PocketDairy: Dairy herd management software for the palm computer

PocketDairy is the first full-featured dairy management programme for hand-held computers using the Palm Operating System. A reduced database can be synchronized from PCDART that provides basic information for each cow in the herd. This program allows dairy managers and employees to view cow records and enter changes to cow status with the aid of a battery powered personal data assistant (PDA). Data can be entered into the hand-held computer, then transferred to the desktop computer. PocketDairy provides convenient access to data during veterinary exams and other daily work routine. Herd managers can rely on information entered only once. Data entry is made simple by use of pull-down menus that can be customized for each individual herd. Standard lists provide for easy viewing of cow action groups. Users can select their own listings for transfer from PCDART. Custom data fields can be downloaded from PCDART. Multiple PDA’s can be used for a single farm where more than one remote database is desired. PocketDairy is in use on more than 600 dairy farms, in herds ranging from 50 to 8 000 cows.