How do you guys do it?

For you keepers with 15+ animals (I know a few on here have well over 50 snakes), how do you keep track of everything? I'm investing in a whiteboard to put on the side of my two snake rack just to keep track of feeding. I can't fathom how you guys would go about checking that many tubs, remembering who just got cleaned, who has fresh water, and who ate vs who didn't. I really want to be one of you guys with many snakes when I have my own place/ enough space but I can't imagine having the time for it unless it was a business.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I do it with notebook.


Sent from iPhone 6 using tapatalk :)

I do it with notebooks and computer. The notebooks are for instant recording and as soon as I have time a record it all to a hard copy on my computer where they each have their own profile using word doc.

A lot of people use index cards, different colored stickers, or sticky notes right on each tub to keep track of who needs what. Note books are also good for keeping consolidated records, and computer logging, either with a purchased program or on a website like iherp, usually has a cloud kind of feature where you can access your data from anywhere with an internet connection.

Notebook I keep at the racks and write everything down. Spreadsheets on the comp I transfer everything to. I only have 24 snakes so it's not too cumbersome.

Labels on the tubs & stacks, Excel SS with all of the important info like feeding schedules, ovy's, pre-lay sheds, etc.

For babies I produce to sell, I keep feeding and defecating records until I'm satisfied everything is working as intended internally. For my personal collection, the only records I really keep are during breeding season and they include pairings as well as eggs produced. I don't keep track of who eats as I feed on the same days regardless. Sometimes snakes skip a meal or two, it's nothing to keep a record of or get stressed over as far as I'm concerned. I put more stock in the overall appearance of each animal, if it has good body mass and muscle tone I don't fret. If someone starts to look on the thinner side I know they've skipped some meals and I may offer a different prey type or offering approach to get them back on track. You'll get to know your animals no matter how many you keep. When it becomes more a chore and less an enjoyment then I think it's time to cut back on the numbers. I spend a total of 2-3 hours a day in my reptile room because I enjoy being their janitor, the interactions it entails, and take my time on tasks that could be finished in 30 minutes. Simply observing the various antics of individual animals always puts a smile on my face.

Routines are your friend and will help cut down on unnecessary record keeping. Here's my general routine for the inside animals. I do daily AM and PM checks to spot clean and replace soiled water dishes. To avoid stagnating water, every Monday all water dishes are replaced. Tuesday is rodent day - fresh bedding for everyone. Wednesday and Sunday are feeding days for the heterodons and aspidites. Friday and Saturday are feeding days for the remainder of the indoor collection.

Spirals and 3x5 index cards.
Oh yeah and a pen.
Thats it, nothing digital at all.
And time.

Well I'm still perfecting my system, but this is what I do now..

I use Evernote on my computer, and SnakeKeeper on my phone to keep track of everything. I have their hatch date listed (If I know it) The date I received them, who I got them from, their species, morph, all of their feedings, their weights, and their sheds. I'm going to keep a hard copy of this too in case anything happens you know?

As for checking on them, I'm home a lot, and I probably check on my snakes anywhere from 1-10 times a day. Checking temps, looking for poop or spilled/dirty water, and to hold them. They are pretty used to me just opening their bin, pointing a weird light into their hide and then shutting the bin lol. I have 11 snakes. 6 are in a rack system, 3 are in vision cages, 1 is in an exo-terra tank, and one is in a seperate bin.

I don't keep track of everything for my breeders only feeding (batch feeding using reptile scan) ovy, pre-lay and clutches.

For hatchlings I use index cards for feeding.

I don't keep track of cleaning, and or watering all that is done routinely, specific day for adult cleaning and watering, specific day hatchlings cleaning and watering, and spot cleaning as needed in between.

Master notebook on everybody to record meals, sheds, weights, and when snakes are placed together. Then each permanent resident snake has a few loose pages clipped together that backs up the same info, plus added notes on the animal if I feel something's pertinent. Then new babies get index cards that I keep until they're sold (I like to send the index cards go with the babies) or they fill a card, then they just go in the notebook.

I keep a separate notebook on just clutch data. But I enjoy keeping track of the details.

I have tried a bunch of things. I always come back to a notebook though. Basically the notebook is just to keep track of who ate and didn't and for breeding. I do a quick check everyday on everyone. I have a regular routine for cleaning and feeding. I use to keep track of defecating, shedding, etc.. Too many now to do that. It also helps knowing the snakes well. You learn all their quirks and what you can and can't do with them. I know who won't take f/t, I know who will eat blue, etc....

I just have a super good memory. Don't record anything st all. ;)

I don't do much of anything. I can understand people who do this for a business keeping records but I do this for fun and I've never found bookkeeping to be fun. I do write down breeding data in a notebook, and when dealing with hatchlings I put post-it notes on the tubs of problem feeders but once they're feeding regularily I don't bother keeping track anymore. I know some people who track every shed skin, weigh them every month, track every defecation and every meal with type of food and weight of the food in grams, etc.... That would drive me nuts.

I am another member of the "tried everything" group.

Currently I am doing everything by hand. Stuff that is regularly logged for me is feeding, weights, and sheds. I have a handwritten list of the dates that snakes last fed, and go by that daily to determine who needs to eat on any given day. As I'm offering food I write down who is being fed, what they are being fed, if I offered, and if they ate ( that is just what I use during the acutal feeding so I know who has rats in the tubs, etc). The next morning I write down everyone who actually ate on a "log these" list, which is all the stuff that needs to be "officially" logged in the binders.

I have about 70-80 snakes, haven't counted in a while. I have 4 binders, male ball pythons, female ball pythons, other (non ball pythons), and available animals. Each binder has a divider that is used to section off each snake's records. I keep all documentation in there, business card from who I purchased from, any feeding logs/genetics guarantees, etc. I also have a spreadsheet where I log the info on the "official log these" sheet.

many of my notes are pre loaded, so I start typing and bam the cell fills itself in. I have a card on each snake's cage with the day it is expected to feed and the day it usually poops. For example, my corn snake eats Monday, poops Wednesday and Friday. The card says Sun No Hndle, Mon Feed, Tues No Hndle Chng w, Wed Def, Thurs Chng W, Fri Def, Sat, Chnge W. Chng W means change water. No Handle means the snake should be left alone in preparation for feeding or to digest food. Def means the snake usually poops that day. With the exceptions of my balls which can go months between bowel movements, most of my snakes are pretty regular.

I feed some snakes on Monday, some on Tuesday, some on Wednesday, and some on Thursday. This gives me time to do other things.

David

David

Thanks for the ideas everyone. I'm going to use a notebook and index cards/post it notes.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk