  BeefTalk:
Attention to Detail Necessary for Quality Beef Cow Records
By Kris Ringwall, Extension Beef Specialist,
NDSU Extension Service
Success in business begins with the knowledge upon which management decisions
can be based. The beef industry is no different. Knowledge in the cow-calf
business is based on good records--records that contain data that are timely,
correct and complete for the owner or manager.
Within the Cow Herd Appraisal Performance Software (CHAPS) program, Doni
Tibor supervises all the central processing of records received by the North
Dakota Beef Cattle Improvement Association. She processes individual cow records
for producers generating data, which becomes the knowledge producers can make
management decisions from.
There are common problems that crop up, according to Doni. Most of the
pitfalls can be eliminated by taking proper precautions during the initial setup
of the recordkeeping system. She said there are 10 major concerns that producers
need to pay particular attention to in order to get the proper information
back--as soon as possible. At the top of the list are concerns about inventory
and identification -- how many cows, calves and bulls are actually in the herd
and how are the individual animals within the herd identified?
As an inventory based program, CHAPS tracks cows and bulls for their entire
productive life. This is easier said than done, because many producers neglect
to use preprinted input sheets that confirm or deny the real existence of a cow
with a particular number.
Counting cows is not the problem. Reciting the correct number for 100 cows is
the problem. If incorrect numbers are recorded or ear tags changed, additional
numbers may be added to the herd. Computers count numbers, not cows, so all of a
sudden more cow numbers exist than there are actual cows. The fix is preprinted
animal worksheets with consistent and prompt reconciling of all missing or
incorrect cow identification tags.
The problem can be further compounded if animals do not have a unique
identification number. No duplicates are allowed. In some herds, ear tags are
reused. Again, computers can’t report what is not inputted correctly. Another
common problem involves sires. Everyone remembers to put the bulls with the cows
to produce calves, but recording that date is often forgotten. Approximate bull
turn out dates only magnify the errors in calculated herd reproductive data.
Another must in a performance program is knowing calf birth dates. Rate of
gain and adjusted weights mean nothing if the birth date is estimated. The best
solution for knowing birth dates is a good calving book that has the information
transcribed to a software program in a very timely fashion. The most common
missing data are the sex of the calf, actual weaning weight of the calf, the
weaning date of the calf and the age of the mother cow.
Granted, most calves have that information, but when the data is transcribed
into the computer, individual calves missing data really hurt the total accuracy
of the herd data and can result in more contemporary groups--or at least
decrease the numbers within a contemporary group. No one wants to make
management decisions based on inaccurate, incomplete data.
The biggest problem area is the culling information. I would be a rich man if
I had a dime for every time a producer throws away data on culled cows. Accurate
records require the reporting of all cows, those currently producing and those
that have been culled--and why
The individual cow record is history--and that history will have an direct
economic impact on every cow-calf producer. You have better opportunities for
communicating with potential buyers of cows, calves, bulls, pairs, etc. if you
have a rock-solid, well-kept record book. Those good records will also present
opportunities for you to improve your herd and its management.
Remember that the shortest pencil is better than the longest memory. Is your
data on your cows fact or fiction? Perception and reality could be one, but when
sales opportunities arise, the communication opportunities are so much greater
with accurate records.
May you find all your ear tags.
Your comments are always welcome at www.BeefTalk.com
For more information, contact the North Dakota Beef Cattle Improvement
Association, 1133 State Avenue, Dickinson, ND 58601 or go to www.CHAPS2000.COM
on the Internet. In correspondence about this column, refer to BT0051.
###
Source: Kris Ringwall, (701) 483-2427, kringwal@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu
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