Zebra finch breeding management 2022-2023

You want a complete view of your zebra finch breeding ! Here is an Excel file to download that will help you.

This file will allow you to manage and follow the diet plan and daily tasks, organize the periods (preparation for breeding, breeding, preparation for competitions, competitions, rest-moulting), the budget, the inventory (seed mixture, products you use, preemption, etc.), list your contacts, plan various tasks.
It will offer you an overview of your breeding thanks to a complete dashboard: Total livestock, total young, number of birds per strain, number of nests with young and monitoring of young weaned for each of the strains raised.

The file is built to monitor 4 strains with 16 breeding monitoring sheets for each. It will then be up to you to modify it according to your breeding and your knowledge of the Excel software.
Ultimately, this breeding management file will serve you well. For example to follow the evolution of your broods, births, etc. Thanks to a global visual and with color codes to give you a situation in real time. It can also be used as a history to observe the evolution of your breeding (by renaming your file to classify it).

Important advice : Make regular backups on a medium other than your PC (USB keys for example).

Summary :

1. Dashboard
2. Calendar of periods
3. Protocol of periods
4. Budget for your breeding
5. Inventory
6. Contacts
7. Tasks
8. Males and females by strain
9. Breeding follow-up sheets by parent tree
10. Follow-up of young people by parent tree

1. Dashboard

• Click on each function to join the detail. Example: By clicking on "Parent tree 1" to view the males and females of this strain.

2. Calendar of periods

• Organize the periods (preparation for breeding, breeding, preparation for competitions, competitions, rest, etc.) of the year by coloring the dates according to the legend.

3. Protocol of periods

• Make coordinate all the tasks for the organization and the good behavior of your breeding. Implement effective protocols that match your goals.
• To learn more about setting up a protocol : Breeding protocols and schedules.

4. Budget for your breeding

• Follow your expenses and cash receipts by entering the details of purchases of seeds, etc. and sale of birds. You will see in the box yellow from the bottom the relationship between the two.

5. Inventory

• Manage your stocks of seeds, mash, various products. Note the expiry dates, suppliers and prices in order to anticipate restocking.
• Products with an expired expiry date appear on a background red.

6. Contacts

• Write down your contacts concerning your breeding, their coordinates.

7. Tasks

• Write down your various tasks and objectives for your farm.

8. Males and females by parent tree

List here each zebra finch belonging to one of your strains: Ring number, date of birth, parents, genotype.
Also evaluate the qualities and point to improve of each of them: Type, size, designs, color, strong points, point to improve, aptitude for breeding.

The visual markers of this sheet, namely:
 

• Males ready to mate (over 6 months), the ring number will appear in bold.
• Females ready to mate (more than 10 months), the ring number will appear in bold.
• The qualities "Very good" appear on background yellow.
• The qualities "Exellent" appear on background green.

9. Breeding follow-up sheets by strain

Actively monitor the entire evolution of matings (up to 16 pairs per strain), from the 1st spawning to weaning, including the observation of spawning and fertilization.

The visual cues of this sheet, i.e. :
 

• For each cage: by selecting "Eggs in the nest", the cell will appear on a background yellow.
• For each cage: by selecting "Fertile eggs", the cell will appear on a background blue.
• For each cage: by selecting "Young in the nest", the cell will appear on a background pink.
• For each cage: by selecting "Out of the nest", the cell will appear on a background vert.
• By entering the date of laying of the 1st egg, the date of verification of fertilization, expected date of birth, date of exit from the nest (weaned; ready to be separated from parents) will automatically appear.

10. Follow-up of young people by strain

• Register, as the rearing period progresses, the young weaned zebra finches.
• Write down the sex, date of birth, sire and dam, genotype and an appreciation (rating) given in number of stars for each.
• By filling in the "State" and "Sex" column, the table summarizing the total number of youngsters, youngsters incorporated into the strain, sold, deceased and the number of males and females gives you an overall view.

Conclusion

So that nothing escapes you and gives you a roadmap from year to year, this file will give you an overview of your breeding!
You can, depending on your knowledge of Excel, add graphics to go further, etc.