MVSc

Realizing the undeniable significance of computerization in farming
operations and recognizing the potential popularity and growth of goat farming
in India, every attempt has to be made to introduce computerized management
into goat fanning. The present study was carried out in Kerala Agricultural
University sheep and goat farm to introduce computerized data management
system. The study involved the evaluation of the existing system, identification
of the input requirement for developing computer program, development of
computerized data management system (CDMS) evaluation of the CDMS, and
comparison of the existing system with CDMS.
Average time required for entering a set of data in livestock, birth,
medicine stock, miscellaneous articles, stock, feed, milk recording and disposal,
disposal and mortality and breeding registers in the existing system were found
to be 21.36 ± 1.13,34.58 ± 0.81, 30.86 ± 1.13,32.06 ± 1.01,32.94 ±1 .07,
18.39 ± 1.08,31.47 ± 1.21 and 15.28 ± 1.03 seconds respectively. Average time
required for recording a set of entries in kidding, mortality, sale of animals,
breeding and milking events were found to be 47.47 ± 1.52,67.83 ± 1.69,57.36
± 1.48, 15.28 ± 1.03 and 18.39 ± 1.08 seconds respectively in the existing
system. Time taken to get data on population status, feed ingredients, total
quantity of feed fed to animals, number of animal bred, kidding, total milk

production, milk disposal, mortality and sale, transfer, and culling In the
existing system was calculated.
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Input requirements were determined based upon the data to be stored
and the data to be obtained from the proposed computerized data management
system (CDMS). Based on the information collected and anticipated reports
required for an efficient goat farm management, a combination of Visual Basic
6.0 as front end tool and Microsoft Access 97 as back end tool were used.
Computerised data management system for goat farms is structured under a
main menu with various menus such as status, feed, production, reproduction,
health, view reminder, reports and exit.
The status menu under the main menu allows the user to record and
retrieve various categories of animals. It is further divided into kids, young
stock, adult stock, total stock, daily stock, medicine stock and miscellaneous
article stock options. The feed menus has feeds and feed requirement
submenus. Feeds sub menu allows the user to record purchase and issue details
of feeds and feed requirement submenu gives details about nutritional
requirement of various categories of animals.
The production submenu is divided into weighing, growth chart, milk
recording, milk chart and weaning for recording weighing measurement,
calculating average daily weight gain, growth trend of an animal, milk yield,
milk production trend of an animal and weaning details respectively.

• Reproductive menu is segmented into oestrous, service and kidding.
Date of heat and expected date of next heat can be recorded and obtained from
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oestrous option. Service option allows the user to get details about date of
service, pregnancy diagnosis and expected date of kidding. Kidding details can
be stored in the kidding option. Kidding interval, parity details and dry off date
can be obtained from this submenu.
Reminder menu is designed to obtain the checklists of animals due for
vaccination, treatment, deworming, dipping, heat, service, kidding, weaning
and dry off. View menu can display all the recorded information under various
tables. Report menu is designed for obtaining animal strength, disposal details,
feed details, production and reproduction performance, service report, breeding
efficiency and farm income.
Average time requirement to enter a set of entries in kids, medicine
stock, miscellaneous articles, feed, milk recording, service, milk disposal,
mortality and sales, transfer and culling records in the computerized data
management system were 19.17 ± 0.81, 20.75 ± 0.69, 21.81 ± 0.71, 26.19 ±
0.79, 11.67 ± 0.84, 22.67 ± 0.99, 24.00 ± 0.68, 25.64 ± 0.08 and 27.50 ± 0.61
seconds respectively. Average time required for recording a set of entries in
kidding, mortality, sale of animals, breeding and milking events were found to
be 44.08 ± 0.94, 25.64 ± 0.80, 27.50 ± 0.61, 22.67 ± 0.99 and 32.92 ± l.38
seconds respectively in the computerized data management system. Time taken
to get data on population status, feed ingredients, total quantity offeed, number

of animals bred, kidding, total milk production milk disposal, mortality and
sales, transfer and culling was calculated.
Average time required for entering a set of entries in the computerized
data management system was significantly (P existing system except breeding register which required more time in the
computerized data management system than existing system. Average time
required to record a set of entries in each event in the existing system was
significantly differed (P that there was a significant difference (P computerized data management system in case of time required to retrieve data.