An expert system for weaning lambs

Abstract

The animal grazing industry is a major sector of New Zealand's economy. Managers controlling the utilisation of the nation's massive pasture production tend to make utilisation decisions using experience and intuition in contrast to formal analytical analyses. Yet, when related to the potential, production achieved tends to suggest improvements are possible. That is, greater production is possible with the same resources, or alternatively the same production is possible from a smaller resource input. It appears one of the reasons for the lack of formal planning is the farmers' belief that the work involved is not commensurate with the gains. Thus, if techniques that are simple to use and provide an efficiency gain can be found they clearly have potential. The study reported in this Report concerns the development of an expert system for a small component of the grazing management problem. It is proposed that such an expert system meets these requirements. This report is one of a series describing several expert systems in the area of grazing management.