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Dynamic Model for Combined Simulation of Dairy Management Strategies

University of Maine, Orono 04469

ABSTRACT

A dynamic model that simulates change was constructed by combining detailed information on biological and economic characteristics of the dairy cow. This model can be utilized to study strategies of dairy management, particularly for situations where collection of empirical data is difficult.

The GASP IV simulation package allowed simulation of both discrete (time-oriented) events such as freshening and breeding as well as continuous processes such as milk production and feed consumption. Because the initial question is concerned with the relationship between herd life and profitability of the cow, the model contains detailed estimates of relationships between age, production, and costs of production. The model has a flexible modular organization that can be adapted to numerous management options.

For basal case validation, driving (control) variables were input descriptive of a commercial dairy herd. Response variables were compared to survey information from dairy farms in the Northeast.