ABSTRACT
Management of a livestock enterprise has always required versatility. Most livestock operations are too small to economically employ a person from each of the fields of expertise, but most should hire consultants from several of the areas. Analyses that is too large for the micro may be solved by using a network to access a mainframe computer over telephone lines. The exponential curve plotting advances of microcomputer technology has continued during 1984. Prices of hardware have continued to decline so that a unit that would have sold for over $12,000 in 1983 can be purchased for less than $6,000. Many brands of hardware are equivalent with only small differences, which are advantages only for special applications. Software dealers and programmers can, in many cases, supply the user with a complete package at lower cost than one bought piece by piece from several discount dealers. The livestock producer can increase his management capabilities by utilization of the modern microcomputer.
