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The inclusion of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the business field is a key element to improve competitiveness and boost economic growth (Eguía and Alonso 2002). Agriculture, like all sectors that depend on data and information availability and their timely processing, is not outside of this process. Informatics can provide farmers with programs for the management and control of their animals, as well as for the analysis of the results of their productive forms and diet calculations, according to species and animal category (Roche et al. 1999, Rodríguez 2015 and Pagan 2016).
Rabbit breeding, as another form of livestock, has rapidly evolved with the introduction of new management systems and labor practices, many of them transferred from their more experienced use in other livestock species, which have allowed rabbit breeding to be at the height of any other industrially used species (Esquel 2009). In addition, due to the difficulty of correctly handling parameters and controls, both individuals and collective, computerized management systems emerge as a tool for the optimal use of human and material resources of rabbit industrial production.
As Oliva et al. (2015) state, without a spreadsheets or computer system, it is impossible to relate data, since its processing and analysis requires a certain time during the working day, in order to avoid possible errors. The objective of this paper is to present a computer tool for the management of breeding processes in rabbit breeding units, as a resource to facilitate the control of productive and reproductive developments in companies, farms and units.
The currently described computer system was developed by a multidisciplinary team from the applied biostatistics and quantitative genetics groups of the Institute of Animal Science (ICA). This software was conceived to manage and organize the information collected in rabbit breeding farms, regarding reproduction, performance testing and animal replacement, from 2016 to nowadays.
NetBeans computer application, version 7.2, was used as development environment. This is an integrated and open-source program that supports almost all the novelties of Java programming language (Ponce and García 2016). In addition, RUP methodology was selected because it adapts to any computer project and uses Unified Modeling Language (UML), which allows reverse engineering to obtain information about its design from the code of a program (Molina et al. 2019). Finally, Visual Paradigm was taken as a tool to apply RUP, since it supports the complete cycle of the program development, and allows to generate a source code for several languages, including Java (González 2012).
The spreadsheets containing the information of units were used for designing a database (DB) implemented in PostgresSQL DB manager tool, an application that presents high attendance and provides great security.
The application was programmed with an architecture divided into three layers. The first is the interface, managed by java graphic library (Swing), in which components and buttons are adjusted to the size of the monitor on which the computer system is running. The second layer is represented by the three service modules (Login_service, Reproducción_service and Conejo_service), in charge of input, output and data report functions. Finally, the third layer is the one that deals with managing the information in the database, with the use of SQL language, intended for selecting, deleting, inserting and updating them, according to the request of users in the interface.
CunICA system allows users, administrators and geneticists from rabbit breeding units to interact. This application provides a nice visual appearance and has good functional quality. When the system starts, a panel with five tabs on the left (home, reproduction, tests, files and options) is displayed, in which “home” is predetermined. In this tab, data of the unit are reported (number of breeds, kids and animals in reproduction, performance test, fattening and replacement). Telephone, address and email are also displayed. If a geneticist is using this program, it also shows the option of selecting the unit that will be used.
When reproduction is selected, former and current data of reproductive processes are displayed. This tab is divided into three sections: upper, corresponding to a filter that allows the user to more easily access information about breeders (date, mother identity (id), unit and breed) (figure 1). In addition, in the center of the tab, there is a table with data of the reproductive processes (mating, palpation, parturition and weaning). The traditionally used spreadsheet format for collecting information is maintained, so that users can better adapt to the use of this new system.
At the end of this tab, options are offered to easily search and analyze reproductive processes, palpations, pending weaning or parturitions. In the list of productive processes, the program offers the option of data exporting to a report with updated data on the status of the breeders, which can be printed and distributed to workers.
With the validations presented by the fields in the reproduction table, the information is prevented from arriving in the database with errors, thus facilitating its analysis by geneticists. Each field has a real-time alert system for delayed or incorrect processes, which allows better handling of animals in the units.
The test tab shows data corresponding to the animal performance test. It maintains a format similar to that of reproduction, and it has a table in its center with data of animal growth. As in the previous tab, these are validated so that they do not get with errors to the database. In this case, users must fill in the data of animal weighing and then, indicate a destination (figure 2). The system automatically completes the rest of fields, either by previously entered information or by predetermined calculations, such as weight gain or weight per age. In this tab, fields also have an alert system for delayed tests, so it speeds up the process for handling animals.
The files tab shows former or current lists of animals of the unit, with the data of reproduction, performance test and replacement. It offers the possibility of updating files based on the information entered in the two previously described tabs. In addition, it allows to rectify any mistaken data that has not been detected in the default validations in reproduction and test.
CunICA facilitates the obtaining of information, such as herd movement, animal existence, performance tests, replacement and reproduction models, which offers the possibility of data analysis by rabbit specialists and geneticists. Unlike other programs for rabbit breeding, such as Nantadat (Pérez 2003) or AlimConejos, generated at the Institute of Animal Science, CunICA handles data that allow the management of breeding processes in units, and the genetic analysis of animals.
It is concluded that CunICA software facilitates the computerization of breeding processes in rabbit breeding units, speeds up decision-making by allowing access to farm information through data reports, and allows information to be safely stored, organized and centralized.
