Study On Optimal Management Model Of Household Farm In Desert Steppe Of Inner Mongolia

Forage and livestock datasheets have been set up for the two stages models, soil and weather data were collected from desert steppe of Inner Mongolia and greenhouse shed was added into the livestock production system optimizing model as an important management module. The effectiveness of the model has been analyzed. Improving feeding of Inner Mongolia fat-tail sheep in winter and spring, warm shed during cold seasons and changing the lambing time have also been simulated by using the feed supply and animal demand balance model and the livestock production system optimizing model. A typical farm profile simulation has been made, and the outputs give some strategies for the farm production. The result showed that the metabolic energy balance comparisons between grazing grassland versus maize stover and millet stubble supplement and grazing grassland versus maize stover, millet stubble, maize grain and concentrate suggests that feeding supplements of hay and millet stubble to grazing sheep was better than if they only grazed. However, this was still not adequate to meet ME demand. Results are largely improved when the sheep are fed maize stover, millet stubble, maize grain and concentrate supplements. The effect of feeding and retaining animals in warm sheds from December to February on energy intake showed that actual intake used for maintaining animal function was then closer to maintenance requirements. The results would be expected to reduce live weight losses. The better performance would then lead to better lambs in winter. The returns from weaners sold off pen feeding in warm sheds from December to February were also higher than for year-long grazing. Difference was found in total farm net returns between year-long grazing and pen feeding from December to February. Keeping livestock in a warm shed in the coldest part of winter reflect better performance and higher returns. The difference is much larger due to the increasing stocking rate. An alternative strategy would be to lamb in April, so that the ewes were less stress in the middle of the cold winter, and there would then be a shorter period for the lambs before they could graze green grass. The results show that an April lambing does result in improved nutrition of the ewe and there is then an expectation that this would deliver benefits in lambs. The economics of alternative lambing time were investigated with the Stage 2 model, that showed, at low stocking rates (0.3-0.4 breeding ewes/ha) there were few differences between lambing times, but as stocking rates increased, lambing in April was more profitable. For the typical farm, the stocking rate of 1.075 breeding ewes/ha, retaining animals in warm sheds from December to February, pen feeding from December to April, and middle supplement quality is reasonable for the economics and environment.