeny of dairy cows were finished as steers at 24 (S24), 28 (S28) and 30 (S30) months of age. Three different live weight gains (RESLWG; 0·4, 0·6 and 0·8 kg/day), reflecting different levels of nutritional restriction, were simulated during the first winter feeding period (November–February) for S24 and during the second winter feeding period for S28 and S30. This allowed the effect of different live weight gains during a nutritional restriction period on farm profitability to be determined. Results indicated that for S24 the most profitable RESLWG was 0·6 kg/day. However, for S28 and S30 the most profitable systems were RESLWG of 0·4 kg/day. Financial performance of all systems was very sensitive to variation in beef carcass and calf prices but less sensitive to concentrate and fertilizer price variation. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis showed that the level of maintenance energy reduction and the duration of this reduction had a modest impact on results. The GDBSM is demonstrated as a quantitative framework for simulating compensatory growth and determining its effects on the profitability of dairy calf-to-beef production systems.

Type
Modelling Animal Systems Research Papers
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

AIM (2012). AIM Bovine Statistics Report 2011. Dublin: Department of Agriculture and Food.Google Scholar
Andersen, B. B. (1980). Feeding trials describing net requirements for maintenance as dependent on weight, feeding level, sex and genotype. Annales de Zootechnie 29, 8592.Google Scholar
Ashfield, A., Crosson, P. & Wallace, M. (2013). Simulation modelling of temperate grassland based dairy calf to beef production systems. Agricultural Systems 115, 4150.Google Scholar
BORD BIA (2012). Cattle Trade and Prices Average for 2011. Dublin: Bord Bia. Available from: http://www.bordbia.ie/industryservices/information/cattle/pages/default.aspx (verified 22 February 2012).Google Scholar
Butler, A. M. (2006). Development and use of the Irish dairy systems optimising model for two contrasting production environments under a range of policy and development scenarios. Ph.D. Thesis, University College Dublin, Ireland.Google Scholar
Coulter, B. S. & Lalor, S. (2008). Major and Micro Nutrient Advice for Productive Agricultural Crops. Johnstown Castle, Co. Wexford, Ireland: Teagasc.Google Scholar
Crosson, P., Rotz, C. A. & Sanderson, M. A. (2007). Conversion from corn to grassland provides economic and environmental benefits to a Maryland beef farm. Forage and Grazinglands doi: 10.1094/FG-2007-0119-01-RS.Google Scholar
Crosson, P., Mcgee, M. & Drennan, M. J. (2009). The economic impact of turnout date to pasture in spring of yearling cattle on suckler beef farms (summary). In Proceedings of the Agricultural Research Forum 2009, p. 77. Tullamore, Ireland: Agricultural Research Forum.Google Scholar
Crowley, A. M., Keane, M. G., Agabriel, J. & O'MARA, F. P. (2002). Prediction of net energy requirements of beef cattle (summary). In Proceedings of the Agricultural Research Forum, p. 19. Tullamore, Ireland: Agricultural Research Forum.Google Scholar
CSO (2012). Agricultural Price Indices December and Year 2011. Dublin: Central Statistics Office. Available from: http://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/prices/archive/releasearchive2011/ (verified 22 February 2012).Google Scholar
DAF (2000). Agri-Environmental Specification for REPS 2000. Dublin: Department of Agriculture and Food.Google Scholar
DAF (2008). Explanatory Handbook for Good Agricultural Practice Regulations. Dublin: Department of Agriculture and Food.Google Scholar
Drennan, M. J. (1979). Compensatory growth in cattle 1. Influence of feeding level during the first winter (9 to 14 months of age) on subsequent performance and carcass composition. Irish Journal of Agricultural Research 18, 131143.Google Scholar
Drennan, M. J. & Harte, F. J. (1979). Compensatory growth in cattle 2. Influence of growth rate in the calf stage (birth to 8 months) and during the first winter (8 to 13 months) on subsequent performance and carcass composition. Irish Journal of Agricultural Research 18, 145156.Google Scholar
Drennan, M. J., Carson, A. F. & Crosse, S. (2005). Overview of animal production from pastures in Ireland. In Utilisation of Grazed Grass in Temperate Animal Systems: Proceedings of a Satellite Workshop of the XXth International Grassland Congress, Cork, Ireland, July 2005 (Ed. Murphy, J. J.), pp. 1935. Wageningen, The Netherlands: Wageningen Academic Publishers.Google Scholar
Drouillard, J. S., Ferrell, C. L., Klopfenstein, T. J. & Britton, R. A. (1991). Compensatory growth following metabolizable protein or energy restrictions in beef systems. Journal of Animal Science 69, 811818.Google Scholar
European Commission (2010). The Common Agricultural Policy after 2013 – Public Debate. Summary Report. Brussels: EU Publications Office. Available from: http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/cap-post-2013/debate/report/summary-report_en.pdf (verified 28 November 2012).Google Scholar
Finneran, E., Crosson, P., O'kiely, P., Shalloo, L., Forristal, D. & Wallace, M. (2010). Simulation modelling of the cost of producing and utilising feeds for ruminants on Irish farms. Journal of Farm Management 14, 95116.Google Scholar
Finneran, E., Crosson, P., O'kiely, P., Shalloo, L., Forristal, D. & Wallace, M. (2012). Stochastic simulation of the cost of home produced feeds for ruminant livestock systems. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 150, 123139.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hennessy, T., Kinsella, A., Moran, B. & Quinlan, G. (2012). National Farm Survey 2011. Dublin: Teagasc.Google Scholar
Hoch, T. & Agabriel, J. (2004). A mechanistic dynamic model to estimate beef cattle growth and body composition: 1. Model description. Agricultural Systems 81, 115.Google Scholar
Hornick, J. L., Van Eenaeme, C., Clinquart, A., Diez, M. & Istasse, L. (1998). Different periods of feed restriction before compensatory growth in Belgian Blue bulls: I. Animal performance, nitrogen balance, meat characteristics, and fat composition. Journal of Animal Science 76, 249259.Google Scholar
Hornick, J. L., Van Eenaeme, C., Gérard, O., Dufrasne, I. & Istasse, L. (2000). Mechanisms of reduced and compensatory growth. Domestic Animal Endocrinology 19, 121132.Google Scholar
INRA (2003). INRAtion 3.22. Software Package to Calculate Diets for Cattle, Sheep and Goats. Paris, France: INRA. Available from: http://www.inration.educagri.fr (verified 11/10/2011).Google Scholar
Jarrige, R. (1989). Ruminant Nutrition. Recommended Allowances and Feed Tables. London: John Libbey Eurotext.Google Scholar
Keane, M. G. (2002). Response in Weanlings to Supplementary Concentrates in Winter and Subsequent Performance. Occasional Series No 4. Grange Research Centre, Dunsany, Co. Meath, Ireland: Teagasc.Google Scholar
Keane, M. G. & Drennan, M. J. (1994). Effects of winter supplementary concentrate level on the performance of steers slaughtered immediately or following a period at pasture. Irish Journal of Agricultural and Food Research 33, 111119.Google Scholar
Keane, M. G., O'riordan, E. G. & O'kiely, P. (2009). Dairy Calf-to-Beef Production Systems. Dublin: Teagasc.Google Scholar
Ledger, H. P. & Sayers, A. R. (1977). The utilization of dietary energy by steers during food intake and subsequent realimentation 1. The effect of time on the maintenance requirements of steers held at constant live weight. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 88, 1126.Google Scholar
Mayne, C. S. & O'kiely, P. (2005). An overview of silage production and utilisation in Ireland (1950–2005). In Silage Production and Utilisation, Proceedings of the XIVth International Silage Conference (a Satellite Workshop of the XXth International Grassland Congress) (Eds Park, R. S. & Stronge, M. D.), pp. 1934. Wageningen, The Netherlands: Wageningen Academic Publishers.Google Scholar
Nielsen, B. K., Kristensen, A. R. & Thamsborg, S. M. (2004). Optimal decisions in organic steer production – a model including winter feed level, grazing strategy and slaughtering policy. Livestock Production Science 88, 239250.Google Scholar
NRC (2000). Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle. 7th edn. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.Google Scholar
O'donovan, T. & O'mahony, J. (2012). Crops Costs and Returns 2012. Oak Park, Co. Carlow, Ireland: Teagasc.Google Scholar
O'kiely, P. (2004). Rates of change in yield and digestibility of grasses grown for silage (summary). In Proceedings of the Agricultural Research Forum, p. 51. Tullamore, Ireland: Agricultural Research Forum.Google Scholar
O'mara, F. P., Caffrey, P. J. & Drennan, M. J. (1997). Net energy values of grass silage determined from comparative feeding trials (abstract). Irish Journal of Agricultural Food Research 36, 110.Google Scholar
Peel, D. S. (2003). Beef cattle growing and backgrounding programs. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Food Animal Practice 19, 365385.Google ScholarPubMed
Ryan, W. J. (1990). Compensatory growth in cattle and sheep. Nutrition Abstracts and Reviews. Series B, Livestock Feeds and Feeding 60, 653664.Google Scholar
Ryan, W. J., Williams, I. H. & Moir, R. J. (1993). Compensatory growth in sheep and cattle. II. Changes in body composition and tissue weights. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 44, 16231633.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sainz, R. D., De La Torre, F. & Oltjen, J. W. (1995). Compensatory growth and carcass quality in growth-restricted and refed beef steers. Journal of Animal Science 73, 29712979.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Swinbank, A. & Daugbjerg, C. (2006). The 2003 CAP reform: accommodating WTO pressures. Comparative European Politics 4, 4764.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thomson, E. F., Gingins, M., Blum, J. W., Bickel, H. & Schürch, A. (1980). Energy metabolism of sheep during nutritional limitation and realimentation. In Energy Metabolism. Proceedings of the Eighth Symposium on Energy Metabolism held at Churchill College, Cambridge, September 1979 (Ed. Mount, L. E.), pp. 427430. London, UK: Butterworths.Google Scholar
VSN International (2011) Genstat 14. Version 14.1. Hemel Hempstead, UK: VSN International.Google Scholar
Wright, I. A., Russel, A. J. F. & Hunter, E. A. (1989). Compensatory growth in cattle grazing different vegetation types. Animal Production 48, 4350.Google Scholar
Yambayamba, E. S. K., Price, M. A. & Foxcroft, G. R. (1996). Hormonal status, metabolic changes, and resting metabolic rate in beef heifers undergoing compensatory growth. Journal of Animal Science 74, 5769.Google Scholar