NASCalf Targets
Hello, and welcome to this NASCalf Knowledge Base video. In this episode, we’ll look at the target settings in the program and how to set and review the targets used to evaluate performance.
We’ll start by turning the targets on. Go to the Settings menu and open the Switches option. To display targets on the Performance screen, enable the Use Targets option. Once this is checked, you’ll notice that the result boxes at the top of the Performance screen are now color-coded red, yellow, or green. These colors indicate how well the simulation results compare to the targets you’ve defined.
Now that targets are visible, go to the Farm and Calf menu and select Target Settings. You can also use the Alt + T shortcut to open this window directly. This opens a separate window that you can resize and adjust as needed. Here, you’ll see several rows of settings that define the targets the program will evaluate.
The first group of targets relates to body weight at different ages. These values are entered as a percentage of mature body weight. For example, if calves are born at about 42 kilograms and mature body weight is 680 kilograms, birth weight would be approximately 6.25 percent of mature body weight. You would enter this as 6.25, and the program will interpret it as a percentage.
A common goal at two months of age is to double birth weight. So if birth weight is set at 6.25 percent, you can enter 12.5 percent for the two-month target. At four months of age, a reasonable target for a Holstein calf might be around 140 kilograms. Dividing that by 680 kilograms gives about 20.6 percent, which you can enter as the four-month target. These calculations are all based on the mature body weight setting, so it’s important that this value is appropriate for the animals you’re modeling.
The next group of settings relates to liquid intake. Here, you can set total liquid intake targets for zero to two months and for two to four months of age. For example, if calves are weaned at day 60 and consume about 50 kilograms of liquid during the first two months, you would enter that value in the zero-to-two-month row. If no liquid is fed after weaning, the two-to-four-month value would be set to zero.
Below that are the dry feed intake targets for the same two age ranges. These targets typically include starter, grower, and forage intake. In this example, the targets are set at 50 kilograms for the first two months and 200 kilograms for months two through four.
The next set of entries defines cost targets. These allow you to specify expected feeding costs for zero to two months and for two to four months of age. The actual values will depend on feed prices, feeding programs, and currency, but setting these targets allows the program to compare simulated costs against your expectations. In this example, the cost target is set at 150 for the first two months and 100 for the second two-month period.
Finally, the last settings define how the red, yellow, and green indicators are applied. When a result matches the target exactly, it equals 100 percent and the indicator turns green. You can define tolerance ranges around that target to control how strict the evaluation is. Typical settings might be 5 and 10 percent, or 7.5 and 15 percent. For example, if results fall within 95 to 105 percent of the target, the indicator will be green. If results are within 10 percent but outside the green range, the indicator will be yellow. If results are more than 10 percent away from the target, the indicator will turn red.
As you adjust these thresholds, the result boxes update automatically, giving you immediate feedback on whether your simulation is meeting, approaching, or missing the targets you’ve set.
That’s it for this video. 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.
