Abstract
A computer program was developed to facilitate the rapid and standardised calculation of the cost of providing home-produced feedstuffs for ruminants in Ireland. The user, most likely an advisor, researcher, specialist or consultant, is guided via a menu system through a sequence of options (for each of which defaults are provided that can easily be replaced) to choose the management, physical, biological and financial components of producing, harvesting, storing, processing and feeding various crops, as appropriate. Direct and indirect (e.g. land charge) costs, inherent efficiencies, subsidies (e.g. European Union area aid), etc. can all be taken into account. Feeds are costed per unit of dry matter (DM), digestible DM or metabolisable energy (ME) available for consumption. Among the unit costs determined were those of providing ruminants with grazed grass, individual harvests of grass silage or hay, maize silage, fodder beet roots (or whole crop silage) and wheat, barley or oats grain (or whole crop silage).
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