A tool for simulation of sheep flock functioning, with it’s economic results : an help for adaptation to new contexts

Abstract

Sheep production for meat is today confronted to three main nessecities: the market adaptation requires to have lambs sold regularly along the year, it is imperative to take into account the farmers work’s organisation, breeders must be able to answer positively to proposals of agri-environmental contract. These preoccupations can call into question the flock functioning that is today often based, for the rustic breeds of the Massif Central, on an acceleration of lambings, through three periods in the year.

This paper presents a tool of simulation which goal is to propose easily new schemes of flock reproduction functioning, coherent, adaptated to these objectives. For a balanced situation on the long term this tool includes interactions of all the groups of females on which is based the flock functioning: replacement ewe lambs, empty and accelerated ewes, cull ewes.

This tool integrate an economic simulation that leads to the gross margin, with all it’s analysis criterions. An illustration is given, in a precise context, presenting the way we are using this tool.