scholarly journals Prediction of nutrient flows with potential impacts on the environment in a rabbit farm: a modelling approach

2014 ◽  
Vol 54 (12) ◽  
pp. 2042 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bertrand Méda ◽  
Laurence Fortun-Lamothe ◽  
Mélynda Hassouna
Keyword(s):  
Milk Production ◽  
Dynamic Models ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Livestock Farming ◽  
Animal Products ◽  
Total N ◽  
Nutrient Flows ◽  
Animal Populations

To face the increasing demand for animal products throughout the world, livestock-farming systems have been intensified. This intensification has proven to be economically effective but is noted for its negative impact on the environment through the production of ammonia (NH3) and the greenhouse gases nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane. In this context, dynamic models are useful tools to evaluate the effects of farming practice on nutrient flows and losses to the environment. This paper presents the development of a model simulating the flows of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in a rabbit production farm. The model is comprised of two submodels. The first submodel simulates the number of animals in the farm (births, deaths, culling of does/fatteners) and their respective performances (growth, feed intake, milk production). The second one simulates the excretion of N and P for each animal category using a mass-balance approach between intake (feed and/or milk intake) and exports (body deposition, milk production, gestation). Specific emission factors are then applied to the excreted N amounts to estimate total N, NH3 and N2O losses in the housing unit and during manure storage. Methane emissions from enteric fermentations and manure are also estimated. A simulation example based on French technico-economic data illustrates how the model could be used to study the dynamics of animal populations within the system and of nutrient flows. Finally, there is a need for new knowledge (experimental data) to improve the model and help design more sustainable rabbit production systems by identifying best practices that minimise environmental impacts.

Development of profitable milk production systems for northern Australia: a field assessment of the productivity of five potential farming systems using farmlets

2010 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 246 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. G. Chataway ◽  
R. G. Walker ◽  
M. N. Callow
Keyword(s):  
Milk Production ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Model Development ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Field Evaluation ◽  
Nutrient Inputs ◽  
Tropical Pastures ◽  
Mating Period ◽  
Learning Platform ◽  
Forage Base

Farmlets, each of 20 cows, were established to field test five milk production systems and provide a learning platform for farmers and researchers in a subtropical environment. The systems were developed through desktop modelling and industry consultation in response to the need for substantial increases in farm milk production following deregulation of the industry. Four of the systems were based on grazing and the continued use of existing farmland resource bases, whereas the fifth comprised a feedlot and associated forage base developed as a greenfield site. The field evaluation was conducted over 4 years under more adverse environmental conditions than anticipated with below average rainfall and restrictions on irrigation. For the grazed systems, mean annual milk yield per cow ranged from 6330 kg/year (1.9 cows/ha) for a herd based on rain-grown tropical pastures to 7617 kg/year (3.0 cows/ha) where animals were based on temperate and tropical irrigated forages. For the feedlot herd, production of 9460 kg/cow.year (4.3 cows/ha of forage base) was achieved. For all herds, the level of production achieved required annual inputs of concentrates of ~3 t DM/animal and purchased conserved fodder from 0.3 to 1.5 t DM/animal. This level of supplementary feeding made a major contribution to total farm nutrient inputs, contributing 50% or more of the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium entering the farming system, and presents challenges to the management of manure and urine that results from the higher stocking rates enabled. Mean annual milk production for the five systems ranged from 88 to 105% of that predicted by the desktop modelling. This level of agreement for the grazed systems was achieved with minimal overall change in predicted feed inputs; however, the feedlot system required a substantial increase in inputs over those predicted. Reproductive performance for all systems was poorer than anticipated, particularly over the summer mating period. We conclude that the desktop model, developed as a rapid response to assist farmers modify their current farming systems, provided a reasonable prediction of inputs required and milk production. Further model development would need to consider more closely climate variability, the limitations summer temperatures place on reproductive success and the feed requirements of feedlot herds.

scholarly journals Ethics of Digital Animal Farming

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suresh Neethirajan
Keyword(s):  
Farming Systems ◽  
Automatic Monitoring ◽  
Societal Implications ◽  
Ethical Aspects ◽  
Livestock Farming ◽  
Animal Products ◽  
Animal Farming ◽  
Livestock Farming Systems ◽  
Increase Productivity ◽  
Digital Farming

The demand for animal products is expected to continue to rise, which requires the development of efficient livestock farming systems. Environmental, societal and economic concerns regarding this industry are however accumulating, addressing the large resource demand, pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions and health concerns that the livestock industry is responsible for. Precision livestock farming systems allow the continuous automatic monitoring of various physiological, behavioural and phenotypic parameters of animals in order to increase productivity and animal welfare while controlling and minimizing the environmental impact. There is a high potential for digital farming to be the solution for responsibly and ethically feeding the growing and urbanizing population. However, many problems and concerns are still present in this developing industry and remain relatively unaddressed, starting with the ethical aspects in regard to the animal, including its objectification, human-animal relationships and welfare and ending with the societal implications of this digitalization. Concrete frameworks, inter-disciplinary studies and global legislation need to be put in place in order to ensure the safety and protection of the animals, farmer and society. Here, implications of digital farming for the animals, farmers, society and the planet are critically reviewed with the future outlook of digital farms.

scholarly journals Incorporating leucaena into goat production systems

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-181
Author(s):  
Frances C. Cowley ◽  
Romana Roschinsky
Keyword(s):  
Milk Production ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Silvopastoral Systems ◽  
Systems Research ◽  
Keynote Paper ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
Worm Control ◽  
Farming Systems Research ◽  
Feeding Systems

Keynote paper presented at the International Leucaena Conference, 1‒3 November 2018, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.The integration of leucaena into goat production systems in the tropics and subtropics is reviewed. Goats are well adapted to leucaena, and able to be productive on diets containing up to 100% leucaena as a result of bacterial and hepatic detoxification. Incorporation of leucaena into goat production systems can improve liveweight gains, milk production, worm control and reproduction. Successful feeding systems for goats can be based on both grazed silvopastoral systems and cut-and-carry intensive systems, although there is a lack of farming systems research examining the integration of leucaena into goat production systems, or documentation of the practicalities of these practices.

Integrating feeding programmes into organic production systems.

2021 ◽  
pp. 177-217
Author(s):  
Robert Blair
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Feed Additives ◽  
Feed Quality ◽  
Feed Supplements ◽  
Cattle Farming

Abstract This chapter describes the effects of feeding programmes (including feed quality, feed supplements and feed additives) on the reproductive performance, beef and milk production and quality and environmental impact in organic cattle farming systems.

scholarly journals The Impact of Anthropogenic Climate Change on Egyptian Livestock Production

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 3127
Author(s):  
Amira A. Goma ◽  
Clive J. C. Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Heat Stress ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Human Population ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Livestock Production ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Animal Products ◽  
Alternative Scenarios ◽  
The Impact

Egypt is one of the hottest countries in the world, and extreme climate events are becoming more frequent, which is consistent with the warming of the planet. The impact of this warming on ecosystems is severe, including on livestock production systems. Under Egyptian conditions, livestock already suffer heat stress periods in summer. The predicted increases in temperature as result of climate change will affect livestock production by reducing growth and milk production because of appetite suppression and conception rate reductions and will increase animal welfare concerns. In severe cases, these effects can result in death. We review the heat stress effects on livestock behaviour, reproduction, and production in the context of predicted climate change for Egypt over the course of this century and offer alternative scenarios to achieve food security for a growing human population. As an example, we combine predictions for reduced milk production during heat stress and human population trajectories to predict that milk availability per person will decline from 61 kg/year in 2011 to 26 kg/year in 2064. Mitigation strategies are discussed and include the substitution of animal-based foods for plant-based foods and laboratory-grown animal products.

scholarly journals Data mining and decision support systems for efficient dairy production

2021 ◽  
pp. 1258-1262
Author(s):  
Sunesh Balhara ◽  
Rishi Pal Singh ◽  
A. P. Ruhil
Keyword(s):  
Data Mining ◽  
Decision Support ◽  
Decision Support Systems ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Support Systems ◽  
Utilization Efficiency ◽  
Feed Conversion ◽  
Livestock Farming ◽  
High Resource

Gainful livestock farming requires selective breeding of animals with certain heritable desirable traits which gives profitability in terms of farm produce. Modern dairy animals are selected for traits which directly or indirectly contribute to high milk production. The concept of "feed conversion efficiency" in terms of milk production is now vigorously taken up by researchers and farm managers for recognizing and breeding efficient milk-producing animals. The whole concept of economic farming thus requires identification of "elite" animals, meeting above criteria as base population for the farm enterprise. Farmers and animal traders have been selecting best animals based on certain physical characters, which were also accepted by the breeding scientists as phenotypes. Data mining allows uncovering of hidden patterns in the data for better understanding of data relationship for developing suitable models for further improvements. Along with artificial intelligence techniques, data mining has opened new avenues for achieving high resource utilization efficiency and sustainable profitability in livestock production systems. The present review discusses and summarizes various data mining techniques and decision support systems for scientific dairy farming.

Sustainability assessment of small dairy farms from the main cattle farming systems in the North of Tunisia

New Medit ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Human Population ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Mixed System ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
Animal Products ◽  
Major Threat ◽  
The North ◽  
Cattle Farms

Demand for animal products is expected to increase due to human population growth, resulting in a need for increased production. At the same time, climate change poses a major threat to the viability and sustainability of livestock production systems. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the sus-tainability of dairy cattle farms belonging to three farming systems (rainfed, irrigated, and mixed) at the northeast zone of Tunisia using the IDEA method (version 3). Collected data of 102 farms were subjected to an analysis of variance using the GLM procedure of SAS software (version 9.4). Results showed that the socio-territorial scale was the limiting factor for all systems and that the irrigated sys-tem had the lowest scores of agro-ecological and socio-territorial scales, compared to the other ones, but it recorded the highest score for the economic scale. The best agro-ecological and socio-territorial scores characterized the mixed system. However, it had the lowest score on the economic scale. Finally, the rain-fed system was exhibited medium performances of the three scales. It was concluded a differ-ence between the three farm systems, but there was no disassociation between the three sustainability dimensions; thus, improvements should proceed across all scales simultaneously.

scholarly journals Nitrogen food-print: N use and N cascade from livestock systems in relation to pork, beef and milk supply to Paris

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 1971-2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Chatzimpiros ◽  
S. Barles
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
N Fertilization ◽  
Manure Management ◽  
Livestock Farming ◽  
N Losses ◽  
Total N ◽  
Fresh Milk ◽  
Livestock Farms ◽  
Livestock Systems

Abstract. A bottom-up approach is constructed to determine N losses from livestock farming systems and to relate these losses to the supply of fresh milk, pig and beef to Paris. First, the three products are expressed in terms of their nitrogen content; then, their fodder equivalent is determined by modelling feed formulas for swine, beef and dairy cows to meet their energy and protein requirements. Fodder deficits in livestock farms are determined by comparing the nutrient requirements of the livestock with the fodder production on the livestock farms. This allowed determining the geography of the livestock systems according to the imports of fodder to the livestock farms from external crop farms. Then we assessed the "farm-gate" N budgets in all crop and livestock farms of the entire livestock systems using data on total N fertilization, atmospheric deposition and manure management practices to finally derive N losses in relation to fodder cultivation and to manure management. Measured in N, the supply of milk, beef and pig to Paris sum 1.85 kg N/cap and the corresponding N losses from the farming systems total 8.9 kg N/cap. N losses per unit of product differ among the three livestock systems according to where and how the fodder is grown and to what densities the livestock is reared.

scholarly journals Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) vine silage: a cost-effective supplement for milk production in smallholder dairy-farming systems of East Africa?

2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (8) ◽  
pp. 1087 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. K. Gakige ◽  
C. Gachuri ◽  
K. Butterbach-bahl ◽  
J. P. Goopy
Keyword(s):  
East Africa ◽  
Sweet Potato ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Wheat Bran ◽  
Lower Cost ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Napier Grass ◽  
Fibre Content

Context Dairy production in East Africa is dominated by smallholder production systems, but is dogged by suboptimal milk production mediated by poor nutrition. Grain-based concentrates can be used to make the energy and protein deficits in rain-fed systems, but this strategy faces several hurdles. For livestock production systems to be sustainable, it is important that less human-edible food is fed to animals and sweet potato can serve both as a source of human food (tuber) and animal feed (vines). Smallholder scale-appropriate technology has been used to allow feed preservation of the perishable sweet potato vines for use throughout the year. Aims We assessed the efficacy of sweet potato vine silage plus wheat bran (SPVSWB) as a supplement to maintain milk production at a lower cost than that of grain-based commercial dairy concentrate (CDC). Methods Multiparous Holstein–Friesian cattle (n = 12) were given a basal diet of Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum cv. South Africa), ad libitum, plus a fixed amount of either SPVSWB or CDC, (designed to be both iso-nitrogenous and iso-caloric) during late (LL) and early (EL) lactations. Key results Daily milk yield was lower for SPVSWB than for CDC groups, although comparable (not significant), in both LL (6.2 vs 7.5 L/day) and EL (14.2 vs 16.0 L/day); however, the lower cost of production for SPVSWB (23.2 vs 48.7 KES/kg DM) ensured that margins on milk income over feed (per cow per day) were greater for SPVSWB in both periods. (LL: 71 vs 14.5; and EL: 426 vs 400 KES/day). The lower intake for SPVSWB than for CDC is most probably due to high neutral detergent fibre content in the supplement and the lower milk production, owing to either, or both, of lower energy and protein intake. Conclusions It is suggested that some reformulation of SPVS, replacing in part or in whole the Napier grass with rejected sweet potato tubers, will decrease the neutral detergent fibre content, increase the metabolisable energy content, reducing the need for additional wheat bran and may, thereby, enhance the production response to equate with that of CDC. Implications It is clear that, despite SPVSWB eliciting lower milk production (LL 6.2 and EL14.2 L/day) than does CDC (LL 7.5 and EL 16.0 L/day), SPVSWB is a cost-effective, accessible alternative to grain-based supplementation in small-holder dairy-farming systems of Kenya.

scholarly journals Effect of ewe milk production on profitability of dryland lamb production systems

1999 ◽  
pp. 101-105
Author(s):  
P.D. Muir ◽  
G.J. Wallace ◽  
D.G. Mccall ◽  
C.J. Dodd
Keyword(s):  
Milk Production ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Financial Returns ◽  
Market Prices ◽  
High Fecundity ◽  
Early Season ◽  
Financial Benefits ◽  
Lamb Growth

A farmlet study was carried out over 2 years to examine the role of milk production in dryland lamb production systems. Poll Dorset ewes (high milk producers) were mated with Romney rams and Romney ewes (average milk producers) were mated with Poll Dorset rams to produce lambs of a similar genotype. As well as two levels of milk production, two fecundity treatments were used and farmlets were replicated. Farmlets were 2.9 ha and stocked at a rate of 15 ewes/ha. Farmlets were managed to ensure similar pasture covers at the start of winter and at lambing. Poll Dorset ewes produced more milk and in both years their twin lambs had a small but significant advantage in lamb growth rate. This resulted in earlier drafting of lambs and the ability to obtain early season premiums. In the low fecundity farmlets, net financial returns for Romney and Poll Dorset ewes were $605/ha and $676/ha (+ 12%) in Year 1 and $709/ ha and $762/ha (+ 7%) in Year 2. For the high fecundity farmlets, financial returns for Romney and Poll Dorset ewes were $637/ha and $818/ha (+ 28%) in Year 1 and $866/ha and $921/ha (+ 6%) in Year 2. The greatest financial benefits to increased milk production were achieved in high fecundity ewes in Year 1 when feeding during lactation was less than optimal and this resulted in a significant effect on the rate at which twin lambs were drafted to achieve early season premiums. Lambs failing to reach minimum drafting weights were also penalised because of the prevailing drought conditions and low market prices for lighter lambs. Keywords: breed, dryland, ewes, farming systems, fecundity, milk production, pre-weaning growth, profitability, sheep

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