General (all livestock)
When I import a crop assessment as feed item into a livestock footprint, does the tool consider the crop in terms of yield per hectare?
Yes, hectare is considered as base unit. However, more importantly, the feed assessment is taken into account by taking the emissions per weight. So, if you feed your animals x amount, the emissions for that x amount are calculated.
How is feed intake determined by the average feed approach?
The model estimates feed intake based on gross energy requirements. This includes energy for growth, grazing, and lactation among others. The second feed approach uses the gross energy requirements to determine total feed intake based on feed items. ...
What should I do if I/the user does not know the exact feed quantities or shares?
The feed has a big impact on emissions for the beef and dairy modules and thus the values should be as close to reality as possible, by indicating the DMI per animal category. If the exact DM quantities for each category are not available, please use ...
Can I account for the time the manure is stored in different systems?
We use an IPCC Tier 2 method for estimating manure storage emissions which does not allow users to consider changes in storage duration or sequential management practices. The IPCC default factors assume a typical storage duration in the primary ...
Does the beef/dairy pathway include carbon sequestration of feed items?
There is the option to include sequestration in the feed items when using the crop pathway of the CFT to generate a carbon footprint for your own produced feed item for which you apply practices that sequester carbon. However, the default feed values ...
Grazing quality clarification: What impact does this metric have on overall GHG output? What is its purpose?
Grazing quality information is required for the digestibility of grass. High quality refers to grass from good pastures (generally fertilized), low quality refers to grass from rangelands (mostly unfertilized). Both grassland quality levels have the ...
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 ...
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 ...
The herd section asks me for average numbers for animals on farm, but actual numbers for purchased/sold animals. Why is that?
For the animals on farm, the Cool Farm Tool works on a whole year basis and so we are trying to calculate on average how much manure and methane is produced by these animals in a year. If the animals are only present for half the year, you only want ...
How were the animal categories defined in the Cool Farm Tool?
The categories reflect the different stages and use cases on a beef or dairy farm. Some users perceive them as too few categories others as too many categories. The current grouping was for us the best compromise of accuracy and data availability. ...
Can you account for carbon changes and sequestration in livestock farms e.g. if you have trees near the barn?
Carbon change due to management interventions (e.g. carbon sequestration) or additional tree biomass is not yet available for livestock pathways. You can only account for management interventions in the crop module for biomass added or management ...
Grassland fertilisation: I only apply manure fertiliser on hayfields, not on the full acreage that is used for both hay and grazing. Does it make sense to select “grazing, grass silage, and hay area combined” and then enter in only the acreage on which fertiliser is being applied?
Correct. Select “grazing, grass silage, and hay area combined”, and please only enter the area that is fertilised and the respective fertiliser amounts, not the full area. This won’t impact any other modules (e.g. grazing, feed). Please keep in mind ...
If I use manure from my livestock for fertilisation, is it sufficient to enter the management type "daily spread" or should I enter the manure as a fertiliser?
In the beef and dairy module, the “manure” tab accounts for the emissions from management and storage of manure collected from animals in-house (emissions from manure left on field during grazing is already calculated by the tool). Select the ...
How do I insert a crop assessment as a feed input for my dairy/beef assessment?
To do this please click the "More" button in your completed crop assessment and follow the instructions under "Cattle feed" at the bottom and hit "save". Once you've done that you will see this crop in the "Feed component" dropdown under "Feed" in ...