The Cewe (see you, CU) data base management system is a collection of Tables, Queries, Forms, and Reports that run under Microsoft Access 2000 or later versions.  It is a Microsoft Access data base and Microsoft Access is required to run the software. The system is completely menu driven.

Availability

Please read the rest of this page. Pease contact Mike Thonney for a zip file copy of the software by clicking here, but be sure you indicate in the message that your request is for Cewe because this link is for any querries about the content of this web site.

Installing Cewe

Unzip and copy the Cewe.mdb file to a directory (folder) on your hard drive.

Initiating Cewe

1. Start Cewe by double-clilcking on the cewe.mdb file on your hard drive and click the option to accept the copyright restrictions.
2. Click on Settings and then on Farm.
3. Change all of the information so that it fits your farm.  Note that you can paste in a new logo or keep the Cornell Sheep Program logo.  Close the Farm window.
4. Click on Settings and then on Customer.  Enter customer names, if any. Close the Customer window.
5. Click on Settings and then on Locations.  Add locations, if any, on your farm or in your barn where you might have animals that need to be treated for health problems.  Close the Locations window.
6. Click on Settings and then Sale types.  Add other types of sale types, if any.  Close the Sale types window.
7. Click on Settings and then on Weight types.  Add other types of weights, if any.  Close the Weight types window.

Note:  Customers, Locations, Sale types, and Weight types can be added or deleted at any time.

The menus are given in the Tables 1 and 2 at the end of this document.  To see how the menus work, test them by choosing several.  The data for Cewe Startup animals can (see below) be viewed.  Do not delete or change the settings of the startup animals until you have added animals for each startup category.  UnknownRam, UnknownEwe, and Artificial (for artificially-reared) animals probably should never be deleted.

Each sheep is given a permanent ID for the data base. Each sheep can be given as many other ID's as needed.  A sheep can be referenced by choosing any of its IDs.  Each ID can be up to 20 characters in length. The figure shows the startup animals included in the data base.

These are needed to provide unknown parents and automatic IDs for the non-eartagged animals (where n is the number of the animal with the prefix):

Entering animal records

Although it is possible for records from other databases to be imported into the Cewe program, the current version has no provision for this to be automated.  Contact the author at mlt2@cornell.edu for more information.

Start entering animals by choosing "New" from the Individual pull-down menu.  For the most complete data base, enter foundation animals and those added from outside the flock.  Then choose "Enter lambing records" from the Lambing pull-down menu to begin entering offspring from foundation animals.

Lambing records can be used most efficiently if each ewe is assigned to a breeding group.  Enter breeding group assignments by choosing "Breeding group" from the Group pull-down menu. 

Breeding groups are only useful if rams have been assigned to them.  Choose "Rams for breeding groups" from the Settings pull-down menu to assign rams to breeding groups for each lamb breed.  For example, if Ewe2 is the ID of a Dorset ewe assigned to breeding group BG1, and the lambs will be sired by Finnsheep ram, Ram1, then enter BG1 for the breeding group, Finn x Dorset for the breed, and Ram1 for the ram ID.

Another example for the use of breeding groups comes from the Cornell Dorset flock.  The flock is split into three groups:  A, B, and C. The breeding groups are A, B, and C, respectively.  When the group B ewes are bred to a Dorset ram, the LambBreed is Dorset and the SireID is the specified appropriately.  For example, the SireID might be A2537 for the June breeding season.  In August, the SireID might be A1950.  The breeding group remains the same for the Dorset B ewes for both breeding seasons.  The SireID for breeding group rams for the October lambing season is A2537; for January, it is A1950.  If we decide to breed the Dorset A group to a Finnsheep ram, then we specify the lamb breed as "Finn x Dorset" and enter the appropriate SireID in breeding group rams.  Thus, the breeding group to which the ewes are assigned remains the same but the SireID and LambBreeds are changed, if necessary, for each lambing season.

An alternative to entering flock foundation animals and all their offspring is to enter the current ewes and rams in the flock.  Then, begin entering lambing records as lambs are born in the future.

Records for deaths, health events, sales, and weights are entered by accessing the pull-down menus.  Ewes can be assigned to breeding groups from the Edit form as well as from the Breeding Group form from the Group pull-down menu.  When the information is the same for a group of animals for health, sales, and weight entries, the forms under the Group pull-down menu speed data entry.