Record Keeping

Term from Animal Husbandry industry explained for recruiters

Record Keeping in animal husbandry refers to the essential practice of tracking and documenting all aspects of animal care, health, breeding, and production. This includes maintaining detailed logs of feeding schedules, medical treatments, breeding histories, and production outputs (like milk, eggs, or wool). Good record keeping helps farms stay organized, meet legal requirements, and make better decisions about their animals' care. It can be done either through traditional paper methods or modern digital systems, but the goal is the same: to maintain accurate, up-to-date information about all animals on the farm.

Examples in Resumes

Implemented digital Record Keeping system that improved tracking of 500+ cattle

Maintained detailed Record Keeping and Animal Records for breeding program

Supervised farmwide Record Management system including health and production data

Typical job title: "Animal Record Keepers"

Also try searching for:

Farm Data Manager Livestock Records Specialist Animal Records Coordinator Herd Management Specialist Farm Records Administrator Agricultural Data Specialist

Example Interview Questions

Senior Level Questions

Q: How would you implement a new record keeping system across a large farm operation?

Expected Answer: Look for answers that demonstrate experience in planning and executing system changes, training staff, and ensuring compliance. They should mention consideration of both paper and digital systems, backup procedures, and ways to make the system user-friendly for all farm workers.

Q: How do you use record keeping data to improve farm operations?

Expected Answer: Strong candidates should explain how they analyze trends in animal health, production, and costs to make recommendations for improvement. They should mention examples of how good record keeping led to better decision-making.

Mid Level Questions

Q: What essential information do you track in animal health records?

Expected Answer: Should mention vaccinations, medications, health issues, treatments, breeding dates, offspring information, feed changes, and regular health check results. Should understand why each type of information is important.

Q: How do you ensure accuracy in record keeping?

Expected Answer: Should discuss double-checking entries, regular auditing of records, proper training of staff, and systems for correcting errors. Should emphasize importance of immediate recording rather than relying on memory.

Junior Level Questions

Q: What are the basic components of an animal record?

Expected Answer: Should be able to list basic elements like animal ID, birth date, breed, health history, feeding schedule, and production data. Understanding of why each piece of information matters is important.

Q: Why is record keeping important in animal husbandry?

Expected Answer: Should explain how records help track animal health, comply with regulations, make management decisions, and maintain breeding programs. Basic understanding of legal requirements is important.

Experience Level Indicators

Junior (0-2 years)

  • Basic data entry and organization
  • Understanding of animal identification systems
  • Knowledge of basic health and production records
  • Ability to maintain daily feeding and care logs

Mid (2-5 years)

  • Management of comprehensive record systems
  • Analysis of health and production data
  • Training others in record keeping procedures
  • Understanding of regulatory requirements

Senior (5+ years)

  • Development of record keeping systems
  • Data analysis for farm improvement
  • Integration of digital tracking solutions
  • Management of compliance and auditing

Red Flags to Watch For

  • Unable to explain basic record keeping requirements
  • Disorganized approach to data management
  • Lack of attention to detail
  • No experience with regulatory compliance
  • Poor understanding of why accurate records matter