Aquisiton and management of reindeer herd data

Abstract

Obtaining and maintaining accurate records of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) herd data has become a necessary tool for efficient herd management. A computerized record keeping and reporting system was developed due to the speed which which animals were seen at the seasonal handlings. Custom software was written using the dBASE III + data management package to handle the special needs of herd record keeping. The software was then compiled using the Clipper compiler. The resulting program and data were implemented in ramdisk on a Toshiba 3100 microcomputer. Data structures were carefully chosen to provide for recording of tag identification, sex, age, body weight, abnormalities, disease testing, and treatments for each deer. Additionally, fields were provided to maintain records of ongoing biologic experiments. A report generation program was written to provide a current herd status report to the herders.