Why Calculation Details matter
RanchAssist is designed so users can audit the assumptions behind a planning result. Before using the output for purchasing, scheduling, budgeting, or field decisions, review the source inputs and any user-editable assumptions.
Core calculation relationships
- Available forage per paddock uses mapped acres and the user-entered forage/utilization/reserve assumptions.
- Herd daily demand uses livestock count, average weight, and intake percentage.
- Capacity-based graze days compare paddock available forage with herd daily demand.
- The ordered sequence and start date generate projected entry/exit dates.
- A warning appears when the planned return is before the user-defined recovery target.
Results to review together
- Available forage per paddock
- Herd daily forage demand
- Estimated graze days per paddock
- Total grazing days
- Cycle length
- Projected rest interval
- Acres per move
- Entry/exit schedule and recovery warnings
How to sanity-check the result
Change one important assumption at a time and confirm the result moves in the direction you expect. If a small change creates a very large result change, check units, percentages, duplicated rows/features, and any hidden Advanced settings.
Rounding and purchase quantities
Where the tool converts a calculated need into purchasable whole units—such as bales, rolls, packages, loads, or other discrete quantities—the purchase quantity may round upward even when the mathematical requirement is fractional. Review Calculation Details for the current tool behavior.
Planning limitation
Projected graze/rest dates depend on user-entered forage and recovery assumptions and are not guarantees of forage regrowth. Field observation and local agronomic guidance should govern actual moves.
