Dairybase: An Electronic Individual Animal Inventory and Herd Management System

¹ University of Illinois, Department of Animal Sciences, Urbana 61801
² The Technion, Department of Agricultural Engineering, Haifa, Israel

A microcomputer application program developed with database management system technology is described for management of animal inventory, reproduction, genetic improvement, feeding, milk production, and health records of dairy cattle. An inventory of cattle, frozen semen, frozen embryos, and nutrient content of feeds is maintained in integrated databases using a relational database management system. Knowledge-based management information is encoded into the application program to enhance management. The program utilizes electronic transfer of milk production data from electronic milk meters and has the capability to minimize manual entry of other data by electronic updating of the database. Use of the program in a 300-cow herd enhanced the detail of data available for management of individual cows and provided an improved method for planning herd management events, monitoring the current status of individual cows, and custom interfacing herd records with new or emerging electronic communication and animal sensor technology.

Key Words: computer technology • dairy herd management • animal inventory • electronic dairy records

Submitted on August 3, 1992
Accepted on February 18, 1993

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