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The dynamics of an animal - vegetation system: Sheep farming

Author

Listed:
  • Anders Skonhoft

    (Department of Economics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology)

  • José-María Da Rocha

    (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and RGEA-Universidade deVigo)

Abstract

The paper studies the economy and ecology of sheep farming at the farm level in a Nordic context, with a crucial distinction between the outdoors grazing season and the winter indoors feeding season, and where climate conditions fix the length of the grazing season. Two different categories of animals, ewes (adult females) and lambs, and one plant species are included in our ecological model. The farmer is assumed to maximize present-value profit where the revenue is made up income from meat and wool production, and we find that livestock cycles may represent an optimal management policy. We also show that, in a possible steady state with a constant number of animals and constant vegetation quantity, slaughtering either only lambs or only ewes is optimal.

Suggested Citation

  • Anders Skonhoft & José-María Da Rocha, 2012. "The dynamics of an animal - vegetation system: Sheep farming," Working Paper Series 13612, Department of Economics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology.
    • Handle: RePEc:nst:samfok:13612
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    File URL: http://www.svt.ntnu.no/iso/WP/2012/13_sheepdynamic_AS.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Rosen, Sherwin & Murphy, Kevin M & Scheinkman, Jose A, 1994. "Cattle Cycles," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 102(3), pages 468-492, June.
    2. Sherwin Rosen, 1987. "Dynamic Animal Economics," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 69(3), pages 547-557.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    sheep farming; vegetation growth; dynamics;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q12 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Micro Analysis of Farm Firms, Farm Households, and Farm Input Markets

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