A computerised method for systematically analysing the livestock component of farming systems

The analysis of livestock systems as part of research with a farming systems perspective requires effective methods for gathering relevant information from the field and analysing it in a form which makes it easy to identify any changes. This paper discusses software packages developed to standardize livestock systems data handling and to quantify livestock production as a function of feed supply, herd dynamics probabilities and traction. Livestock is generally an integral part of farming systems. The developed quantified methods of livestock systems research include interactions with other components of farming systems.