The DairyCHAMP program: a computerised recording system for dairy herds

The DairyCHAMP program is an animal health and management software program that helps daily animal management, herd performance monitoring and problem analysis. Data entry to the program uses a data dictionary and includes an error-checking system that ensures the consistency and appropriateness of data entered. DairyCHAMP performs health management functions, provides a convenient user interface, ensures uniform data across farms by using a standard data dictionary, can be fully integrated with decision-making software programs like DairyORACLE, and is flexible enough to be useful for many types of dairy facilities. Data are entered via a menu-based system. Animal events are organised around reproduction and lactation cycles and health records. Farm records include inventories for drug, feed and semen. Farm parameters can be established which customize the program for an individual farm. The database system is an integration of three schemas: the individual user's view, the community view and the storage system. The individual user's view must be easy to use, while the storage system must be compact enough to fit within the disc storage space on a microcomputer. This conflict requires a translation from one schema to another. The DairyCHAMP program accomplishes this through a coding system which assigns a code number to each event. The program can add synonyms to this event dictionary by assigning the same code number to the synonym the user chooses. The DairyCHAMP program provides access to the large amounts of data required to aid in daily animal management, allow performance monitoring and analyse problems. Its highly integrated system is efficient and easy to use and maintain.