Protection Farms -- mature units- population spread response

[Guest guest]

Thank you very much Rohita for such a very detailed

population analysis. I have done this many times and

am in basic agreement with your insights.

 

One point though is that at year 4 I would introduce

cows from outside to enable 3 cows to be milking in

all 4 years, not 3 as you have.

You seem to do this for the expedience of introducing

the home-bred cows when they reach 5 (is this not

late?).

 

So, my queries here are:

At what is the optimum age for cows to be impregnated?

At what age should we say the cows will die on

average?

At what age should the animals be retired?

 

We differ in the latter, I would have thought a 3-calf

life cycle and retirement at 14/15 would be OK, with

the oxen retiring at the same age. It seems premature

to retire them earlier.

My analysis is very utilitarian, sentimental reasons

must be balanced by usage. I am not out to work them

to death, but the cow protection equation, for me, is

protection for useful service. Whilst the latter

should not be maximixed it should be optimised.

Therefore, what is the optimum utilisation of these

animal recources?

 

 

I also think the average life age would be more like

20 years, though this depends on breed and care given

to the animals. It is also on the conservative side in

terms of financing.

 

Now that this model is more appreciated we can start

to look at expenses - land, labour and capital

employed, and therefore derive a more accurate costing

system.

 

More below:

 

 

> Ø Of course not all cows and bulls will live this

> long and some may live

> longer, but I believe this is a workable spreadsheet

> to calculate herd

> growth. I would like to have some experts look at

> it.

 

Yes, this is crucial. We need highly professional

development workers specialised in organic cultivation

and dairy, and ox-power to look very closely at the

system and its financing - to fully audit it and to

refine the system further. And we must not be scared

to pay hir the market rate for a fully professional

job.

 

 

> > Also, this spreadsheet assumes all cows are bred

> whenever they are capable

> of conceiving. As such there will be unlimited

> growth of the herd, which

> starts to grow exponentially at a certain point.

> Therefore, some limits to

> breeding must be put into the model for it to be

> truly workable. This would

> depend on the optimum herd size.

 

Yes, population control through breeding not

slaughter. We control the bull and breeding, therefore

we control population. Exponential growth means

exponential problems, unless in the bifurication

process each newly created herd unit is fully costed

and financed.

 

 

 

> Comment:

> Year one:

> Population: 4

> 4-yr-old bull ('A').

> Three 3-yr-old cows (bred)

>

>

> Year two:

> Population: 10

> 5-yr-old bull ('A').

> Three 4-yr-old cows (milking 365 days)

> Three 3-yr-old cows (bred)

> Three calves all female.

>

>

> Year three:

> Population: 16

> 6-yr-old bull ('A').

>

> Milk herd 9

> Three 5-yr-old cows (milking -730 but + 365 days)

> Three 4-yr-old cows (milking -365 days) and a

> Three 3-yr-old cows (bred)

>

> Young herd 6

> Three 1-yr-old heifers.

> Three calves; 2 female and 1 male.

>

>

> Year four: First year no new cows are introduced.

> Population: 19

> 7-yr-old bull ('A').

>

> Milk herd 9

> Three 6-yr-old cows (milking -1095 but +730)

> Three 5-yr-old cows (milking -730 but + 365 days)

> Three 4-yr-old cows (milking -365 days)

>

> Young herd 9

> Three 2-yr-old heifers (daughters of bull 'A').

> Two 1-yr-old heifers and a bullock (of bull 'A').

> Three calves; 2 male and 1 female (of bull 'A').

>

>

> Year five: Second year no new cows are introduced.

> Population: 22

> 8-yr-old bull ('A').

>

> Milk herd 9

> Three 7-yr-old cows (milking on 2nd lactation -365)

> Three 6-yr-old cows (milking -1095 but +730 days)

> Three 5-yr-old cows (milking -730 but + 365 days)

>

> Young herd 12

> Three 3-yr-old heifers (daughters of bull 'A')

> Two 2-yr-old heifers and a bullock (of bull 'A').

> Two 1-yr-old bullocks and a heifer (of bull 'A').

> Three calves; 2 female and 1 male (of bull 'A').

>

>

> Year six: Third year no new cows are introduced.

> Population: 25

> 9-yr-old bull ('A').

>

> Milk herd 9

> Three 8-yr-old cows (milking on 2nd lactation -730

> +365)

> Three 7-yr-old cows (milking on 2nd lactation -365)

> Three 6-yr-old cows (milking -1095 but +730 days)

>

> Young herd 15

> Three 4-yr-old heifers (daughters of bull 'A')

> Two 3-yr-old heifers and a bullock (of bull 'A').

> Two 2-yr-old bullocks and a heifer (of bull 'A').

> Two 1-yr-old heifers and a bullock (of bull 'A').

> Two bull calves and a heifer (of bull 'A').

>

>

> Year seven: Home bred heifers, bred to new three

> yr-old bull ('B').

> Population: 29

> Bull herd 2

> 10-yr-old bull ('A').

> 3-yr-old bull ('B')

>

> Milk herd 12

> Three 9-yr-old cows (milking on 2nd lactation -1095

> but +730 days)

> Three 8-yr-old cows (milking on 2nd lactation -730

> +365)

> Three 7-yr-old cows (milking on 2nd lactation -365)

> Three 5-yr-old heifers (daughters of bull 'A') (bred

> to bull 'B')

>

> Young herd 15

> Two 4-yr-old heifers and a bullock (of bull 'A').

> Two 3-yr-old bullocks and a heifer (of bull 'A').

> Two 2-yr-old heifers and a bullock (of bull 'A').

> Two 1-yr-old bullocks and a heifer (of bull 'A').

> Three calves; 2 female and 1 male (of bull 'A').

>

> Year eight: Home bred heifers calving. Bull ('A")

> castrated. Three cows

> retired.

> Population: 32

> Bull herd 1

> -One 4-yr-old bull ('B')

>

> Retired herd 4

> -One 11-yr-old bull ('A'), castrate and retire.

> -Three 10-yr-old cows (dry-up and retire).

>

> Milk herd 12

> -Three 9-yr-old cows (milking on 2nd lactation -1095

> but +730 days)

> -Three 8-yr-old cows (milking on 2nd lactation -730

> +365)

> -Three 6-yr-old cows (d. of bull 'A') (milking on

> 1st lactation -365)

> -Two 5-yr-old cows (d. of bull 'A') (bred to bull

> 'B').

> -One 4-yr-old cow (d. of bull 'A')(bred to bull 'B',

> to maintain quota of

> milkers.

>

> Oxen herd 4

> -One 5-yr-old bullock (doing light work)

> -Two 4-yr-old bullocks. (doing light work)

> -One 3-yr-old bullock (training).

>

> Young herd 11

> -Two 3-yr-old heifers (of bull 'A').

> -Two 2-yr-old bullocks and a heifer (of bull 'A').

> -Two 1-yr-old heifers and a bullock (of bull 'A').

> Three female calves (of bull 'B').

>

> Agricultural practices:

> 1. Prior to this time use of tractor to maintain

> fields and engage in

> hauling etc, with three oxen capable to do light

> work the tractor should be

> regulated to only heavy work. All raking, mowing and

> the operation of all

> mills should be done by oxen.

> 2. By the practice of rapid rotational grazing the

> fertility of the soil

> should be built up to a state where chemical

> fertilizers are no longer

> needed.

> 3. Feed lots should be non-stationary so that these

> areas can be moved

> seasonally, followed by crops planted in the old

> location.

> 4. Original fencing should be beginning to be

> replaced by permanent hedge

> rows of a variety of trees and shrubs; that can

> withstand the cows presence

> (holly etc.) and produce wood, flowers, fruits,

> herbs and nuts.

>

> Year nine:

> Population: 36

>

> Retired herd 7

> -12-yr-old bull ('A'), castrate and retire.

> -Three 11-yr-old cows (dry-up and retire)

> -Three 10-yr-old cows (dry-up and retire)

>

> Breeding bull 1

> -5-yr-old bull ('B')

>

> Milking herd 12

> -Three 9-yr-old cows (milking on 2nd lactation -1095

> +730 days). Was bred to

> bull 'A'.

>

> -Three 7-yr-old cows(d. of bull 'A')(milking on 2nd

> lactation -730 +365).

> Was bred to bull 'B'.

>

> -Two 6-yr-old cows & 5-yr-old cow(d. of bull

> 'A')(milking on 1st

> lactation -365). Was bred to bull 'B'.

>

>

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