C H A P T E R T H I R T E EN

Records and Record Keeping

Solomon Abegaz, Kassahun Awgichew, Alemu Yami, Girma Abebe,
Sileshi Zewde and Adane Hirpa

Objectives

1. To highlight the importance of record keeping in

various aspects of sheep and goat production.
2. To describe the different kinds of records that are
required in relation to sheep and goat production.

Expected Outputs
1. Understanding of the importance of record keeping.
2. Understanding of the major components of a record.
3. Ability to design a format for keeping records for sheep
and goat production.
342 SOLOMON ET AL.

13.1. Objectives of Record Keeping

Record keeping is an essential part of good livestock and farm business management. Recording can be done
most easily if animals have some form of identification. Thus, animal recording and identification are
inseparable. There are two main objectives of animal identification and recording:

• To identify animals belonging to a particular owner; proof of ownership.

• To use as a management tool to:
♦ undertake performance evaluation,
♦ perform genetic selection,
♦ keep proper health records,
♦ accurately measure production and reproduction, and
♦ perform other important management functions required to run an effective and efficient farm
enterprise.

Establishment of a national livestock data-recording system is important for a uniform development of

recording and analysis procedures. The national recording system should:

• be uniformly used throughout the country.

• be simple to implement and use.
• allow identification of the best and poorest management procedures.
• provide information necessary to make management decisions.
• provide data for research, policy development and extension.
• help in implementing genetic improvement programs.

Such national schemes can become successful if there is clear benefit to participating farmers. However, the
need for record keeping could arise from its importance on a scale broader than a single farm. Effective,
reliable and traceable identification and recording systems for live animals and animal products could enable
national or international bodies to rapidly respond to disease outbreaks and biosafety concerns. This will
help to identify the source or sources of the problem, understand its implications and take appropriate
measures.

13.2. Types of Records

Sheep and goat production records should give details of individual ewe or doe performance over successive
years on fertility, prolificacy, rearing or mothering ability and milk production directly or indirectly
estimated through lamb/kid growth rate to a given age. If records are used for selection purposes,
comparisons should be made between animals in the same flock to avoid confusion arising from differences
in farm conditions or other environmental effects. Another option is to mathematically correct for known
factors causing differences. As the number of animal records increases, their reliability to be used as a guide
for breeding value of individual animals is increased.

On-farm records are essential in evaluating and improving the performance of sheep and goats within a
farming system. Farmers should have a record book in which all records are kept. This should be stored in a
place where it will not become soiled or wet, making the records useless. The format should be simple and
readily understood by the farmer. KDA agents should make a sample record book that can be shown to
farmers. This record book should be written in a language understood by farmers in the area and must
contain any type of regional-specific records or information that needs to be kept.

Below is a list of records that may need to be kept under Ethiopian conditions. The value and relevance of
the different types of records will vary with differing sheep and goat production systems.

• Lambing records, which include identity, dam ID, weight, date of birth, type of birth and sex.
• Growth or weight records kept periodically by recording the body weight of animals.
 RECORDS AND RECORD KEEPING 343

• Health records including morbidity, mortality, signs and symptoms, diagnosis, treatments and
vaccinations, etc.
• Feed consumption: This is difficult to estimate on farms where animals graze, but for capital-intensive
farm businesses, such as finishing or fattening operations, the amount of concentrate fed should be
recorded to calculate profitability.
• Milk production records: recording once weekly may suffice as this is highly correlated with total milk
production. Therefore, in dual-purpose sheep and goats, or even in meat types, a random sample of
lactating females may be selected for recording their once-a-week milk production.
• Mating records: Sire, dam and progeny identification is important in breeding, sale, and culling decisions.
• Testes size: Recording testes size at one year of age can assist in sire selection. Testes size in males is
related to ovarian activity (multiple ovulations) in females.
• Carcass yield or dressing percentage is a factor that has tremendous economic value, particularly in a
community-based breeding program involving meat breeds. This information could be obtained from
slaughterhouses/abattoirs.
• Hides and skins: For a crossbreeding program there may be a need to record skin quality aspects such as
area of hide, skin thickness, elasticity, pigmentation and density of hair.

Final Message

1. Records are essential in sheep and goat production to optimize production and maximize profit.
2. In addition to its importance at the farm level, following a standard format at a national level could
contribute to comparisons for various purposes. Entries for specific requirements of a farm can be
added on the entries of the standard format.
3. Records should be simple to keep and easy to understand in order to be useful in achieving
production and economic objectives.
4. Some measurements which need recording a few times in an animal’s life (e.g., testes size) can
have far reaching impacts on productivity.
5. In crossbreeding programs, production records can assist in determining if the activity has an overall
benefit.
6. Records are important for cost-benefit analysis of sheep and goat production enterprises.

13.2.1. Examples of records

As noted above, there are different types of records that may be kept in a sheep and goat record book.
Moreover, the formats of records should be simple and easy to understand. Examples of different types of
records are presented in Tables 13.1 to 13.9.

Table 13.1. An example of breeding records.

Dam ID Dam Dam birth Sire ID Sire Mating Lambing/kidding Remarks

breed date: breed date: date: dd/mm/yy
dd/mm/yy dd/mm/yy

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 344 RECORDS AND RECORD KEEPING

Table 13.2. An example lambing/kidding record.

Individual dam and lamb/kid performance record

Dam ID: Dam birth date: Dam weaning weight (kg):
Sire ID: Sire breed: Dam ID: Dam breed:
Dam source: Reason for culling: Culling date:
Comments:

Pre-weaning performance Weaning Ewe/doe status Remarks

Lamb/kid ID Birth Sex Birth type Sire Sire Birth Weaning Weaning Type of Wt. at Price Condition Pregnancy Preg.
date (S/T/M) ID breed wt. date wt. (kg) rearing marketing (Birr) score check or
(kg) Open

Table 13.3. An example lamb or kid performance record.

Pre-weaning At weaning
Body condition
Lamb/ Birth Birth Dam Dam Sire Sire Birth wt. Weaning Weaning Type of Weaning Wt. at score Lamb/kid
kid ID date Sex type ID breed ID breed (kg) date wt. (kg) rearing group marketing (1–5) price (Birr) Remarks

Table 13.4. An example post-weaning performance record of lambs/kids.

Birth Weight No. ____ Weight No. ____ Weight No. ____ Remarks
Lamb/ Birth Birth wt. Weaning Weaning Type of
kid ID date Sex type (kg) date wt. (kg) rearing Date Wt. (kg) Date Wt. (kg) Date Wt. (kg)

Ethiopia Sheep and Goat Productivity Improvement Program

Table 13.6. An example of record of milk production by milking (second row) or by lamb/kid suckling method.

Identification Date of Date of Date of milk Method of Milk Body weight of Body weight of lamb Weight difference
number birth lambing/ recording milking produced lamb before after suckling
kidding suckling Remark
Milking 100
Weigh 5.5 5.6. 0.1
suckle
weigh
 346 SOLOMON ET AL.

Table 31.7. An example animal health record.

Owner’s name:
Peasant Association:
Woreda:

Number of
animals of the Number of
Date of Animal same species Number of sick animals Major signs Suspected Measures
No. observation species in the flock animals that died observed disease taken Remarks

Table 13.8. An example individual ewe/doe record.

Owner's name:
Region:
Woreda
Kebele

Date lambed/ Weight of Date brought Date removed/ Reason for

ID No. Age kidded lamb/kid Type of birth Parity into the farm culled removal

Table 13.9. An example feed consumption / cost record.

Owner's name:
Region:
Woreda
Kebele

No. Date Type of feed Consumption (kg) Cost/kg Total cost Remarks

Table 13.10. An example income/expense record of a sheep/goat farm.

Income Expenses
Description of
No. Description of income Amount expenses Amount Difference Remarks

Ethiopia Sheep and Goat Productivity Improvement Program

 RECORDS AND RECORD KEEPING 347

Exercises

1. What is the prerequisite for record keeping in animal production?

2. Name at least four types of records you keep in sheep and goat production.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.

3 Name at least 5 benefits of having a good sheep production record-keeping system:

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.

References

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Recorded Flocks. July 1979. 44pp.
Meyn, K., Mocquot, J.C. and Wickham, B. 2001. A prospective view of animal recording. In: Vares, T. et al.
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5.
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Sheep and goat production handbook for Ethiopia