10. Calf Weaning Weight. This is the most important piece of information gathered on the herd. Weigh the calf on an accurate set of scales.

11. Calf Hip Height. This measurement is taken over the point of the hips to determine skeletal or frame size.

12. Calf Muscle Code. This measurement is an indication of muscle thickness and composition. The following codes are also on the back of the work sheet.

13. Dam Weight at Weaning. Allows the producer to know the weight of his cows and is used to calculate the percentage of her body weight versus her calf's body weight at weaning.

14. Dam Body Condition Score. Body condition scores are use to suggest the relative fatness or body composition of the cow. This score determines the body condition of each individual cow at weaning time or 100 days prior to calving. Thin cows should be grouped for extra supplementation. Select the appropriate code which is also on the back of the work sheet.

15. Dam Hip Height. This measurement is taken over the point of the hips and is used to determine the frame and skeletal size of each cow.

Program Options

Make a New Data Disk

Individual herds are kept on separate data disks. Each disk can hold about 10000 records which would equal data for

[1] 500 calves for approximately 18 years,
[2] 1000 calves for approximately 9 years, or
[3] 1500 calves for approximately 6 years.

To use this feature, place a formatted data disk in the A drive and press this option. You will be given the opportunity to input the producer's information, check data flags for calculations and/or entries, breed information, and set the weaning date.

For data security, you should copy your data onto a new disk every year, plus keep a current backup. A backup disk is a full copy of your data disk to prevent data loss. Your software can always be replaced, but once data is lost, it is gone. See Backup Data Disk.

Display Producer Information

Edit/Update Calf Crop Data

Do not remove your data disk from the drive until after you are returned to the main menu and the floppy drive light is off.

Browse Screen

The Browse screen allows you to view several fields of several records all at once. Notices the bars located to the right and at the bottom of the screen. Use those bars to move the active up and down or left to right. Also, if the current order of the fields is not to your liking, you can change them by clicking the field name at the top of the screen, for instance Dam, and holding down the left mouse button. Drag the field name to the left or right to change the display order. All of the columns can be moved this way. The next time you use the browse screen, it will return to its proper order.

Pressing the Escape [Esc] button will return you to the Calf-Data entry screen.

Print Full List -- This is a printout of the records as they were entered from the original calf crop record work sheet. This sheet is checked against the original to make certain calf information was correctly entered.

Archive

Archiving builds the history file which is used in performing the MPPA calculations. This screen allows you to either [1] Move Current Records to Archive - placing the records in the current data file in the archive, or [2] Edit Archive Records - allows you to edit existing records in the history file.

Move Current Records to Archive

This screen gives you the option of keeping the dam information from the current file and moving that information forward for the next crop year. This saves data entry as you will only have to match the dam with their new calf. After choosing this option, the program will display the "Producer Information Screen", where you will need to update the records date and the weaning date.

Edit Archive Records

Edit records which have been moved out of the current file and into the Archive. Use either the individual calf screen or the browse screen option to view and edit your archived records.

Browse Archive Records

Press the Escape [ESC] to close this window after you've completed your changes.

Cow Herd Performance Test

Cow-Calf Data Summarized by Sex of Calf

This is a printout of the original calf records. The records have been grouped by sex of calf (bulls, heifers, and steers) and calves have been listed in order (high to low) according to their adjusted 205-day weight. All the information in this section is unadjusted cow-calf information.

Important items to check are:

Birth Weights (BWT): These  are the birth weights reported on the calf crop work sheet. If no birth weights were reported, then breed standard or BIF standard birth weights are used. For breeders reporting actual birth weights, averages will be calculated. Birth weights should be recorded within twenty-four (24) hours of birth. Birth weights taken past 24 hours will not be an accurate measure of actual birth weight. Birth weight is one of the leading factors in calving difficulties. Breeders should monitor birth weights in the herd. High birth weights may be causing difficulties in the herd, and lower birth weight sires may need to be used. Breeders should also use birth weights as a guide in marketing animals B advising prospective buyers on bulls that may or may not work in a herd because of birth weight.

Dam Age: On this sheet the dam age has been calculated and printed in years from her birth date.

Management Code (MGT Code): The management code describes how the calf was raised. Calves with management codes of 3 through 8 will not have ratios calculated and their records will not be included in herd averages. Management codes 3 - 8 indicate the calf was raised under conditions that would significantly affect its actual and adjusted weaning weight.

Actual Weaning Weights (ACT WEAN WT): These are actual weights reported on the work sheet. These weights should be checked when selecting replacement animals This is especially important with heifers that have high 205-day weights or weight ratios but are very young (born late in the calving season) and have low actual weaning weights. It may be difficult for these heifers to reach a target weight by breeding time.

UACES COW HERD PERFORMANCE TESTING PROGRAM VERSION #20000831
DATE		01/01/00							NUMBER OF CALVES		16
BREEDER		CHARLES JONES							HERD NUMBER		749
COUNTY		VAN BUREN							BREED		CROSSBRED
SPECIALIST		BILL WALLACE							WEIGH DATE		9/30/99
COW-CALF DATA SUMMARIZED BY SEX OF CALF -- REPORT 1/ 1--
Calf	Sex	Birth Date	BWT	Mgt. Code	ACT Wean Wt.	MS	HIP HT	Sire #	Dam #	DAM AGE		Dam Wt.
913	H	04/04/99	72	1	485	2	41.00	T30	704	2		970
913	H	03/29/99	70	1	510	2	42.50	T30	614	3		1100
905	H	02/24/99	80	1	578	2	45.00	F33	620	3		1225
914	H	07/08/99	68	1	500	2	43.00	F33	414	5		1180
908	H	03/09/99	75	1	568	2	43.50	F33	215	7		1110
902	H	02/05/99	76	1	590	1	44.00	T30	511	4		1188
916	H	04/12/99	77	1	450	2	42.00	T30	111	8		1215
906	H	02/08/99	71	1	585	2	44.75	F33	313	6		1075
HEIFER( 8) :			74		533	2	43.22	AVERAGE OF 8		5		1133
Calf	Sex	Birth Date	BWT	Mgt. Code	ACT Wean Wt.	MS	HIP HT	Sire #	Dam #	DAM AGE		Dam Wt.
911	S	03/23/99	69	1	548	2	43.00	F33	610	3		1065
915	S	04/10/99	79	1	480	3	42.25	F33	708	2		1000
910	S	03/18/99	81	1	540	1	42.00	T30	512	4		1050
901	S	02/03/99	82	1	625	1	46.50	T30	408	4		1250
906	S	02/28/99	85	1	581	1	45.00	T30	412	5		1075
909	S	03/11/99	90	1	555	2	44.25	T30	219	7		1240
904	S	02/16/99	78	1	604	2	47.25	F33	318	6		1340
907	S	03/05/99	74	1	552	2	45.75	F33	105	8		1350
STEER( 8) :			80		561	2	44.50	AVERAGE OF 8		5		1171
Calf	Sex	Birth Date	BWT	Mgt. Code	ACT Wean Wt.	MS	HIP HT	Sire #	Dam #	DAM AGE		Dam Wt.
TOTAL OF 16 ANIMALS :			77		547	2	43.86	AVERAGE OF 16 ANIMALS		5		1152
* INDICATES THAT THE RECORD WAS OMITTED FROM ALL AVERAGES DUE TO MANAGEMENT CODE OR THE AGE OF THE CALF

Performance Records Summarized by Sex of Calf

This section of the performance records package contains all adjusted weaning weight records on the herd divided by sex. The two primary adjustments made to the calf records are: 1) calf records are adjusted to a standard 205-day weaning age, and, 2) calf records are adjusted for the age of the dam that produced the calf.

Items to check are:

Age in Days: This is the age of the calf on the day the calf was weighed. Calves should be weighed in management groups and be weighed when they are between 160 and 250 days of age. Calves weighed outside this age range will not have ratios calculated or have their records included in averages.

Average Daily Gain (ADG): ADG is the calf's gain from birth to weaning. ADG is used to calculate the adjusted 205-day weight.

205-Day Adjusted Weight (205-Day ADJ WT): Calves are ranked from high to low according to their adjusted weight. In the selection of replacement heifers, the top half of the heifer crop should be considered as the primary group to select potential replacements. The top half of the heifer crop can be considered as those heifers having an adjusted weight near the heifer average or higher or having a weight ratio of 100 +/- 2 or higher. These calves should also be visually evaluated and selected for other traits of importance such as: 1) structural correctness, 2) desirable muscling, 3) desirable frame size, 4) suitable disposition, 5) breed character, and 6) other traits of interest to the breeder. If a few extra heifers are needed, they can be selected from those just under the herd average for weaning weight or having a ratio of 95 +/- 2 to 100 +/- 2. Heifers below this level of performance should not be considered as potential replacements.