NASCalf Adjusting DMI
Hello and welcome to this NASCalf Knowledge Base video. In this episode, we’ll look at how you can adjust the program’s predicted feed intake to better match what’s happening on your farm.
To get started, go to the Farm and Calf menu. At the bottom of the menu list, you’ll find the option to Adjust Predicted Intake. You can also use the Alt + A shortcut to open this screen directly.
When the window opens, you’ll see a table divided into five periods, labeled Period 1 through Period 5. Each period includes a begin day, an end day, and a percentage adjustment. The begin days are fixed and cannot be changed. Period 1 always begins on day 1, and Period 5 must always end on day 122. What you can adjust are the end days for Periods 1 through 4, as well as the percentage values for each period.
As you make these changes, it’s important to keep the end day for Periods 1 through 4 less than 121. This ensures that the final period can extend properly through day 122. For example, you might set Period 1 to run from day 1 through day 50, Period 2 from day 51 through day 60, Period 3 from day 61 through day 80, and Period 4 from day 81 through day 90. The program will automatically assign Period 5 to cover the remaining days, from day 91 through day 122.
For each period, you can enter a percentage that adjusts the predicted dry feed intake. If calves on the farm you’re modeling are consuming less than predicted—for example, about 75 percent of the expected intake—you can enter 75 percent for one or more of these periods. The model will then reduce predicted dry feed intake accordingly during those time frames.
You can apply adjustments to a single period or across multiple periods. For any period where you don’t want to make a change, simply leave the percentage set to 100. In that case, the program will use its standard intake prediction for that period.
Once you’re satisfied with your settings, click OK. The model will then recalculate predicted dry feed intake using the adjustments you’ve defined. This gives you a simple and flexible way to fine-tune intake predictions so they better reflect real-world conditions on the farm you’re evaluating.
That’s it for this episode. Thanks for watching, and be sure to check out the other NASCalf Knowledge Base videos to learn how to get the most out of the program. We’ll see you next time.
