record keeping

[drache]

I'm wondering what kind of record keeping system those of you with several animal use.
I've been using spiral bound index cards and basically have a thread per tank - two tanks per booklet (beginning at both ends).
It works pretty well for the most part, except when I get busy.
There's gotta be something better, though.
I'm envisioning a chart that I can just check off, or even a program for my Palm Pilot.
I seem to remember seeing some kind of electronic record keeping thingy on some aquarium site - have any of you ever used anything like that and how well does it work?

[Boots]

Funny you should ask about record keeping today. I was just looking over a program called Metzcal which is designed for herps. You can find their page at Metzcal Herp Software , but since I have only started looking at it I can not really tell you how well it works. Has anyone used Metzcal or any other software out there?

Jason

[GarterGuy]

Nope, still just a spiral note pad and pen. Tried setting something up in Excel, but just became too much a pain in the backside.

[drache]

I started looking at that Metzcal site and then I realized that I want something more portable.
It needs to be either a check sheet kind of thing; or a single pad/notebook or a Palm program, so that I can take it with me.

The snakes are actually much less of a issue than the lizards, who need a lot of stuff and some of it every day. But I do like to record when they shed and I kept putting it off last time, because I was so busy and I wrote about it in some thread here - so I could always retrieve that info, etc . . . Of course by now I hardly even remember what thread that was.

The animals are fine of course. The Gerbils jump up and down when they want something. Everybody else is one some daily, weekly, or bi-weekly schedule. This schedule sort of jig-sawed in with my work schedule.

It all works fine.
However, I am not content.
Jeff says it's my three planets in virgo.
I think it may have more to do with having grown up in Germany, with an engineer as a father. There is a correct way of doing things and in the case of animal husbandry, record keeping is essential.

In fact - I should go find that thread and at least catch up with system I've got.

[abcat1993]

Well, I only have 4 animals to take care of (except my dog) so I use the calendar on my wall. Probably not that great, and I forget to write down feedings sometimes, but it works better than nothing.

PS: Boots (Jason) is finally back. Yay

[GarterGirl]

There's got to be something better than a spiral notepad and pen! There are always spiral notepads and pens lying EVERYWHERE in our house! I'm serious!

[Stefan-A]

Only two animals, so I don't keep records anymore. Used Word (and Writer when I used OpenOffice) when I did. I guess Access (Base in OpenOffice) might have been better for that purpose.

What kind of information do you usually write down?

[drache]

I write down when I feed them, how much they eat, when they shed, their vet visits, when I do a total tank breakdown.
For the lizards it's more complex because they get more food variety, so they get something different every day.

Mikhaila is right - those little spiral bound index card pads are everywhere.
Perhaps I need to have more of a log-book kind of format . . .

[Valley Pets]

I keep feed/shed records also breeding and laying records...I also record DOB, and if i didn't breed the snake where I got it from..I don't think I'd beable to keep track of everything if I didn't keep records!
Ryan

[Thamnophis]

I write things on a paper. Every snake has it own paper.
After a while, when I have time, I put it in the computer.
Here every snake has a word-document.
Works allright for me.

Going to take a look at the Metzcal-program.