DECOMP is a methodology for calculating the demographic parameters - reproduction, mortality and management rates - of tropical ruminant livestock herds (cattle, small ruminants and camels), using LASER data bases.

DECOMP is based on discrete time calculations:

• In LASER databases, all demographic events (births, deaths, sales, loans, purchases, etc.) are recorded individually and located in time with their date of occurrence;

• Using these dates, DECOMP builds animal life histories (e.g., from birth to death or slaughtering) and then decomposes the demographic histories in successive segments, referred as “horizontal” or “vertical” decomposition units (Lesnoff et al., 2007). Decomposition units correspond to intersections between an age classes and a periods of time;

• After the decomposition, the individual data are grouped per unit or per group of units, and finally used to calculate the demographic parameters.

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DECOMP materials

Contact

matthieu.lesnoff@cirad.fr