Technological audit as a tool for the development of livestock farms

A technological audit is initiated by the owner or manager of the company who is interested in improving its efficiency, as well as by potential buyers of the business who want to assess its prospects. The procedure is based on the general methodology of scientific research or a particular one, taking into account the characteristics of the object under study.

MAIN PROVISIONS

The objectives of the technological audit of livestock breeding may be to find reserves to improve the economic performance of existing production or to assess the potential efficiency of a business when it is purchased. The tasks are the collection of general information about the enterprise and the technologies used, the analysis of technical and economic indicators and the market situation, the identification of problematic and promising areas of activity. A detailed inspection of production is carried out, violations are established, the purpose and objectives of the study are formulated.

Within the framework of the “Checking calculations and laboratory analyzes” section, the level of balance of the existing feeding rations in the farm is determined, the results of control milking of dairy cattle or weighing of beef cattle are studied. With an imbalance in the existing rations, the calculation is carried out recommended for the purpose of optimized individual feeding of livestock of various physiological and age and sex groups. An analysis is also being made of the possibilities of meeting the basic needs of animals with components for the recommended rations for the implementation of the existing structure of sown areas on the farm, a calculation is made of the compliance of the current staffing table with the standards prevailing in the industry. Samples are taken and a certified veterinary laboratory conducts nutritional and safety studies of own or purchased feeds and feed additives, as well as combined MILK, including the content of ketone bodies or urea, the balance of blood composition and the possible presence of pathogens of infectious diseases.

TROUBLESHOOTING

The Theoretical Prerequisites section involves substantiation of options for solving problems identified during visual inspection, technological calculations and laboratory analyzes using the basics of animal physiology - scientifically based norms and requirements for the conditions of keeping, feeding, herd reproduction and others. If necessary, it is possible to use original author's methods, for example, approximating the results of control milkings, calculating the regression equation - an empirical lactation curve, control points for controlling the physiological state of animals, including the most favorable moment for fruitful insemination. Recommendations are formulated for dividing the herd into physiological groups, an assessment of the level of selection and breeding work carried out in the herd is calculated, the milk production program is substantiated using calving plans for cows of different ages, diagrams of individual and total lactation. It is possible to use other solutions.

The final stage of the technological audit is the development of measures to eliminate the identified violations and / or justification of recommendations for choosing more efficient technologies. Also, the calculation of the economic efficiency of the costs of money and / or labor for the implementation of the proposed measures can be carried out. An equally important stage is the delivery of the completed service: a computer presentation is developed and the report is publicly defended in the presence of the owner (s) of the business, the manager (s) and the customer's specialists.

DIET IMBALANCE

To illustrate the effectiveness of technological audit and the possibilities of eliminating identified violations using various tools, it is advisable to give several examples. For example, in the Republic of Uzbekistana recently commissioned modern dairy complex with 600 cows of the Holstein dairy breed was presented for verification. On it, milking is carried out by equipment from DeLaval, modern technologies for manure removal and microclimate control are used, and feeding is carried out with a fully mixed ration. Creation of the dairy complex and equipping it with technological equipment were carried out using the recommendations of consultants, which was one of the reasons for initiating the technological express audit by the owner. Another reason was that the average daily milk production was lower than expected.

A verification calculation of the existing diet of cows of the first physiological group using the Coral software package showed that the balance was only 68%, which made it possible to obtain no more than 24.9 kg / HEAD. per day. An analysis of the imbalance by components and ratios helped to select the missing ingredients and develop a diet that was optimized by 90% and provided an average milk yield in the first group of about 32.3 kg/head. per day. During the technological express audit, a number of other violations of technologies were identified, but the imbalance of diets turned out to be the most significant and easily eliminated. Approximately a month later, the owner reported that after his elimination, the average daily milk yield in this dairy complex increased by 7.4 kg/head. per day.

SUITABLE PERIOD

During the technological express audit in one of the farms of the Republic of Mordovia, a number of problems were identified. The company's herd consists of 1200 Ayrshire cows with an average annual milk yield of 8500 kg/head. Loose housing is used with milking in the milking parlor, feeding is carried out with a fully mixed ration from the feed table. The problems that led to the initiation of the audit were only 75 calves per 100 cows, an insemination index of more than 6, and long service and intercalving periods. The consequence of the above was the low profitability of milk production. When interviewing specialists, it was found that artificial insemination of cows began from the second heat after calving, when they had not yet left the zone of negative energy balance.

Jobbegan with the control milking and analysis of its results - daily milk yield as a function of the number of days after calving. The results of the observations were approximated by a polynomial curve, a regression line was constructed - an empirical lactation curve. The standard deviation of the results of observations from the arithmetic mean, or from the regression line, was calculated, which was a characteristic of the quality of selection and breeding work in the herd. The day of reaching the peak of lactation and the point of intersection of the regression line with the upper confidence limit of this time are the moment of exit from the zone of negative energy balance, that is, the most favorable period for fruitful insemination. Based on this, the days of launch and the next calving were calculated. Using an empirical lactation curve, the herd of cattle was divided into physiological groups. Individual diets were balanced for each of them.

The farm began to manage the herd using sound advice. Animals with daily milk yields that go beyond the lower confidence limit were ranked from the herd based on the results of annual grading. Insemination began after the exit of cows from the zone of negative energy balance, as a result of which the percentage of unsuccessful inseminations began to decrease. Balancing diets for physiological groups and ranking low-producing animals led to an increase in average daily milk yields. As a result, the cost of milk production began to noticeably decrease.

THE IMPORTANCE OF ROUTINE

Other problems were noted at a company with a herd of 2,400 black-and-white cows in the Sverdlovsk region. The farm used tie-down housing with milking in the milk line, the average milk yield was 8500 kg/head. per year, the yield of calves is 99 per 100 cows. At the same time, a large number of animals suffering from mastitis, periodic jumps in daily milk yield and high cost of milk were noted.

An analysis of the situation showed that the reason for the prevalence of the disease was the incorrect adjustment of the moment of automatic shutdown and removal from the udder of the hanging part of the MU-480 milking machines, that is, the desire for complete milking prevailed. Due to the random spread of individual indicators, a large number of cows underwent "dry milking". Adjusting the milking machines for a milk residue in the udder of about 100-150 ml solved this problem. The search for the causes of jumps in gross daily milk yield was carried out using the method of chronometric observations with photo fixation of violations and subsequent interviews of performers, analysis of the situation. The monitoring showed a banal non-compliance with the daily routine on the farm: due to a malfunction of the tractors and / or loader, feeding of the animals was delayed. During milking, the gates opened, equipment with a feeder drove into the barn. The noise from it, the large gas contamination of the room, the distribution of fresh feed mixture into the feeders during the milking period created stress and disrupted the milk transfer process. To control daily production, diagrams of total and individual lactation of cows were developed using a physiologically based calving plan and lactation curves for animals of each age group. Time has confirmed the effectiveness of this method of control. To control daily production, diagrams of total and individual lactation of cows were developed using a physiologically based calving plan and lactation curves for animals of each age group. Time has confirmed the effectiveness of this method of control. To control daily production, diagrams of total and individual lactation of cows were developed using a physiologically based calving plan and lactation curves for animals of each age group. Time has confirmed the effectiveness of this method of control.

FEW CALVES

As a result of a technological express audit of a herd for 2,400 individuals of black-and-white breed with a tie-down, milking in a milk line and an average milk yield of about 8,000 kg / head. per year in one of the farms in the Moscow region, it was found that the reason for the low economic efficiency of production is the output of only 65 calves per 100 cows. There were no apparent reasons for this, but in the course of studying the situation, it was found that in order to maintain the size of the herd, the enterprise had to annually purchase heifers and adult heifers from the side. Presumably, this could lead to the collection of pathogens of various infectious diseases. To test this assumption, a PCR study of biological materials of animals - blood, bull semen - was carried out in a certified veterinary laboratory. The results of the analysis showed the presence in the herd of several difficult-to-treat viral diseases at the same time. Infected animals were not separated in a timely manner from the main herd and infected healthy ones. The level of spread of the virus has reached such a value at which the management was asked to think about the fate of the herd.

During the audit at one of the agricultural enterprises in the Krasnodar Territory, the reasons for the low yield of calves were looked for - only 75 individuals per 100 cows. The herd consisted of 1200 animals of black-and-white breed with loose housing, milking in the milking parlour, average milk yield of 8000 kg/head. in year. Laboratory analyzes of haylage for safety showed the presence and high concentration of DON and T2 mycotoxins. The introduction of adsorbents into diets partially solved this problem and prompted agricultural producers to continue to prevent violations of the fodder harvesting technology. In addition, the verification calculation of the diets of the physiological groups of cows revealed an imbalance of the components and their ratios, which were eliminated.

SUPPLY TECHNOLOGY

During the check of the herd of the Aberdeen-Angus breed in one of the farms of the Tver region, a number of violations were revealed: there were no control weighings and measurements, zootechnical accounting and division into physiological groups. The animals were fed with non-optimized rations - the degree of balance was only 33%, and the main and concentrated feeds were distributed separately to the feeders. When feeding calves from the age of 3–4 months, feeding with concentrates was not introduced. In addition, after weaning, they were not separated by sex, so the heifers were not sent to rear replacement young stock with an average daily live weight gain of about 850–900 g/head. Requirements were completely ignored.to rearing bulls: up to the age of 12 months, the average daily gain should be 1500-1700 g / head. The final fattening at the age of 12 to 18 months is carried out on a grain diet, the content is in the sections of the livestock building without active walks, the average daily gain in live weight is 2500–3500 g/head. per day. Only with the implementation of such a program for growing and fattening gobies is the degree of marbling of MEAT necessary for gourmet products created.

Correction of errors began with the division of the herd into physiological groups, the organization of proper air exchange and temperature conditions in the room, the acquisition of scales for weighing animals, a computer for zootechnical accounting, as well as a mixer for preparing and distributing feed. Using the Coral software package, feed mixtures were balanced for each age and sex group, periodic control weighings and measurements of livestock were organized. Already the first month of feeding animals with a fully mixed diet according to individual recipes showed that the average daily gain in live weight increased by more than 1.5 times. In 60% of individuals, they amounted to more than 2 kg/head, in 20% they exceeded 2.3 kg/head, and in 5% they reached 2.4 kg/head. per day. The secret of obtaining such results is simple - setting the right technology.

The analysis of the above examples demonstrates that the technological audit of livestock farms is an important tool for the development of agricultural production, which makes it possible to identify violations of technologies, justify measures to eliminate them, and gradually reach the planned levels of technical and economic indicators of production and business profitability.