5. Information System for Monitoring and Management of Sheep Genetic Resources

Sheep breeding activities require intensive collection, storage and using of numerical and verbal information of zootechnical character. In most cases, the primary information requires further processing, summarizing and estimations, which presupposes accumulation of data by years and herds. Some sheep breeding practices are analyzed in the present article and a new information system for monitoring and management of sheep genetic resources is presented. The new information system has been developed as integrated database with the tools of MS Access and Visual Basic for Applications of MS Office, widely spread in the country. The presented information system consists of several modules: a zootechnical register, a pedigree book, herd books, information of the farmers and servicing functions. Procedures of lactation calculations, determining the degree of inbreeding, preparing reports on the productive performances, breeding estimations, certificates of the animals included in the database have been realized in the modules. The information system provides quick access to the database and effective use of the data about the genealogy of the animals, productive performance reports, breeding estimations and preparing of certificates. This software transforms the data into useful information and can be used to improve the management of sheep and goat genetic resources operations in the breeding organizations. The information system has been designed to serve two sheep or goat breeds but it is possible to be further developed for more breeds.