THE POSSIBLE ROLE OF EXISTING MODELS IN ON-FARM DECISION SUPPORT IN DAIRY-CATTLE AND SWINE PRODUCTION

Current management information systems in (Dutch) livestock farming are not yet suited to support all important steps of the decision-making process. They should be extended with models that are able to calculate the technical and economic consequences of various decisions and management strategies over time for the farm as a whole or part of it. These models need to be farm-specific and available for use in the field. In this paper, a general outline is given of the framework in which these models can be used in on-farm decision support. Models available in the literature, primarily focused on reproduction and replacement in dairy cattle and swine, are studied to examine to what extent they are suitable for use in on-farm decision support. The structure of each single model and the differences/similarities between models are identified. An enormous variation in structure is observed. For on-farm use it is considered best to build new models using the available knowledge, rather than to adjust and combine existing ones. A possible outline for this is discussed.