RECORDS

Record keeping is an important activity in any dairy enterprises. Farmers should therefore ensure that all farm activities are recorded promptly. Records are important to farmers because they can help farmers in many ways such as in making:-

• Management decisions
• Financial accounting
• Identifying problems
• Planning for the future
• Determining whether targets are met

In the dairy enterprise, several types of records are kept by the farmer. For a successful operation of a dairy enterprise the following records should be kept by the farmer. Pedigree and numbers of each animal kept on the farm, dates of heat periods, breeding, pregnancy checks, bulls used, animal health records deworming, vaccinations, performance records milk production, growth rates

Good records should have the following characteristics:

1. Easy to update
2. Easy to understand

• Up to date i.e. include the latest event (current)

1. Easy to access
2. Easily summarized

Several types of records are kept which include:

1. Ancestry or genetic records. These include the maternal and paternal records.
2. Breeding records -sire, date of breeding, pregnancy confirmation, date of calving, and particulars of calf.
3. Veterinary records – disease type, date and treatment
4. Production – amount of milk (daily, weekly or monthly), butter fat, drying date.
5. Feed records – these could be amount of concentrate fed for pasture grazed animals or the totals amount fed for zero grazed animals.
6. Financial records – all financial transactions should be recorded.

KIMD CONSTRUCTION AND FARM CONSULTANTS LIMITED, we carryout animal recording services on farms for any number of animals you have at friendly prices all over the world. We make record keeping easier for you and it helps track the success of your farm and health of your animals. Do not hesitate to call us on +256789058152.

Our other services include;

• On farm training
• Farm plans and proposals
• Farm constructions
• Livestock animal sales
• Livestock feeds with seeds and pasture.etc

Recording

Records are important because they give the animal’s ancestry and hence prove quality and increase the value of the animal. Records also help farmers in making management decisions. Farmers keep mainly two types of records; pedigree records which show the ancestry of the animals and performance records.

Farmers are encouraged to register their animals and maintain the performance records.

The following are sample record cards that farmers can keep:

1. Record Card for Daily milk yield
2. Cow Identification and Health card:
3. Breeding / Reproduction Card
4. Calving Record

RECORD CARD FOR DAILY MILK YIELD

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Total milk

Average per day

Comment

JAN

AM

PM

FEB

AM

PM

MAR

AM

PM

APR

AM

PM

MAY

AM

PM

JUN

AM

PM

 

COW IDENTIFICATION AND HEALTH CARD
Cow identification			Health record
Cow name	sire	dam	Date born	Illness/event	outcome
number		number
breed		breed
Birth date		Sire name
Date animal received		number
source		breed

 

 

BREEDING/REPRODUCTION CARD
Lactation no…………………….date of last calving………………………………
Date on heat
Service dates
Bull/ AI
Breed and owner
Pregnancy check Date and result
Date to dry
Date to calve

 

CALVING RECORD
ID				BIRTH			weaning		12 months		Remarks
Number	Name	Sex	ID	Date	Wt		Date	Wt	Date	wt

 

FOR MORE DETAILS VISIT kimd.org OR CALL +256789058152