Managing other animals

Other animals are defined as all non-ruminant animals on the farm. While the ruminants are implemented with a detailed individual-based model of animal physiology and numerous activities, other animals use a simple approach to track numbers and resources required to manage the individuals.

The other animals are defined in the Other animals resource available to the farming system. It is comprised of various Other animals types each representing a single species or breed. The initial population is defined by supplying the number of individuals of each other animal type by age and sex using Other animals cohort as child components of (see Ruminant initial cohorts). Other Animals are tracked by cohorts.

Initial populations

The number of individuals present at the start of the simulation are defined under the Other Animals Type component. This consists of an any number of Other animals cohort components beneath it. An other animal type cohort component identifies each cohort, or group of individuals of the same type, age and sex.

Pricing

The Other Animals Type component also contains pricing details. This allows any activity to access the current price of individuals. Pricing can be set in a number of ways such as per kg live weight, or per head across different size classes. Future activities can be developed to utilise recorded pricing or alter pricing based on climate such as droughts or demand.

Growth

A single Other animals grow activity is responsible for ageing (and adjusting weight) individuals. It will also undertake deaths based on the specified maximum age of individuals.

Feeding

In order to grow, individuals require feed, which is supplied by a Other animals feed activity. One feeding activity is required for each type of food or supplement fed to the other animals. Food resources are stored in the animal food store. An Other animals feed group is used to specify which individuals in the herd are fed each month, and how much.

Grazing

Other animals do not graze. An amount of pasture could be Cut and carry to the Animal food store and then fed to Other Animals for accounting purposes.

Breeding

The Other animals breed activity is required if you want to allow breeding to occur in your individuals. This implements a very simple breeding style where the number of offspring per breeding female are provided and a mature age defines which females can breed. Mature males can be used or ignored in the breeding process. Various timers are then added to determine the breeding interval.

Herd management

Herd management and trading activities are required to maintain your herd at a specific size or composition. Such trading can be used to ensure the herd is not too large (see Manage ruminants) and doesn't overgraze the dry season fodder availability. This trading is also used to sell unneeded individuals and maintain breeder bulls and even sell specified individuals at a given time (see Mark ruminants for sale).

Buying other animals

The Other animals buy activity is used to specify the details of any purchases which are supplied as Other animals cohorts.

Selling other animals

The Other animals sell activity is used to specify the individuals to be sold. Individuals are specified using Other animals group and associated filter components.

Other resources needed

Managing a herd will require additional resources such as labour, finances and water. If included with the other animals activities in your simulation these resources can limit the outcome of herd management.

The Other animals cost activity is used to specify a group of other animals upon which costs and labour requirements can be calculated.

Reporting

The Other animals summary activity is used to provide access to all cohorts in the Other animals for reporting using an APSIM Report.

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