MVSc

The study was based on information gathered from the Kerala Livestock Development Board farms at Dhoni and Madupetty. The existing systems of management and the records maintained with respect to the pedigree, growth, feeding, health, disease and treatment, production, reproduction, movement, shed workers routine, housing, shed management and weather were critically studied. The prevailing system of data collection and information management with respect to the parameters mentioned above were observed. Forming this as the background, an attempt was made to develop a flow chart for a computerized management information system for bull mother herds. Simultaneously, a PC based, menu driven, user – friendly package entitled ‘Management Information System – Bull Mother Herds’ (MIS – BMH) was evolved using Foxpro software giving sperial emphasis on the management requirements, information needs and the reports to be complied in bull mother farms.
The MIS – BMH programme is structured under a main menu with various sub – menus. The main menu has four options namely data entry, reports, utilities and exit. The first option is used for the on line entry of events as it occurs in the farm. Data pertaining to the herd was grouped in three sections viz., calf, young stock and cow. Input formats were developed for data entry thus continuously updating the data base files storing details on birth, growth, feeding, health, disease and treatment, production, reproduction, movement, workers’ routine, shed management, housing and weather.
The ‘Report Menu’ is accessed by selecting the second option in the main menu. The report menu has five options. Objectives and details of infrastructure is the first option in the report menu which provides brief details of the objectives and the composition of the farm. The user is presented with an analysis of the weather data recorded in the farm for a specified period on selecting the second option in the report menu. Some guidelines for the routine management of the stock with regard to calf care at birth, colostrum feeding, feeding of growing and milking animals, hygienic milk production, herd health control, sanitation and other management practices are displayed on choosing the third option in the report menu.
‘Animal Details’ is the fourth option in the Report menu. The sub – menu ‘Animal Report’ has five options namely calf details, young stock details, cow details, animal card and exit. The sub – menu ‘Calf Details’ has eleven options. Option 1 if chosen presents the user the birth details of all the calves born in the farm. The growth details of the calves are presented on choosing option 2. The report on the growth status of the calves in the farm for a specified period is accessed by selecting option 3. Feeding details is option 4. The sub – menu ‘Calf feeding/Consumption’ has three options namely calf feeding, calf consumption and exit. The quantity of milk to be fed to calves in the farm upto 90 days of age based on the feeding schedule entered is indicated to the user. The sub – menu on ‘Calf Health Details’ (option 5 sub – menu) has three options namely calf vaccination, diagnostic test and exit. The details of vaccinations and deworming performed and the diagnostic tests done on the calves in the farm are presented to the user. The disease and treatment report (Option 6 in the sub – menu) provides an account of all the diseases encountered by a calf with brief details of treatment and cost.
The movement report is accessed by choosing the option 7 in the sub – menu ‘Calf Details’. It provides information on the number of calves dead, sold, transferred and culled during a specified period. The calf – shed workers routine report providing details about the daily work routine of calf – shed workers is accessed by choosing option 8 in the sub – menu. Details of calf housing are presented on choosing option 9 and calf shed management on selecting option 10.
The informations relating to the young stock are accessed by choosing option 2 in the sub – menu on ‘Animal Reports’. The sub – menu ‘Young stock Details’ has eleven options and are organised more or less in the same fashion as in the case of calves with some additions such as options for reproduction.
The details of young stock reproduction are accessed by choosing option 6. The sub – menu ‘Young Stock Reproduction’ has three options namely the heat details, AI/PD details and exit. The details of heat observed, inseminations done and pregnancy examination of each animal are furnished.
The details of cows can be accessed by choosing option 3 in the sub – menu ‘Animal Report’. The sub menu ‘Cow Details’ displayed has eleven options.
The output formats developed for and information furnished on cow growth (option 1), cow health (option 3), cow disease and treatment (option 4) movement (option 6), cowshed workers routine (option 7), cow housing (option 8) and cow herd management (option 9) are similar to that for calf and young stock.
The feeding details of cows are accessed on selecting the option 2 in the sub – menu ‘Cow Details’. The sub – menu has four options namely feeding milch cows, feeding dry cows, feeding roughage and exit. The quantity of concentrates to be fed to a milking cow based on its milk production, stage of lactation and gestation is indicated to the user on choosing option 2. The details of feeding dry cows and the roughage feeding schedule are furnished on choosing option 2 and 3 respectively.
The details of cow reproduction are presented on choosing option 5 in the sub – menu. The sub – menu ‘Cow Reproduction’ has five options namely heat details, AI/PD details, calving details, cow reproduction card and exit. The heat and AI/PD details furnished are similar to that for young stock. The calving report accessed on selecting option 3 furnishes details of all the calvings that have occurred in the farm for a specified period. The cow reproduction card is displayed on the screen by choosing option 4 in the sub – menu. This presents an overall picture of the reproductive performance of a cow in each lactation/cycle.
The details of milk production are accessed by choosing option 10 in the sub – menu ‘Cow Details’. The sub – menu on milk production has seven options namely 100 days’ yield, lactation yield, persistency of milk, daily milk yield comparison, milk utilization day, milk utilization period and exit. The informations furnished are the lactation number, 100 days’ yield, peak yield, days on which peak was attained, lactation length, lactation yield, standard lactation yield, average fat per cent, fat yield in kilogram, 4 per cent fat corrected milk and standard fat corrected milk (corrected for lactation number and fat percentage) of each cow in the farm. Further, details of the persistency of production and a chart showing the daily milk yield of cows corrected for lactation number are presented on choosing option 3 and 4 respectively. Details of the utilization and sales of milk on a day and for a period are also furnished (option 5 and 6).
‘Animal Card’ is option 4 in the sub – menu on animal report. This provides uptodate, quick and accurate information on the status of each animal with respect to pedigree, growth, production, reproduction and disposal.
The third option ‘Utilities’ in the main menu provides facilities for modification, deletion, back up, restore and help to the user. The fourth option is exit.
The software evolved was tested using data collected from the KLD Board bull mother farm at Dhoni. The informations generated were to be accurate, reliable and consistent with the managemental requirements of a bull mother farm thus making it suitable for use in bull mother farms in India and elsewhere. Though it updates similar packages available in the country, possibilities of further refinement and sophistication still exists. Depending on future processing and analytical requirements, the system can be further developed and expanded by adding on additional program modules or by altering and modifying existing ones.