SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ESTIMATING FEED EFFICIENCY AND CARBON FOOTPRINT FOR MILK PRODUCING ANIMAL

摘要

Systems and methods for estimating milk producing animal feed conversion efficiency and carbon footprint, such as to allow adjustments to be made in the animals feed to improve milk production, reduce waste, and/or reduce the carbon footprint. In embodiments of the present application, a system is provided that integrates a digestion model of an animal feed with milk production efficiency and carbon footprint. Such systems and methods are useful to analyze and compare different animal feed compositions that differ from one another in one or more components and/or to analyze the effect of the addition of a feed supplement on milk production efficiency and/or carbon footprint. In some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein provide feed parameter-carbon footprint compromise. A feed parameter-carbon footprint compromise is useful to adjust animal feed composition by balancing milk production efficiency with effects on carbon footprint. Different feed supplements or amounts of feed supplements, and/or different feed compositions are selected based on the desired feed parameter-carbon footprint compromise.

主权项

1. A method for estimating impact of a milk producing animal on carbon footprint, comprising:
providing one or more primary parameters associated with one or more of: a) a measure of microbial protein for a selected feed sample from a digestion model associated with the milk producing animal; b) a measure of total digestible nutrients for the selected feed sample from the digestion model associated with the milk producing animal; and c) an amount or a percent of components in the selected feed sample; producing with a computing device a baseline performance comprising milk production efficiency using at least one or more of the primary parameters and one or more secondary parameters for the milk producing animal, wherein the one or more secondary parameters are associated with one or more of: a measure of animal weight, a measure of animal milk production, a measure of animal milk protein, a measure of animal dry matter intake, a measure of animal milk price, and a measure of animal dietary protein; and producing with the computing device a carbon footprint for the milk producing animal using the baseline performance.