Articles

Modelling beef herd management decisions

Abstract

The aim of this work was to analyse decision-makingof cattle stock breeders according to herd management: rules, occurrences of interventions, relations with theproject of production. The management of the herdwas described and formalized using data collected during 2 successive surveys on 12 farms specialized in beef production. Three categories of indicators mobilized by the stock breeders can be discriminated: indicators dealing with the instantaneous state of theanimals, indicators dealing with the individual history of the animals (life time performance) and exogenous indicators, independent of the animals (state of the nutritional resource, economic context). According tothe project of production, these indicators are mobilized differently by the stock breeders and 4 prototypes of herd management were then defined. This kind of analysis will be used in a modelling build-up process tosimulate herd functioning.

Authors


S. INGRAND

ingrand@inra.fr

Affiliation : Inra, Unité de Recherches sur les Herbivores, Départements Elevage et Nutrition des Animaux, Systèmes Agraires et Développement, Theix 63122 Saint-Genès Champanelle

Country : France


S. COURNUT

Affiliation : Enita de Clermont-Ferrand, RN 89, Site de Marmilhat, 63370 Lempdes

Country : France


B. DEDIEU

Affiliation : Inra, Unité de Recherches sur les Herbivores, Départements Elevage et Nutrition des Animaux, Systèmes Agraires et Développement, Theix 63122 Saint-Genès Champanelle

Country : France


F. ANTHEAUME

Affiliation : Maison de l’Agriculture, BP 522, 71010 Mâcon

Country : France

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