IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/agisys/v132y2015icp107-120.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

An analysis of Northern Ireland farmers' experiences of using a target-driven beef heifer growth management plan and development of an empirical model leading to the launch of a decision support tool to promote first calving of beef heifers at 24 months

Author

Listed:
  • Titterington, F.M.
  • Morrison, S.J.
  • Lively, F.O.
  • Wylie, A.R.G.
  • Gordon, A.W.
  • Browne, M.R.

Abstract

A decision-support tool that automatically selects an age-specific target weight for beef heifers and specifies the daily liveweight gain (DLWG) required to achieve this target weight within 3 months was developed as an aid for farmers to use to promote calving at 24 months of age in the Northern Ireland suckler herd. The ability of Northern Ireland beef producers to follow this target-driven growth management plan and calve heifers at 24 months of age was appraised in a study involving a total of 459 heifers of 10 breeds on six suckler farms. A unique growth curve was generated for each farm, with the aim of achieving 60% and 90% of the estimated mature weight of their cows at 14 months and 24 months respectively. Mature weight was estimated using the 6.7% truncated mean weight of mature cows on each farm. At intervals of 3 months, heifer weight, body condition score (BCS) and diet quality and quantity were assessed on each farm and a target weight for the next visit was specified, along with the DLWG required to achieve that target weight. Typically, heifers were significantly above their target weight prior to 9 months of age (P < 0.05), but farmers were able to manage heifers so as to keep them within ±5% of their individual growth targets after the age of 9 months. Heifer breed and season of birth did not influence adherence to target weight, while individual animal and farm of origin accounted for 51.3% and 24.7%, respectively, of the variation. Adherence to the target growth curve was not influenced by whether or not a heifer produced a live calf, nor by that calf's vitality, but it was associated with the heifer's calving temperament, calving difficulty and mothering ability. Heifers that met target weight between 22 and 24 months of age had significantly heavier calves than those that were below their target weight at this age (P < 0.05). The mean age at first calving was reduced by an average of 3.74 months across the six farms (P < 0.001) as a result of applying the growth management plan. Experiences of the producers have helped to shape the development of an on-line decision support tool and to promote its use. It is anticipated that this support tool will assist producers adopt target-driven growth monitoring for replacement beef heifers, resulting in a higher prevalence of optimal 24-month first calving in Northern Ireland.

Suggested Citation

  • Titterington, F.M. & Morrison, S.J. & Lively, F.O. & Wylie, A.R.G. & Gordon, A.W. & Browne, M.R., 2015. "An analysis of Northern Ireland farmers' experiences of using a target-driven beef heifer growth management plan and development of an empirical model leading to the launch of a decision support tool ," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 107-120.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agisys:v:132:y:2015:i:c:p:107-120
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agsy.2014.09.007
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308521X14001292
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.agsy.2014.09.007?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bone, Zelma, . "Farmers and Learning: A Critical Interpretive Analysis of Value Perception of Education and Complementary Factors to Success," Extension Farming Systems Journal - EFS Journal, Australasian Farm Business Management Network, vol. 1(1).
    2. Kilpatrick, D. J. & Steen, R. W. J., 1999. "A predictive model for beef cattle growth and carcass composition," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 61(2), pages 95-107, August.
    3. Cox, P. G., 1996. "Some issues in the design of agricultural decision support systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 52(2-3), pages 355-381.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Bergez, J. -E. & Garcia, F. & Lapasse, L., 2004. "A hierarchical partitioning method for optimizing irrigation strategies," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 80(3), pages 235-253, June.
    2. McCown, R. L., 2002. "Changing systems for supporting farmers' decisions: problems, paradigms, and prospects," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 74(1), pages 179-220, October.
    3. Lescourret, F. & Blecher, N. & Habib, R. & Chadoeuf, J. & Agostini, D. & Pailly, O. & Vaissiere, B. & Poggi, I., 1999. "Development of a simulation model for studying kiwi fruit orchard management," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 59(2), pages 215-239, February.
    4. Meinke, H. & Baethgen, W. E. & Carberry, P. S. & Donatelli, M. & Hammer, G. L. & Selvaraju, R. & Stockle, C. O., 2001. "Increasing profits and reducing risks in crop production using participatory systems simulation approaches," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 70(2-3), pages 493-513.
    5. Walker, Daniel H., 2002. "Decision support, learning and rural resource management," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 73(1), pages 113-127, July.
    6. Welch, S. M. & Jones, J. W. & Brennan, M. W. & Reeder, G. & Jacobson, B. M., 2002. "PCYield: model-based decision support for soybean production," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 74(1), pages 79-98, October.
    7. Loevinsohn, Michael E. & Berdegue, Julio A. & Guijt, Irene, 2002. "Deepening the basis of rural resource management: learning processes and decision support," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 73(1), pages 3-22, July.
    8. Martin, G. & Duru, M. & Schellberg, J. & Ewert, F., 2012. "Simulations of plant productivity are affected by modelling approaches of farm management," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 25-34.
    9. Heiko Paeth & Daniel Schönbein & Luzia Keupp & Daniel Abel & Freddy Bangelesa & Miriam Baumann & Christian Büdel & Christian Hartmann & Christof Kneisel & Konstantin Kobs & Julian Krause & Martin Krec, 2023. "Climate change information tailored to the agricultural sector in Central Europe, exemplified on the region of Lower Franconia," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 176(10), pages 1-24, October.
    10. Cain, J. D. & Jinapala, K. & Makin, I. W. & Somaratna, P. G. & Ariyaratna, B. R. & Perera, L. R., 2003. "Participatory decision support for agricultural management. A case study from Sri Lanka," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 76(2), pages 457-482, May.
    11. Sterk, B. & van Ittersum, M.K. & Leeuwis, C. & Rossing, W.A.H. & van Keulen, H. & van de Ven, G.W.J., 2006. "Finding niches for whole-farm design models - contradictio in terminis?," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 87(2), pages 211-228, February.
    12. Hearn, A. B. & Bange, M. P., 2002. "SIRATAC and CottonLOGIC: persevering with DSSs in the Australian cotton industry," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 74(1), pages 27-56, October.
    13. Salembier, Chloé & Segrestin, Blanche & Berthet, Elsa & Weil, Benoît & Meynard, Jean-Marc, 2018. "Genealogy of design reasoning in agronomy: Lessons for supporting the design of agricultural systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 277-290.
    14. Mace, Karen & Morlon, Pierre & Munier-Jolain, Nicolas & Quere, Lionel, 2007. "Time scales as a factor in decision-making by French farmers on weed management in annual crops," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 93(1-3), pages 115-142, March.
    15. Ashfield, A. & Wallace, M. & Crosson, P., 2014. "Economic comparison of pasture based dairy calf-to-beef production systems under temperate grassland conditions," International Journal of Agricultural Management, Institute of Agricultural Management, vol. 3(3), pages 1-12.
    16. Taylor, R.F. & McGee, M. & Kelly, A.K. & Crosson, P., 2020. "Bioeconomic and greenhouse gas emissions modelling of the factors influencing technical efficiency of temperate grassland-based suckler calf-to-beef production systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    17. Hoch, Thierry & Agabriel, Jacques, 2004. "A mechanistic dynamic model to estimate beef cattle growth and body composition: 1. Model description," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 81(1), pages 1-15, July.
    18. Joseph Walls & Edwin Rajotte & Cristina Rosa, 2019. "The Past, Present, and Future of Barley Yellow Dwarf Management," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-16, January.
    19. Srinivasan, M.S. & Measures, R. & Fear, A. & Elley, G., 2022. "Making the invisible visible: Co-learning guided development of an operational tool for irrigation management," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 264(C).
    20. Fountas, S. & Wulfsohn, D. & Blackmore, B.S. & Jacobsen, H.L. & Pedersen, S.M., 2006. "A model of decision-making and information flows for information-intensive agriculture," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 87(2), pages 192-210, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:agisys:v:132:y:2015:i:c:p:107-120. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/agsy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.