Snake Records

[Holbeird]

As I sat down tonight (couldn't sleep as usual, damn insomnia) to go ahead and set up the charts for my snakes since feeding day is on Sunday, I started thinking there has to be an easier way to do this!

Currently I use a Composition book and write down whenever they're fed, what they're fed and in what condition (aka mice/rats, live/ft/fk/stunned) whenever they shed, when i notice them going into shed (to keep track of how long) and then notes on any unusual activity. Be it, weird feeding habits, hiding out in their hides for days on end, being unusually head shy and so on.

I guess what I'm asking. For all of you breeders who keep track of these things, what do you use? I dont mean to steal your ideas but as within the next year I'm going to start breeding and selling, I would like to be a bit more professional about it, instead of showing them a piece of chicken scratch on paper lol.

I was going to set up an excel spreadsheet on the issue BUT I'm not super great at excel and I'm not sure a format that would show everything I need to show well.

Any help would be appreciated, here or in pm, whichever you're more comfortable with

[MedusasOwl]

There is an easier way.

http://www.eyehit.com/degei/product.htm

Degei is a nice program, and you can try it out for free!

[jknudson]

Index cards. I write down the ID for the ball on the top of the card, for example 05NF01 (2005 Normal Female-01) or 06CinnM01, 06PasJunM01....etc. Then I make a column for the date, one for feeding item, blue, shed, weight, and an other comments column.

I tried Degei for a while...but got too lazy to go in and update the records on the computer everytime I noted a shed, or weigh snakes, or fed....the cards are right on the bins. Keep it simple.

If you're dealing with a lot of snakes barcoded computerized systems come in handy I'm sure.

[jknudson]

Oh by the way, here's an excel spreadsheet that you can download the "record cards" with basically the same format that I use.


http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules....viewfile&id=30

[Holbeird]

These are both really good, thanks guys!

But come on everyone else, how do you all do it. I am curious how differnt people do it so I can test out a few differnt ways and see what I want.

[LadyOhh]

I use Degei...


But I have to record a LOT of info, so it's easier for me.

I used to write it down, and realized it wasn't worth it.

[Snakeman]

since i only have 2 snakes, i just write it down on my calendar. i write when they shed and when they were fed.that way if they go off feed i can check to see if it's on schedule for shedding or something

[hoo-t]

Well, ahem... I do both. I use index cards on the cage, recording any and all events, then transfer it to degei. This has really been great! degei tells me what and when to feed which snakes, keeps track of growth (really cool graphical growth charts), breeding efforts, ovulations, even feeder inventories and costs if I wanted to. My computer recently crashed, and while I was rebuilding it, I had the cards to rely on. degei is a really good program, and very reasonably priced for the full version. Plus, the person who developed it is available to help you if you run into problems. I've contacted him several times for different reasons, and have always gotten a response. Finally, if you do want to use barcoding (I haven't yet), it is available in degei (for a bunch more $$$). HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

Steve

[Freakie_frog]

Degi is worth every penny. I even plan on getting the bar code scanner for it this year so I can just point and shoot for feeding and breeding.

[Holbeird]

Seems that's the way to go, I'll have to look more into that, right now I have an escape issue that I'm dealing with **grumbles**