# Record Keeping



## Autumn2005 (Apr 21, 2010)

What kind of record keeping system do you use? Do you write everything in a computer, do you have a spiral notebook that you put everything in? Do you use post-it notes, 3x5 cards, grease pen on the cage?

I have tried various systems before, but none have ever felt "right" for me. When I wrote everything into a spiral note book, it was too hard to find information and add updates. When I was using Word to record everything, it was too much effort to maintain, since my mousery is in a shed in the backyard and there's no place for my computer. I tried it on my tablet, but I found that was too small and limited for my needs. I have used post-it notes almost from the beginning. Those worked great, except for the predictable side-effect of post-its falling off, and the information being lost.

I am now attempting to use a 3x5 card system, by recording the litters on white cards, and recording the parents on blue and pink cards. 3x5 are large enough for me to write the dates, breedings, cullings, markings, anything else I need. The litter cards will be organized by number (first litter born is LTM#0001, etc. Individuals from that litter will be called LTM#0001a,b,c, etc). I have clips I'm going to glue to the front of my cages to hold the cards in place. So when I put a breeding pair together, I can record the date they were put together, and put the blue and pink parent cards on the front of the cage.

I have also designed my own calendar pages in a 3-ring binder, that I can use mark breeding/birth/cull/separating dates.

How does everyone else keep their records? I'm curious to know, all answers welcome!


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## ThatCertainGlow (Jun 23, 2012)

I use Breeder's Assistant. The genetics part makes me want to scream, and purchasing a copy for product support doesn't seem to help. Either they are not able to make the database accept ch/ce, and similar, or they think I want them to write out a full mouse genetics program. Not sure. Pretty annoyed they didn't even get back to me on how to get the masking command to work. (a/a is 'masked' aka diluted by d/d, etc.) I also feel really nitpicky about some of the sorting methods it allows.

That being said, I like it better than any notebook, or other spreadsheet programs I've tried, mostly because of the 'add a litter' feature. In theory it's also exportable to all sorts of other things, but I haven't been at all happy with that. Probably because I don't really know how to use it. Or I'm trying to do more than simply export a ped, which I think was the intent. You can also download and use it for free.

Mousery Database doesn't really work for me, as I want to be able to work offline, but I think it at least works over mobile devices. I think Propets (spelling?) was having a mouse program built, but it won't be trialed for sometime. I'm also certain that any of these programs need to work over all common mobile devices for any long term usefulness. Any USA usable program needs to have a fully functioning detailed genetics part. I got so sick of mine hanging up on me because of c-dilute conflicts, that I turned off the verify part when adding a new mouse. Which reduces its usefulness by a lot.

So, breeder's assistant, combined with artist's tape on the bins themselves, keeps everything clear enough for me, for now. I like the artist's tape as opposed to masking tape, because of the colors and widths available. I do consider hiring someone to build me a program... pretty much every time I've tried to update anything. That might just be because I'm too particular though.


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## Trixie's Mice (Feb 3, 2013)

I do a lot of everything. I use word, excel, and mousery database then I print it out and put it in my mouse folder... BTW don't put a folder on top of a cage, they will chew it hahahha... Anyways each mouse gets a page(s) for them, I will hand write in weighs and stuff. Sorry I'm not much help.


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## Frizzle (Oct 6, 2011)

I've been taking lots of pictures & updating my facebook album with notes. Pictures go onto my computer into folders arranged by line & litter date. I also put my keepers on mousery database.


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## Onyx (May 2, 2010)

A useful thread now that I am back in the fancy 

In the past I used post-its but as you say, they fall off, get mixed up etc and in the end I just kinda stopped using them. I was mostly colony breeding back then though, so it wasn't too much of a problem and the ones I was more specifically breeding were only in their first few generations, so mental notes were all that was needed.

This time around I will need to do something for sure. I too was thinking of pictures accompanied by online notes. I enjoy photography and photoing the mice, so adding a few notes to each photo once uploaded wouldn't be any hassle at all. My mice are also kept in my living room, the same room as the pc, so again an offline function isn't a problem for me.

I would like things written down somewhere though in hand, to look back over in many years once I'd lost and found the notebook or folder a few times..  But you know it's that thing, to -me- it seems like extra effort writing things by hand and my handwriting quickly goes from perfectly readable and understandable to scribbled notes, doodles and misspelt messes across the paper =/


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## Autumn2005 (Apr 21, 2010)

Trixie's Mice said:


> BTW don't put a folder on top of a cage, they will chew it hahahha...


Yep, found that out the hard way! :lol:

I love the idea of pictures, but for me taking pictures tends to be more hassle than they're worth, which is why I rarely post pictures here. And I also like to record the weight of mice at various ages. Being able to enter genetics would be awesome, but since mouse genetics, especially the c-locus, tends to be complicated, I can see how it would be difficult to get a program that does everything precisely right.

I tried to use dayplanner notebooks to record my data, but again it just wasn't enough for me.

Keep posting! I'm really interested to hear about everyone's experiences with this sort of thing!


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## Oakelm (Oct 17, 2009)

Mine is 3x5 cards, i have lab cages so i use mini bulldog type clips to keep the card/cards on the front. Used cards go into my sorter so i can back track if needed.

I have one that just notes who is in the tub by reference number, m/f, dob and as i have marked they have what the top and under look like.
Then i have litter cards that sire/dam plus markings are recorded then number in litter before cull and rerecorded as it is thinned plus markings of all. When they hit splitting time card goes into box and they go the who is in tub card. If anyone moves tub then line through on one card and on to the other. Very little writing, easy to update. I tend to scribble my thoughts on the litter on the back of the card, it any die early or get anything odd I go back and record that on the litter card for future reference. I made myself a bunch of pre printed cards to save time. I even have cards for what is going to a show and what tub they are from for quick grabbing on the day and to make sure everyone goes back into the right tub.

Numbering I split my two founding marked trios into 2 lines (A and B) to see the good and bad or both.
So I have line then litter id then m/f then what number m/f they are.

So AKF1, litters are given a ref at the point they pop. Once I run out I go AAA, AAB etc.

The marked I indentify by individual, the argente are going to be more general to litter and sex.

I have tried books and software, neither have worked for me. I like to know what is in a tub without outing all the mice. Try and keep it simple and quick otherwise you will forever trying to catch up on your records.


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## pro-petz (Nov 14, 2012)

Ii use the index cards but write in pencil and they are attached to the cage via velcro dots so easy to move about as does are moved about the cages. The information then transferred to computer once litter is weaned and stock being kept given a unique ref for future.

I also use clips with key fobs attached with buck cage number on and these also go with the does as they are moved about so instantly know which buck sired the litter.


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