Breedcow and Dynama - Software overview
The Breedcow and Dynama software comprises of two main programs, Breedcowplus and Dynamaplus. Each of these is made up of components. There are also a number of stand-alone programs. Each program and its components are described below.
Breedcowplus
The Breedcowplus program contains Prices, AECalc, Huscosts and Breedcow as separate worksheets sheets that can be used to record the detail of how sale prices, husbandry costs or adult equivalents have been calculated. Data stored in the individual Prices, AECalc and Huscosts worksheets can also be transferred individually between Breedcowplus files. This allows any set of adult equivalent, price or cost assumptions to be used across a number of Breedcowplus and Dynamaplus program files if so desired.
The Breedcowplus program can quickly determine the best strategies for a beef breeding herd run under extensive conditions. It is a steady state herd model that generates its own structure around a starting number of weaner heifers retained. The overall herd size is adjusted by altering the starting number of weaner heifers and the final herd structure depends on the weaning and death rates chosen and the sales from each age group.
The outputs of the Breedcowplus program are herd structure, herd value, and gross margins.
Dynamaplus
The Dynamaplus program is a ten-year herd budgeting program that usually starts with the current herd numbers and structure. It has a structure similar to the Breedcowplus program with individual worksheets for the calculation of adult equivalents, prices and husbandry costs. It also has additional worksheets that provide a detailed analysis of the expected monthly cash flow for the herd (MonthCFL) and the approximate taxable income generated by the herd over time (Taxinc).
AECalc
The AECalc worksheet in Breedcowplus is an adult equivalents calculator. Adult equivalent ratings are used when comparing herds of differing composition to ensure that ratios such as gross margins (per adult equivalents) are based on the use of the same amount of (forage) resource.
In Dynamaplus, this sheet can have up to ten years of data entered in each worksheet.
Breedcow
The Breedcow worksheet in Breedcowplus collects the various inputs from the AECalc, Prices and Huscosts sheets then allows users to complete the herd model by adding information about weaning rates, losses, total adult equivalents and the variable costs incurred by the management strategy under consideration. Once all of the variables have been entered a herd structure and gross margin are produced.
Dynama
Dynama is a worksheet within Dynamaplus. It projects carryover cattle numbers for each year based on starting numbers, expected weaning rates, death rates and sales. It tracks herd structure and growth, cash flow, debt, net income and net worth for up to ten years.
Huscosts
The Huscosts worksheet in Breedcowplus can be used to store the detail of assumptions made concerning the treatment and other costs incurred by the various classes of livestock included in the model. Data for a Huscosts sheet can be imported from a separate, previously saved Breedcowplus file or entered as new values.
In Dynamaplus, this worksheet stores the annual average variable costs of the beef enterprise by classes of livestock.
Investan
Investan is an investment analysis program that compares scenarios developed in the Dynamaplus program starting with the same herd and asset structure, but with one Dynamaplus scenario involving additional investment or income sacrifice to implement a program of change. Investan calculates the net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR) for the "change" option relative to "without change" or "business as usual".
Prices
The Prices worksheet in Breedcowplus calculates net cattle selling prices from estimates of weight, price per kilogram, selling costs (as percentage of value or per head) and freight costs per head. The program also includes a transport cost calculator to help in the estimation of transport costs to alternative destinations.
You can import data from a Breedcowplus Prices worksheet into Dynamaplus to use as the first year of prices data. In Dynamaplus, this sheet can have up to ten years of data entered in each worksheet.
MonthCFL
The MonthCFL worksheet in Dynamaplus produces monthly cash flow summaries and calculates closing overdraft balances for each month. This also enables a more accurate estimate of overdraft interest than that calculated in the Dynamaplus program.
Taxinc
The Taxinc worksheet in Dynamaplus uses herd data from the Dynama worksheet to calculate livestock trading accounts, plus other information to produce approximations of taxable income.
Stand-alone programs
Bullocks, Cowtrade and Splitsal are separate programs to Breedcowplus and Dynamaplus and have no direct linkages to either program.
Bullocks
The Bullocks program focuses on selecting the most profitable turnover cattle but it may be also used to evaluate forced sales options or whether to keep the slow steers until they finish or sell them early.
Cowtrade
The Cowtrade program is used when seasons and prices are out of line with long term expectations. It can be used to set sales priorities when drought or financial crisis requires abnormal sales or when deciding how far to sell into the heifers after pregnancy diagnosis.
Splitsal
The Splitsal program provides estimates of numbers (and average weights) above and below a certain cut-off weight, when mob average weight and range of weights are known. This can be used for male turnoff over two seasons or for estimating numbers and weights from the tail of a group of heifers or steers.
