Record keeping and Cooldowns

[Music City Geckos]

Just wondering what most of you all use for keeping info on your Leo's? Currently I use Google forms and Google sheets. I have been looking into Reptile Scan just didn't know if it is worth the $25. Also, as breeding season approaches do you all do any "Cooldowns" for your Leo's? Some do and some don't. I usually do a Cooldowns soon, just looking for some outside opinions.

thanks

 

[indyana]

I use iHerp at the moment for tracking feedings, etc.
iHerp : Online Reptile Software, Husbandry, Community, Tracking, Breeding, Snakes, and More!

 

[Herbiebug]

Just a notebook and pen. There's not much information I need to write down so software doesn't seem necessary to me. I mostly just keep track of sheddings and weight recorded every month or two.

For my rhacs I also list their food preferences. It would be nice if the crestie and the garg liked the same MRP's but noooo. :juggle:

 

[acpart]

Documentation: I can't be bothered with another software program. I use a day planner to record when eggs are laid, when they hatch and how many days it took. I use spiral bound 3x5 index cards to record info about the hatchlings. Each hatchling has a page with hatch date, "name" (acronym of parents' names and a number), morph and any notes about it as it matures. When I'm pricing for sale, I put the price on the page. when I sell it I write the selling price and who/where it sold.

Cooling: I don't plan to cool them but some of them cool themselves by going to sleep on the cool side for the winter.

Aliza

 

[Kristi23]

I use a binder with tabs broken up into sections. I have things like breeding groups, hatchlings, expenses paid, money in, vet papers, etc. I started doing it this way this past season after my last computer crashed and I lost all my info.

I don't cool mine. Our house is cooler in the winter and many of the geckos will slow down on eating, but I keep the heat tape temp the same. I still offer food and water every few days.

 

[Music City Geckos]

Kristi, I am really interested to hear more about your process if you have time. I would love to step away from the computer and just keep a folder. Are these pre made out sheets, blank paper, or an excel sheet?

 

[acpart]

I also keep my financial records relating to the geckos on paper. I have a ledger book that I got from Staples. The left side of the double page is "income", the right side is "expenses". I record date, source and amount in 4 categories: reptiles, supplies, food, misc. Every month I total up expenses and income and come up with a positive or (usually) negative figure. In Jan. I post to the forum my total income and expenditures (and how much in the red I am for the year!)

Aliza

 

[Kristi23]

Kristi, I am really interested to hear more about your process if you have time. I would love to step away from the computer and just keep a folder. Are these pre made out sheets, blank paper, or an excel sheet?

I keep it really simple since I don' t have a large number of animals. I use regular paper and just handwrite everything.

Each adult has their own page under breeders. It would have info like name, hatch date if known, genetics (morph), who the parents were if I produced the animal or where it came from if I bought it.

Then I have a section for breedings. Each pairing gets a page. I write down who was paired up and then I record each egg laying date and how many eggs were laid.

Each baby will have a page under hatchlings with an id number, hatch info, parents info and genetics info.

For receipts (in and out), I just print them off paypal and highlight the date, amount, and who it went to. I write down what the purchase was if it's not listed.

Medical stuff just gets hole punched and added to a health section.

Things like that. One of these days I'll take pics and add them into an album on my facebook page for reference. Just not sure when I'll get around to it.

 

[stager]

I need to keep better records. I do a two week cool down of a ten degree drop in air temp. The when I raise it back my girls eat like pigs and go into ovulation. But it isn't necessary the will ovulate on there own anyway I just like to control when

 

[cowana]

I just got HerperPro free 15 day demo and WOW! The things this program does is pretty amazing. I am so far really impressed with it.

The pencil and paper way was what I was doing but I really like the features this has. So I am really considering purchasing it after the trial.

 

[Music City Geckos]

I thought about HerperPro but I would like to see some income before I put more money into what I consider "extras". I didn't follow up on this thread like I should have. I ended up making my own record sheets. I researched many that where already out there and what other members here had said, took from them what I felt was important and developed something that fits my needs. I did however try to upload them for examples for people to look at. But it would not allow me to upload it. I don't know what's up with that (hint hint Thad) . Anyway I will try what I developed for this season and see how it works