Breedcow Lite Main Page

Welcome to Breedcow Lite, a streamlined version of the well-known Breedcow and Dynama suite! Designed with simplicity and practicality in mind, Breedcow Lite offers graziers and beef extension officers a quick and accessible way to explore herd budgeting and management strategies. While it doesn’t replace the full suite’s detailed analysis capabilities, Breedcow Lite provides a fast and user-friendly option for those looking to make informed decisions without the time commitment of a full analysis.

How Can Breedcow Lite Help?

Breedcow Lite is designed to assist with key decisions, including:

• Determining the optimal age for steer turn-off (see BCL Example 1)
• Evaluating the best age for excess female turn-off (see BCL Example 2)
• Exploring stocking rate scenarios
• Assessing new market opportunities
• Analysing the financial impact of management changes

By ensuring that all scenarios are based on the same grazing pressure (AEs), Breedcow Lite provides a consistent framework for comparing alternative strategies. This makes it easier to identify the most practical and profitable options for your enterprise. In addition, there are links to extension articles to explore each of the critical entries in more detail.

How to use

1. Start the Inputs at Low, Medium, or High and adjust according to your own herd, especially the long-term carrying capacity (measured in terms of adult equivalents). The first scenario assumes that the grazing is in B condition (moving from B to A or C simply represents the pasture capacity improving or declining).
2. Press ‘Calculate’ to reveal the results from the steady-state herd modelling. The results will show in the table below.
3. To test different options, fill in the next column and press ‘Calculate’ to repeat the process.
4. When performing analyses, consider the linkages between the entered variables, e.g. increasing feed costs may improve conception and liveweight gains.

Important: Breedcow Lite uses a substantial number of assumptions to create a basic herd model to assist with strategic direction and to perform options analyses. If you want to check or adjust the finer details in a traditional full Breedcow+ scenario, click on the button at the bottom.

Inputs

• Gainers: Factors that contribute to herd growth and profitability
  • Average liveweight gain (steers) (kg/hd/yr) - this is the gain in the initial years (the software accounts for the reduction in growth as they mature)
  • Breeder conception % - this is the average positive pregnancy test rate in the herd across the cows' lifetime
  • Preg test empty sales (%) - this is the proportion of cows sold that are pregnancy tested as empty ; consideration is required to ensure that the herd is self-sustaining
• Drainers: Elements that reduce profitability
  • Calf loss % - this is the loss proportion that occurs between time of positive pregnancy testing and time of weaning
  • Breeder mortality % - this is the average rate at which breeders die
• Planners: Strategic considerations
  • Age of first joining heifers (years) - heifers need to be in a condition to get adequate conception
  • Excess heifer sale age (years) - this is the heifers that are excess to requirements
  • Steer sale age (years) - this is your age of turnoff
• Scanners: Assumptions that monitor market prices and costs, helping you evaluate opportunities
  • Feed, vaccines, tags, etc. ($/hd/yr) - this is the variable costs excluding wet season supplementation
  • Wet season supplements - Phosphorus ($/hd/yr) - this is the wet season P
  • Average price ($/kg liveweight) -
• Sustainers: Long-term factors like grazing pressure and land condition, ensuring sustainable management practices.
  • Land condition
  • Long-Term Carrying Capacity (AEs)

Results

As this software creates a herd model, the results will not reflect your actual herd movements nor your financial results. The results should be used as an indication for decision making. Please note that you can customise your herd further by progressing to full Breedcow+. This button will open the file with the assumptions from Breedcow Lite which you can then adjust as required.

• Gross margin per adult equivalent (after interest) - revenue less variable costs, note that this measure does not include fixed costs (e.g. labour, diesel, rates, insurance).
• Gross margin for herd (before interest) - this is the gross margin for the whole herd
• Total cattle sales
  • Selling costs - this includes commission, fees and transport to market
  • Net cattle sales
  • Average sales net price ($/hd)
  • Average net price of heifers ($/hd)
  • Average net price of cows 3+ ($/hd)
  • Average net steer price ($/hd)
• Total variable costs (excl. interest) - this includes any supplementation, tags, vaccinations, testing and treatments
• Total herd numbers (kept and sold)
• Cattle sold
  • Total steers & bullocks sold
  • Total excess heifers sold
  • Total cull cows sold
  • Total bulls sold
  • Average sale weight (kg)
• Weaners/total cattle mated
  • Weaner heifers retained
  • Total breeders mated
  • Bulls required
  • Total calves weaned
• Kg Beef/AE - an efficiency measure