Acknowledgements

[strong] Acknowledgements [/strong] The provision of this version of the Breedcow and Dynama package would not have been possible without funding provided by Meat and Livestock Australia. This continues more than twenty years of industry support for the software package beginning with a contribution by the Australian Meat Research Corporation towards the conversion of the Breedcow and Dynama package from spreadsheet to ‘stand-alone’. Additional support from the Department’s ReefPlan Branch to further embed business analysis and herd structure principles with beef extension activities is graciously acknowledged. I also wish to acknowledge all those who have contributed to the continuing development of this package over the years by asking for changes and by enthusing over it. Continuing feedback of ideas and encouragement from users of this herd budgeting software have enabled me to make successive versions of Breedcow and Dynama do more while requiring less from the user. Numerous colleagues, especially in the former Beef Cattle Husbandry Branch of the former Queensland Department of Primary Industries, should also be thanked for adopting and using successive versions of Breedcow and Dynama so enthusiastically over the years since first release in 1988. Thanks to Rod Thompson of former Queensland PI&F, Townsville, for the photograph of the cow and calf used in the title screens and in other Breedcow and Dynama graphics, and to Stu McLennan for the adult equivalent calculations used for the progeny component of the Cowtrade program. Thanks especially to the small band of users who put previous versions through their paces, helped remove a few bugs, and who have continued to offer suggestions for ongoing improvements. Particular thanks go to Reg Andison, Peter Donaghy, Peter Dunn, Bernie English, Jim Kernot, Alan Laing, Col Paton, Peter Smith, Mick Sullivan, Russ Tyler, Les Wicksteed and Ross Wilson, who helped in various ways or suggested specific improvements. The new software underpinning version 6 has been engineered by Gordon Simpson and Jason Brider. Fred Chudleigh has assisted with the editing of this version of the manual. None of these people are in any way responsible for remaining errors or omissions, of which it is hoped there are now very few.

W.E. (Bill) Holmes B.Ag.Ec., M.Ag.Sc. Retired Principal Agricultural Economist

[strong] Post Bill’s retirement [/strong] The retirement of Bill Holmes from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries workforce has not curtailed the ongoing refinement of the Breedcow and Dynama software package. Version 6.02 represents the next step in an ongoing process and includes a significant post-retirement contribution by Bill. Others who have contributed to Version 6.02 include Mick Sullivan, Byrony Daniels and Tim Moravek of the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries as well as Trudi Oxley of the Northern Territory Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries. Although MLA have not directly contributed funding to the development of this version they have part funded projects that facilitated the collection and collation of much of the data used in the document “Improving the performance of beef enterprises in northern Australia” which is downloaded with this user manual. Version 6.02 refines some of the processes applied when entering data in the Breedcow and Dynama software package and fixes further issues identified after the development of Version 6. The vast majority of answers provided by Version 6.02 should be identical to those provided by Version 6 and Version 5 before that - if identical data is entered in each version. The user manual has been revised and expanded with additional examples and explanations of the processes applied in the models. A new document “Improving the performance of beef enterprises in northern Australia” has been added and combines Breedcowplus, Dynamaplus and Investan to undertake scenario analyses for five regions of the northern beef industry. The purpose of the document is to show how scenarios can be analysed and compared using the framework provided by the Breedcow and Dynama software package. The regional Breedcowplus models will be revisited and revised once the 2016 ABS census data for cattle numbers becomes available. Unfortunately, Bill can no longer be held responsible for remaining errors or omissions and I now will take on that responsibility.

Fred Chudleigh Principal Economist, Industry Analysis Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Telephone: +61 7 45294186 Mobile: 0439898816 Email: Fred.Chudleigh@daff.qld.gov.au Postal Address: PO Box 102, Toowoomba Q 4350 Street Address: 203 Tor St, Toowoomba Q 4350