$imul-lot is a techno-economic simulation tool of shipments of pigs and pig grading performances. It lets users estimate the impact of several types of livestock management strategies on techno-economic performances. Management consultants and technical advisers in particular will appreciate this software tool.
How would pigs from one herd be classified in another grading grid if, in addition to changing the grid, the duration of rearing and slaughter weight were increased? In answer to this question, the simulation tool would let you estimate the average margin per slaughtered hog relative to a given grading grid and a given slaughter weight. It would also help to predict the number of pigs per delivery according to specifications entered by the user: rearing period, number of delivery weeks, and a minimum final weight specific to each delivery week.
One of the interesting aspects of this planning tool is that it can be customized according to the operation's herd. For example, the adviser can introduce technical elements such as:
- mortality rate during breeding period and during transportation
- feed conversion and average daily gain
- performance at the time of classification in light of lean yield and carcass weight variability
- the level of inaccuracy in the assessment of the final weight
- the possibility of spreading piglet entry over a week or two
- the assessment of compensation, taking into consideration the classification grids and the level of premium.
Example of scenarios compared in the "Income" section
If you are interested to get to know this simulator and get the basic instructions for its use, please contact Patrick Gagnon.