# Record keeping system



## Trysta (Apr 5, 2011)

I need help crerating a good management/record keeping system for my growing herd. I do keep records of what I do (breeding, hoof trimming, vaccinating, treatments, etc.) on a calendar and in my computer, but I can not decide on a good system to have it all there in one place. My 'treatment file' is in excel, but I tend to put so much in there that I run 'off the screen' and then I still can't see it all without scrolling in all directions. I have several other breeding/treatment/kidding files, but I want it all together. 

Who has a good system (on paper or in computer, it doesn't matter) and is willing to share? I will have two breeding periods and two kidding periods from now on, and I need to make sure everyone gets their vacc etc on time, but it's impossible now to do everything 'whole herd style'. :help


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## Trysta (Apr 5, 2011)

Nobody? :down


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

Marion, I'm probably not much help. I only have a small herd, but I absolutely HAVE to keep everybody on a schedule that I have written down or what needs to get done does not get done. 

I do not have a program as I could not find one that I was satisfied with. Instead I keep a book with hard covers for that. It's by the month with room for notes. I plan to make each goat her own page, but I need to find a way to keep it all together or it WILL get lost!

For things that are done monthly, to keep it simple, I do them on or very near the first of the month. All hooves are trimmed, bo-se given, copper boluses, worming, etc. Anything that can wait till the first, gets done on the first. 

I write everything in my book. I write down each animals name and then as whatever needs to get done, gets done, I put a check mark by it. I can carry the book outside. It goes in the wheelbarrow with the cooler that holds vaccinations, needles, a pen, etc. 

I'm a very visual person and I have to be able to have a hard copy of what I'm doing at hand, with a pen. If I relied on putting info into the computer, it would not get done, plus, even if I put it in the computer later, I still need it written down so I know what to put in!

As for boosters, like a cdt booster, when I give the shot I write the booster date down on a slip of paper and hang it on my fridge. Right now my kids need their cdt boosters and the buck and wether need their lysigin booster. Next week the entire herd needs a pasturella booster. At kidding time the does due are put in plain sight and also the date for prekidding shots. 

None of the programs I looked at really served my needs with specific shots, etc. I do know you can change things around, but I don't do spreadsheets. 

I'm sure once the hurricane passes and weekend shows are over, other folks will chime in with what works for them and many do have programs they are happy with. 

Good luck!


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## Bella Star (Oct 27, 2007)

I use a dollar store yearly planner with velcro stuck on the back to my computer desk cabinet door ,I write everything that's done to the goats down on and every fall I list all goats that I will be keeping for the next year season with groups of pure bloods,american and bucks list with ages date bred and to which buck and the date due on a list of paper thats taped to the calender to flip over the month page see the paper to the side of photo,I did have it taped ,I like this system as I have used computerprograms but I just cant remember doing stuff and also I dont have the time to sit and type everything that the program requires ,its just easier to use the calender method BUT you need to work out a system that works for you.


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## Twillingate Farm (Oct 26, 2007)

Marion, I use a computerized software package that I wrote a few years ago and it works fine for me to keep medical, production and breeding records etc. It doesn't work if you have Microsoft VISTA and, being retired now, I no longer find pleasure in re-writing computer code but the price is right (FREE) so if you'd like to give it a try, you can download it from my website under the PRODUCTS tab. Any questions regarding use etc. can be referred to me since I haven't gone senile yet though these goats are pushing me in that direction. :biggrin


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## Trysta (Apr 5, 2011)

Thanks everyone. I had just decided to go 'paper' after the first two posts (those both sounded like systems that would work well) but now I definitely want to try Alan's system, too, so i guess I'll go paper and 'puter for awhile and see what fits me best. Now hmm, computer-dummie that I am, do I have Vista???? I will have to check that.... I know my good ol' desktop has something else than my laptop from work, so I should be good for at least one of those.

Really appreciate the tips, and yeah, I always think that goats are a crossbred between great therapy and the thing that may bring you close to insanity at the end..... LOVE 'em!


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## birdiegirl (Oct 26, 2007)

I just found a program called Kintracks (www.kintracks.com) It is a free program if you have 60 animals or less. I see I will soon be paying for mine :rofl

I haven't entered the goats in yet, but I think it can be adapted for them. With the dogs, you can enter in a health treatment and the calender will remind you when the next treatment is due. It also keeps track of pedigrees.


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## buckrun (Mar 7, 2008)

I have a white board at the barn and another on the way in/out the door of the mud room. I have a notebook at the barn and a hardbook at the house. The theory is to note on the white board and later transfer what I do on the spur of the moment at the barn to the notebook and then to the hardbook which often gets done but honestly I do the same as you and mostly use a big block calendar and keep them all from every year in a file cabinet. 

Lee


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## Trysta (Apr 5, 2011)

That calendar is what I depend on most and the other day I couldn't find it, and realized that all my breedings etc are on there and not (yet?) in the computer..... That's when I realized I need something better that that calendar that can get lost in one of my famous piles! I did find it back, but am determined to go and try a combination of all the tips above. I do have a white board at the barn though, but that has 'milking related' things on there, not so much treatments and breedings. Hmmm, Iguess my record keeping is as scatterbrained as I am :sigh: time for some serious improvement!


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## Bella Star (Oct 27, 2007)

:blush I keep a pad ready for notes while I read the post here also for notes that I can use. I also jot down new meds that I might need to use with the dosage like all those paste wormer amounts and then I update my computer Med notes or I jot them down on the back pages of calender where the notes go and then add them to my meds computer at the end of the year. I have done this for 8 years now.... However I am checking out the free computer systems as they just might work . Notes are great if I can keep up with them.


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

You probably do need to do both notes and computer in case one goes down or gets lost...at least for the last year or so..especially really important things like breedings and vaccinations.


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## Golden_Seal (Sep 14, 2011)

I use easykeeper.net it's a work in progress but it's amazing.


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## Lynn_Theesfeld (Feb 21, 2010)

Crystal,
that looks pretty neat! what does it cost you to run that? Looks like a one stop shop for the most part  .... I live for reminders lol might be helpful


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## Golden_Seal (Sep 14, 2011)

I don't know how much they charge. I got on board when they first started so I have a lifetime membership free. It has everything! It's totally worth the wait.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

I can't see sitting down an inputting information I already have written down. My life is on my calander and I use it when I do my taxes. Like Lee I keep information in the barn as it is happening and move this onto my calander. For routine things like weighing and hoof trimming I simply take the calander out to the barn with me. When a doe is bred it immediatly is written 5 months forward on the calander that sally was bred to fred....I also go 21 days ahead and write check Sally for heat. A group of kids are born I immediatly go ahead 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 9 weeks and 12 weeks and write down, corid, worm, weight, then I just put checks after their names after they are treated each day for 5 days. Treatment for illness does go into the calander, but after it is over I do make notes on what worked into my Goat Medicine book and anything that I want to remember about the doe speicfically goes into a piece of paper behind her pedigree. 

I keep all kids born here, who they were sold to, dam sire, how many in birth, dates and tattoos in a memo sprial notebook that stays in my pedigree binder. This way when I travel with animals I just put my calander in my binder and my goats whole lives are all in one place.

Keeping track of hoof trimmings is simply busy work, at least take their weight and a do a fecal so you are actually inputing information that will be needed...who did you get the sample from etc... Don't bombard yourself with busy work that someone buying the goat couldn't care less about that information. Vicki


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## lorit (May 10, 2010)

I keep a fairly decent size calendar hanging right by my scales in the milk room. I can write milk weights, any vaccs, worming, hoofs, whatever I do on the day I do it next to the goat's name. Breeding notes and like Vicki - look ahead and make notes as to what to do or expect. But I don't want to keep that big ole' calendar after I am done so developed a simple excel spreadsheet that I transfer everything to - usually once a month. Then if I need to have an individual health record, I can just cut and paste that over. Yeah it is a bit of work to get it on the computer but handy once it is done.  Keep in mind my herd is small - 8 right now - and only 3 milking - so it is fairly easy to fit the info on the calendar.


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## Golden_Seal (Sep 14, 2011)

I like the paper idea too. I just bought a pretty binder for it, hah. I want to print off pedigrees from the registry for my own records.


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## buckrun (Mar 7, 2008)

> . But I don't want to keep that big ole' calendar after I am done


I used to think the same way until I had a hard drive crash. I now have a seagate backup but also-
I now have a file cabinet full of calendars  
Just marked 21 days till about half the herd is cycling again  They nearly tore down every fence on the place here today! Hope new little bucky boy is up to it :rofl

Lee


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

I am starting a 2012 calander next week which will have all the breeding dates on it already in March.....come April my 2011 calander will be done with it's use, all my taxes done and it goes into the 2011 Schedule F folder for my taxes. Vicki


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

I don't like paper records as it tends to get lost around here. I usually take a notebook and write down info, date, weights, wormers, meds, etc and transfer it to a simple spreadsheet. One file with a tab for each goat. Sometimes I have a problem even getting it from paper to computer. I have a laptop now. Hubby said he would build me a shelf in the barn so that I can bring in the laptop and record the data right into the computer. This will work much better for me. 

I use the preformulated program from fiasco farm (I think) or maybe I got it here for the breeding/kidding records.

I'll have to check out a couple of the programs you all mentioned.


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## Trysta (Apr 5, 2011)

For now I have bought one of those school planners. I have a note pad and a white board in the barn and keep the planner in the house. Writing all heats, breedings (with buck info) and kiddings in it, and try to also put that info in the computer, so I have it double. I have not kept track of hoof trimming, though, and I know I should, just started on my dry does last week and will try to keep track of it now.


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