# Record Keeping



## CowboyRam (Dec 13, 2015)

I have leased some pasture for next year, and now with the added space I am going to increase my numbers. I am currently using a spreadsheet, but I really don't like how I have it set up. I need something better to keep track of all my cows. Is there any good software out there? or maybe a good spreadsheet template that you don't mind sharing. There has to be something better than what I have now.


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

I can't recall the name of it now, but there is one from OSU that is pretty detailed. Not sure if they still offer it anymore or not. How many cows are you talking? I had right around 150 momma cows, both spring and fall calvers, so the bookkeeping got to be a headache. Best thing I found (also lowest cost) was this.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003O2RXUQ/ref=psdcmw_490756011_t1_B00X7X2RUI

Worked very well. Battery never went dead, manure didn't seem to affect performance of the keyboard, wasn't bothered by the cold either when vaccinating or preg checking.


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## CowboyRam (Dec 13, 2015)

stack em up said:


> I can't recall the name of it now, but there is one from OSU that is pretty detailed. Not sure if they still offer it anymore or not. How many cows are you talking? I had right around 150 momma cows, both spring and fall calvers, so the bookkeeping got to be a headache. Best thing I found (also lowest cost) was this.
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003O2RXUQ/ref=psdcmw_490756011_t1_B00X7X2RUI
> 
> Worked very well. Battery never went dead, manure didn't seem to affect performance of the keyboard, wasn't bothered by the cold either when vaccinating or preg checking.


I am going to bump my numbers up to about 60.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

stack em up said:


> I can't recall the name of it now, but there is one from OSU that is pretty detailed. Not sure if they still offer it anymore or not. How many cows are you talking? I had right around 150 momma cows, both spring and fall calvers, so the bookkeeping got to be a headache. Best thing I found (also lowest cost) was this.https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003O2RXUQ/ref=psdcmw_490756011_t1_B00X7X2RUI
> Worked very well. Battery never went dead, manure didn't seem to affect performance of the keyboard, wasn't bothered by the cold either when vaccinating or preg checking.


That's the same book keeping program I use.I bought the cheaper one @ 99 cents.


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## StxPecans (Mar 3, 2018)

I too use a notebook and keep pretty detailed records. But one place i lack is ear tagging calves. Not becuase i cant tell calves apart but once i take them to auction i never get the auction number and calf lined up. I mean yea ita important that this cow had this calf and so on but i think i need to add what the value of the calf was. I am sure there are some cows making 200 or so less a year or more. Which would be smart to cull out.

I dont really pin my cows enough to tag calves when born and I calve year round (here in south texas no telling when it rains and thats when we have the grass) should i put ear tags in when i pin them to goto auction? Seems wasteful to tag a calf just to load into a trailer to sell. And i also wondered if the auction would ding me for that for some unforseen reason. Is there a easier was i have not thought of here?


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## CowboyRam (Dec 13, 2015)

StxPecans said:


> I too use a notebook and keep pretty detailed records. But one place i lack is ear tagging calves. Not becuase i cant tell calves apart but once i take them to auction i never get the auction number and calf lined up. I mean yea ita important that this cow had this calf and so on but i think i need to add what the value of the calf was. I am sure there are some cows making 200 or so less a year or more. Which would be smart to cull out.
> 
> I dont really pin my cows enough to tag calves when born and I calve year round (here in south texas no telling when it rains and thats when we have the grass) should i put ear tags in when i pin them to goto auction? Seems wasteful to tag a calf just to load into a trailer to sell. And i also wondered if the auction would ding me for that for some unforseen reason. Is there a easier was i have not thought of here?


I did not tag my calves this year and that bit me in the butt. The auction lost two calve right off the bat; I finally did get paid for them. I am pretty sure I got the raw end of the deal. I am pretty sure that they put my calves in the same pen as some other sellers, and they did not see the brand on sale day. From now on I am going to put tags in the ears of the calves so that it makes it easier for them to identify my calves without looking at the brand.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

StxPecans said:


> I too use a notebook and keep pretty detailed records. But one place i lack is ear tagging calves. Not becuase i cant tell calves apart but once i take them to auction i never get the auction number and calf lined up. I mean yea ita important that this cow had this calf and so on but i think i need to add what the value of the calf was. I am sure there are some cows making 200 or so less a year or more. Which would be smart to cull out.
> 
> I dont really pin my cows enough to tag calves when born and I calve year round (here in south texas no telling when it rains and thats when we have the grass) should i put ear tags in when i pin them to goto auction? Seems wasteful to tag a calf just to load into a trailer to sell. And i also wondered if the auction would ding me for that for some unforseen reason. Is there a easier was i have not thought of here?


Tag them when you vaccinate them.Do you cut them or band the bulls?


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

StxPecans said:


> I too use a notebook and keep pretty detailed records. But one place i lack is ear tagging calves. Not becuase i cant tell calves apart but once i take them to auction i never get the auction number and calf lined up. I mean yea ita important that this cow had this calf and so on but i think i need to add what the value of the calf was. I am sure there are some cows making 200 or so less a year or more. Which would be smart to cull out.
> I dont really pin my cows enough to tag calves when born and I calve year round (here in south texas no telling when it rains and thats when we have the grass) should i put ear tags in when i pin them to goto auction? Seems wasteful to tag a calf just to load into a trailer to sell. And i also wondered if the auction would ding me for that for some unforseen reason. Is there a easier was i have not thought of here?


Best is to tag them as they're hitting the ground. Less confusion on who had what calf. I always tagged calves when momma was cleaning them off. Tag, shot of vitamins, and iodine on the naval. Being there are they're born is a great way of imprinting on them too. They will remember you as a friendly till the day they die. If momma isn't so happy you're there messing with the calf, time to cull momma.


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## StxPecans (Mar 3, 2018)

Yea i dont do anyof that. But i keep tabs on whose who then agian i have mostly crossbreed cows. Get a little more difficult to tell when its an all black herd.
All i do to the calves is remove at 400-450lbs and haul to auction. No shots, no cutting or banding. Record date born and date taken off.

Lots of times i go 3 or 4 days without checking them so after a couple of hours good luck catching it in an open pasture. And every momma in my herd will be pissed.

Infact had one last week saw it as it just born, it got up and i noticed it was big (red cow with charlois bull) looked ok little wobbly legged. Next day land owner calls me saying calf is about to die and the momma walked off and left it laying there. I go check it and the calf really didnt want to stand up and mommq was out grazing and was not interested. Land owner is out there petting it and crying LOL...
I was busy harvesting and quite honestly the calf was not worth my current time.
I told the land owner well i am surprised the momma isnt upset.
Pick calf up its wobbly and barly makes a noise. Mom doesnt care.
I saw calf with mom laying down that morning and it was born evening before.
I tell land owner well she isnt the most protective mother and that if the calf doesnt live then its time for the cow to go. Land owner is bawling now, i am questioning this lease.
I tell land owner how the cow is really only worth about 100$ right now and even in 6 months will only be worth about 700 probably more in the 550 to 600. She says are u going to bottle feed it and i explain my time and cost of feeding it does not pan out.
That evening i check it its still just laying there and i just figured its dead and thats that. Next morning calf is gone, i saw huh maybe land owner messed with it, ok lets get back to harvesting. Mid day i drive by herd that now has moved a good 400 yards and what do i see the calf with its mom nursing tail waggin. 
Tell land owner becuase she was truly upset. 
But as i explained the day before either it is going to happen or not cant force it. Let cows be cows. Good cows you dont even have to think about them.

Cow was bought as pair last winter in poor BCS. Probably her last calf with me. #80 she gone....

Had a charlois influenced cow on charlois bull have a calf 3 weeks ago. Perfect little white bullcalf. Just healthy and all. Land owner (same lease) said she went messing with it becuase it was just laying by itself.. i would prefer it if nobody messed with my cows. Hope she does that on some of my older bossy bitches... 
That charlois cow is a good one she was also bought very low BCS and bred back first cycle. I was telling my dad and showing him my book and he says ur dates are wrong but then i happened tk have a picture of her calf last year on my phone with date... She was a 3 BCS when last calf was born. Now i would score 5. They been scrounging the last few months
So taking pictures of calves and moms are always good redord keeping.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

I take pictures when they are born and label the picture with the momma's number, gender and DOB. We tag the calves the first time they are worked. Ear tagging is a good thing. It shows that the owner has a plan and a way to track calves. I was at the sale one time and single calves were going through. The computer screen said a calf would have shots. An order buyer said to me "and not a tag in any of their ears". I use the small tags, do not want the weight pulling the ear down. I can still read the number and do not have to worry about it getting caught on something.

We sold our last group of the year this week. Prices are down. A friend carried his the same day. Our calves averaged $67 more than his and calves were only 17 lb. difference average. We had steers, he had bulls. We had weaned 30 days, his off the pasture. We had one round and tags, he had none.

Normally we wean 90 days and 2 rounds, and get $90 above the common calves.

We also began implanting last year. Best money a person can spend.


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## chevytaHOE5674 (Mar 14, 2015)

Our calves all travel across state lines to auction so they are required to be RFID tagged. So I tag with those and a number at birth so I can track things thru. Around here if you are shipping untagged, uncut, non vaccinated, trailer weaned calves then you are losing a chunk of change when they go thru the ring.

I track everything in a trusty spiral notebook as well. Also carry a small write in the rain book and pencil in the field or truck so I can make any quick notes I may need.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

When I fed cattle I made dang good money buying the small groups and singles.Bought at a huge discount to large groups of green tagged cattle.Had to cut a few,knock a few horns off,run threw the chute and worm,implant and vacinate.Was always carefull to make sure they were not cull cattle.I made the money that the cow guy could of had if he would of done it all.


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## CowboyRam (Dec 13, 2015)

swmnhay said:


> When I fed cattle I made dang good money buying the small groups and singles.Bought at a huge discount to large groups of green tagged cattle.Had to cut a few,knock a few horns off,run threw the chute and worm,implant and vacinate.Was always carefull to make sure they were not cull cattle.I made the money that the cow guy could of had if he would of done it all.


When you did that, was it calves or cows. I often wondered if a person could make money by putting together a herd large enough to fill a truck.

Dad talks about when he and his brothers were young. They used to buy sheep, hogs or whatever they could at the smaller auctions where they lived. They then would drive all night to Chicago and resell them the next day; then get back home in time to deposit the money in their account so that their check would not bounce. I don't know if they made any money at it.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

CowboyRam said:


> When you did that, was it calves or cows. I often wondered if a person could make money by putting together a herd large enough to fill a truck.
> 
> Dad talks about when he and his brothers were young. They used to buy sheep, hogs or whatever they could at the smaller auctions where they lived. They then would drive all night to Chicago and resell them the next day; then get back home in time to deposit the money in their account so that their check would not bounce. I don't know if they made any money at it.


Feeder cattle 400-700 lbs.I fed them all the way to finish.I sold fats every month and bought feeders every month so what size I bought them at wasn't really important.

I know of guys that buy feeders and background them for a couple months.Do all the shots.Clean up any horn or nuts.Resort and sell in even load lot groups.Oh and they cut all the tags off when they come in and put their own tags in so same color etc.


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## vhaby (Dec 30, 2009)

The Notes app on my iPhone works well for my cattle records. I make columns for Cow #, Calf Bd, Calf #, and Sex across the top. The mommas are ear tagged with their birth year and number in herd, such as 1247. This is entered as the Cow #. At birth the calves birthday is recorded as mo/day/yr, and its Calf # is recorded on an ear tag as year of birth and momma's herd number, i.e. 1828 and this number is entered under Calf # in notes. The last item to record about the calf is its sex, M or F. At the beginning of the calving season, I enter the Cow #s. As calves are born, I fill in the calf birthday, calf number, and sex. I tag the calves in the first day or so after birth. A good way to catch them, if not when they are resting, is to use a short length of rope with a small loop that you can throw onto the calf from a yard or two from them. Of course, all my cows were raised on our place so they are gentle and, so far, not willing to hurt their calf (or me) when I'm on top of the baby calf putting in the ear tag. This iPhone notes app works well for me with a herd of 50 or so cows. At the beginning of each new calving season, I start a new record.

One must be careful not to hit the trash can icon to delete the notes, and, every so often, do send the records to one's email for safe keeping in the event of accidental deletion. With the notes on my iPhone, the cattle records are constantly with me when checking the herd. If there is something to record about a particular cow or calf, I simply add that to the record for that animal, such as, cow in heat 7/18/18, if it is after the breeding season.

If you want a much better record keeping system, software programs are available for a price. Check with your Ag Extension Service or research them on the Internet.


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## CowboyRam (Dec 13, 2015)

I have been playing with Cattle360, and I guess it is ok. It can be accessed using my laptop or by using the app on my phone. I would like it more if I could ad when I vaccinate, but I guess I could ad that in the notes section.


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## cjsr8595 (Jul 7, 2014)

We have a small herd, but i use a spreadsheet I built to track everything about them. From the time they hit the ground until they take a ride off the farm. I tag and band as soon as I see one hit the ground, it has worked well for us. I can usually catch them in the woods the first day or two, after that it takes a little more work. They get fast quick. This method has worked well for use the last few years, i agree with above, it helps to track mommas and baby's to see how they are producing. My heard is small enough, I concentrate more on what the weigh at ween...............


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