Computer based data management system for commercial reindeer and game farm production

A computer based data management system was developed over a ten year period to manage production and research records of the commercial reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) industry on the Seward Peninsula, Alaska (Clarke and Dieterich, 1990). This program was designed to help researchers and reindeer herders make management decisions. Information such as sex, weight, velvet antler yields and calving success, can be used to make better decisions about which animals to slaughter or castrate to improve herd productivity. Information about treatments, vaccinations, and disease testing, is used to help the herder monitor individual animal health to insure a productive herd. This original system was modified to meet the needs of the game farm industry. Modif icat ions were made after consultation w i t h and analyzing the data needs of intensive wapiti (Cervus elaphus), bison (Bison bison), muskox (Ovibos moschatus, and reindeer farmers.

A computer based data management system was developed over a ten year period to manage production and research records of the commercial reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) industry on the Seward Peninsula, Alaska (Clarke and Dieterich, 1990).This program was designed to help researchers and reindeer herders make management decisions.Information such as sex, weight, velvet antler yields and calving success, can be used to make better decisions about which animals to slaughter or castrate to improve herd productivity.Information about treatments, vaccinations, and disease testing, is used to help the herder monitor individual animal health to insure a productive herd.
This original system was modified to meet the needs of the game farm industry.Modifications were made after consultation with and analyzing the data needs of intensive wapiti (Cervus elaphus), bison (Bison bison), muskox (Ovibos moschatus, and reindeer farmers.

* Communication to
Both the original and the modified data management systems were developed with Clipper® compiled dBase III+® on Toshiba® laptop computers.The modified system includes several configuration files which can be accessed from the data management program to customize the system for each individual herd or situation.One configuration file contains records that detail the number and type of herds being managed and the directories in which data is stored.Each herd also has it's own configuration files that describe the data that is recorded for individual animals in the herd and coded information for the health profiles of each animal.Each herd has an animal and exam file and may or may not have files for products, tests or comments (Fig. 1.).Animal and exam files for different herds may have different record structures since the user may or may not include optional fields when setting up a particular system.

FLAGS)
Fig. 3.The data entry system is designed to take advantage of a numeric keypad to boost speed.Animal ID's can be typed or scanned into the computer.The computer locates the animals record and displays the animal's information, then allows the user to enter new exam, product, test or comment information, or display the animal's history.Entering data such as treatments, vaccinations, abnormalities and tests can also be accomplished with the numeric keypad.
both an electronic scale, and a portable identification (ID) reader.Information such as treatments or vaccinations that will be given to all animals handled can be automatically entered by the computer.
The system operates in the following manner: 1.An animal's ID number or name is either typed or scanned (RS-232 connection to ID reader) into the computer (Fig. 3.) 2. The computer searches for the animal in the animal file.3. a.If found, it displays the animal's ID, sex, age, birthdate and status, b.If the ID is not found, the animal is assumed to be a new addition to the herd and menus are presented to enter the animal's sex, age, birthdate and optional information.
4. Once animal information is either retrieved or entered, a menu is presented to enter exam, product, test, and comment information, and display the animal's history (Fig. 4.).The body weight of an animal may either be typed in or read directly from an electronic scale via an RS-232 serial port.
5. a.When the information is complete, the first option on the menu "1.Done" may be selected and the information will be written to the database.b.Escape may be pressed to cancel the entry of that particular animal.6.The system is ready to accept another ID.
The report generation subroutine and query module have not been fully developed.Currently, only a seasonal handling report can be accessed which includes a sex/age breakdown of all animals handled or examined and all animals on file.When completed this module will allow the user to design and generate reports based on their own requirements.Currently, the user can only query to display herd age/sex breakdown information such as the report generation system.The final goal is to allow the user to build specific queries.
The configuration module allows the user to customize the system to meet specific herd, and animal species, and management needs.The user may turn off menu selections that are not necessary, i.e. if vaccinations are not going to be given, then vaccinations may be cleared from the exam entry menu.The selection may be turned on at any time and will appear on the particular menu.Tests, vaccinations, abnormalities and treatments are coded with a one character code to save space in the database (e.g.Brucellosis may have a code of B).The user has the option to configure tests, vaccinations, abnormalities, and treatments for each herd by defining the names for each of these items as they would appear on a menu, and defining the one letter codes which would represent the items in the database.
The complete system of computer, data management system, portable ID reader, scale, and necessary connections providces for accurate, efficient and

Fig. 2 .
Fig. 2. Configuration menus allow the user to toggle on or off menu and display items, or customize treatments, vaccinations, tests, and abnormalities specific to each herd or species.Rangifer, 13 (2), 1993

Animal Fil* Tagid
Fig. 1.Sample data files for an intensively managed reindeer herd.They include optional files: product, test, comment, and optinal fields: sire, origin, price, destination, weight, vaccinations, treatments, parasites, and fawning or castration status.Lines and arrows represent relationships between the files.
lays that can be configured by the user (Fig.2.).All menus are designed so selections may be made with up and down arrow keys, or by pressing the number of the desired menu selection.Throughout the system the escape key may be pressed to back out of an operation.The main components of the system are a data entry module, report generation module, query module, and configuration module.The data entry module is designed for rapid data entry through a numeric keypad, and interfaces to Rangifer, 13 (2), 1993