Does it matter if we don’t count “Meat Calves” since they are sold so quickly (within two weeks)? Same for nursing suckling calves moved from mothers within days?
Consider that we talk about the average annual numbers, e.g. the calves only stay for 2 weeks and you have 24 calves, enter only 1 calve into the CFT. If the numbers are even less, it might be better to exclude them. Also, assuming that your calves are subsisting on their mother’s milk, you do not need to enter these into the CFT for carbon footprinting purposes. The CFT is more concerned with their consumption of feed. However, if this approach is to be taken, it needs to be taken consistently across all farms assessed.
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How do I consider animals that are sold within the same year?
Cool Farm Tool determines feed demand, enteric fermentation, manure, etc. for 365 days for each animal entered in the herd section tab. Therefore, it is important to consider the time animals spend on the farm when calculating the average number of ...
Should I include dead animals in the number of “sold” animals in the herd section?
No, dead animals should not be included under sold animals, as otherwise the GHG footprint would be underestimated. Dead animals did consume feed and emit GHG emissions during their live, but are not producing meat, because dead animals are not used ...
Why can I not see the meat carbon footprint in my dairy carbon footprint?
Indeed, there is no option to see meat emissions in the dairy module. The emissions on the results page (total & per unit of FPCM) are the ones related to your milk production. If you only sell milk, all emissions from your farm are attributed to the ...
Soil characteristics: I don’t see any data requirements on soil organic carbon, soil pH, and soil drainage. Can you confirm this is no longer needed?
Correct, the soil organic carbon (SOC) model in the perennials pathway does not need these data points anymore and will access data from Soil Grid. As most perennial farms may not have their own soil organic matter (SOM) measurements, also the custom ...
Is crop residue to be entered in terms of fresh or dry matter?
Crop residues are to be entered in terms of DRY MATTER.