Protection Farms -- mature units - part one assumptions

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Pancaratna ACBSP <Pancaratna.ACBSP (AT) pamho (DOT) net>

mark chatburn <markjon11 >; Cow (Protection and related issues)

<Cow (AT) pamho (DOT) net>

Sunday, March 11, 2001 7:21 PM

Re: Protection Farms -- mature units

 

Ø Dandavad. Prabhupada kijaya!

>

> Mark wrote:

>

> > Also is a continuous loop of animals being born and

> > dying. You should remember that I teach Geography, so

> > this is all to do with population dynamics.

> > If 3 calves are born each year, then after 20 years

> > the first 3 cows will now be 20 and will be ready to

> > die, if not already dead. So at year 20 (average

> > (depends on species and breed)) the herd will mature

> > as the new 3 calves will replace the oldest cows, so

> > the population will not increase more, but stay the

> > same. The population should be 60 cows - 3 cows in

> > each year form 0 to 20.

>

Ø Pancaratna das

> I am confused by your math. The new calves would not all be female so they

> could not replace the female cows. I assume therefore that there are

> actually six animals born of which three are female. Also, since your

three

> cows are milking for four years and the heifers are generally not bred

until

> they are 3 years old, how can you add 3 calves each year? I would like to

> see a a spreadsheet showing the actual development of the herd over time.

I

> made my own (see attached). By my calculation, based on the following:

>

> a) Start with 3 cows (3 years old), 2 heifers, 1 bull calf, 1 bull

> b) Breed heifers when they are 3 years old

> c) Breed milking cows every 5th year (4 year lactation)

> d) retire cows after 12 years

> e) cows die after 20 years

 

Comment:

Assumptions:

1. That we have proper (willing to take on the responsibility) well trained

persons (who have worked with animals on a day to day basis for at least

three years and who have shown they are capable) to act as milkers and

teamsters to care for the animals produced.

2. We are dealing with a breed of cow that matures at six years. Bos taurus

breeds mature at this age, Bos indicus and its first generation crosses do

not mature until nine years.

3. That the breed we are dealing with has a sex ratio of 1::1. Young bulls

give a ratio 6 females :: 1 male, as the bull reaches maturity the ratio

approaches 1::1. This fits the Bos taurus breeds the Bos indicus and first

generation crosses have a ratio of male to female of 3:1.

4. That the breed in question is capable, given the proper feeding of forage

from highly productive land, of milking for a lactation period of four

years.

5. A bull should not be used for breeding before it is four years old; that

by the time this bull is six years old he can be use on no more than twenty

cows per season. That the bull shall be retired at the age of ten. This fits

the Bos taurus pattern, Bos indicus and crosses push maturity back three

more years - so they can not do heavy work until nine and can be worked

until 13. Same applies for cows. Their life span is longer, with the calves

taking longer to develop.

6. All animals introduced into the herd should not be related any closer

than same ancestry four generations back.

7. Because we are not familiar at this time with the bloodlines of our

animals in question, the bull should be replaced by another bull of

unrelated heritage, beginning with the first bulls daughters who should not

be bred until they are five years old. If the herd we are working with has

been under the same breeding management for more than four generations of

animals and experienced breeder can with discretion practice some inbreeding

provided no malefic characteristics are observed in order to strengthen

beneficial characteristics.

8. That we have a facility that is capable of handling three bulls.

9. We are breeding three cows every year and that over a three year period

we are working with a total of nine cows.

10. That there is proper housing, water and feed (pasture set up for rapid

rotational grazing, supplementary sources of feed- hay, silage, green feed

according to local conditions and the structures to store supplementary

feeds) to maintain a herd of 57 animals.

11. That we have sufficient personnel capable of maintaining all tack and

machinery.

12. That we have a capable person to process dairy products and the proper

facility to do so. This facility must be maintained according to local

health codes.

13. That you have capable medical personnel to care for the animals health,

this person must be experienced in naturopathy and in modern veterinary

medicine.

14. That no animals die until 18 years of age. That initially home bred

heifers are not bred until the age of five.

15. That there is a manager that is capable of directing all personnel under

his charge.

16. That there be sufficient funds to establish and maintain the facility,

cows and personnel to meet the above assumptions.