3 min read

How to Create Custom Animal Fields

Custom fields let your lab put its own information on the animal record — an ear notch, a cohort code, a colony of origin — without waiting on a new Moustra column. They appear on the animal form, as columns in the animal list, and on printed cage cards.

Open form field settings
Open Settings from your account menu and choose the Form Fields tab.
Tip
You can also reach this from the **Customize fields** icon inside any animal form.
Select the Animal form
Pick Animal in the Form selector, then scroll below the field list to Your lab's own fields.
Tip
Custom fields are offered on the animal record only.
Describe the field
Under Add a field, enter a Field name and pick a Type — Text, Choice list, Date, Number, or Yes / No.
Tip
For **Choice list**, enter your options in **Choices**, one per line.
Set the storage key
Check the Storage key Moustra suggests. Use lowercase words separated by single underscores, such as ear_notch.
Tip
The storage key and type cannot be changed once values are recorded against them, so get these right first.
Add the field
Click Add field. It joins the field list above, where you can hide or reorder it for yourself like any built-in field.
Tip
These fields are shared with everyone in your lab and appear on every animal.
Use it on lists and cards
The new field becomes an animal list column, and you can check the box for it on a cage card template so its value prints on the physical label.

Quick Edit Cell

Edit values directly in any data grid: double-click an editable cell and Moustra shows the right input (text, number, date, or dropdown). Press Enter to save or Escape to cancel.

2 min read