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ADS #005: Angus Data Services – Update those Dam Tags, Working with TSUs, Previously Owned Dams

Chris Stallo • September 16, 2023

ADS #005: Angus Data Services – Update those Dam Tags, Working with TSUs, Previously Owned Dams

Update those dam tags!  
Have you determined which heifers you'll be retaining for the next calving season? If you've completed the pregnancy checks and have a list of replacement females, it's a good idea to update their dam tags and remove any heifers that are no longer part of your operation. 

When adding a calving book entry, have you ever encountered an issue with the Get Dam by Tag/Tatt button, where the wrong dam is displayed? This often occurs when the dam tags for the retained heifers haven't been updated to match their tag as a parent.

Calf tagging practices can vary from producer to producer. What I've commonly seen is the placement of the mother's tag in the calf's ear upon birth for initial identification. Later, the calf receives a tattoo. When the time comes to choose which calves will serve as replacement heifers, the original dam tag is removed, and a new tag is inserted to match the calf's tattoo.

In the image below, you can see that the tag that was used was 0801 but the birth date is 2022. In this situation this heifer was kept back out of the 0801 cow but was not the correct one to pull up. You can see it even better when you go to My Herd > Animal Lists > Active Dams and search for 0801.  

Once you’ve compiled the list of heifers to retain, it simplifies matters if you proactively head to the Active Dam List and  edit their tags to reflect the new ones. Just click on the 'Edit Tag' link for each heifer and make the necessary changes. In this scenario, we'll be aligning it with the tattoo, as that was the tag designated when the decision was made to retain her.


Aside from tag editing, the Active Dam List serves as a valuable tool for culling heifers that weren't chosen for retention. A useful strategy is to employ a birth date range filter on the criteria screen, which streamlines the list and makes it easier to handle.

Tips for working with Tissue Sampling Units
Everything around us is constantly evolving. From the tractors that we drive to the equipment we pull, there seems to be new models coming out every other year. When Tissue Sampling Units, TSUs, first became available there were a lot of questions surrounding them. Is the sample just as viable as a blood card? Will the sample keep like blood cards? Are they re-useable like blood cards? 


Previously Owned Dams


Have you considered tidying up the records for dams that are no longer active on your operation but still want to retain access to their production data? You can still achieve this on canceled dams.


Simply go to Reports > Dam Reports > Produce of Dam. On the criteria screen, you'll find a checkbox labeled 'Include previously owned dams.'


Selecting this checkbox will bring up information for dams that are no longer active in your herd but continue to be of importance. Once the Produce of Dam report is displayed, you can conveniently access the AHIR data submitted for each dam by clicking on their respective birth dates.


So go ahead and clean up those dams and it might be a good time to explore the benefits of signing up for Inventory Reporting. https://www.angus.org/Performance/MaternalPlusInformation


 Odds & Ends
  • When was the last time you reviewed who you were Authorized to Submit For and who can submit on your behalf? Navigate to My Account > My AAA Member Information. Scroll down towards the bottom and review the listings. 
  • Tired of getting paper invoices? Opt out through My Account > Billing Preferences.
Until Next Time
If you have questions specific to your operation on ways that we can assist, feel free to reach out.  
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