Simulation modelling of the cost of producing and utilising feeds for ruminants on Irish farms.

Abstract

A static agro-economic simulation model, the Grange Feed Costing Model (GFCM), was developed to facilitate the rapid calculation of feed costs and to aid in explaining the interaction of variables influencing the cost of providing fifty three distinct feed crops to ruminants on Irish farms. The GFCM was used to quantify the impact of changing biological, management and market variables on the cost of producing and utilising eight of the most common feed crops grown in Ireland. While grazed perennial ryegrass was found to be the cheapest feed, a wide range of feeds were shown to be cost competitive with grass silage as winter feed options.