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Irish Cattle Breeding Federation

ICBF Data Recording & Reporting

“Less paper – More profit”

By

Kevin Downing

www.icbf.com

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Animal Events – Reduced Form Filling “Less Paper”

Animal Events recording system replaced

1. White cards for National Birth Registration

2. Milk Recording Registration Form (MR2)3. Pedigree Registration Form4. Calving/Dry off dates for Milk Recording5. Calving Survey Forms for AI

One line of data – not five !

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Milk Recording Events :• Calving/birth events• Freeze-branding events• Dry off events

Other Management Events :• Insemination• Pregnancy Diagnosis• Weight records• Health• Culling

Animal Events Covers

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Farmers Animal Events Pack

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Animal Events Book

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Mobile Phonee.g. SERVE, DRY, EBI, BULL

Website recordinge.g. AI & Natural Serves, Dry-offs, Weights, etc.

Other Animal Event Recording Options

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Record your Animal Events On-Line e.g. AI, Preg Test, Dry-Off, Health, Weights, Freeze Brand/Jumbo, Condition Score, etc.

Management Style Reports View all your AI/Natural Serve

details. Easily identify animals due to

Repeat or due a Pregnancy Test.

See when your cows are due to calve and due to Dry-Off.

Other Animal Event Recording Options

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Animal Events Progress

• Excellent progress in participation rate with 937,000 calf birth registrations recorded in 2005, 29% increase on 2004.

• 20% increase YTD• In 2005 the

use of farm PC packages for recording Animal Events was 17%.

• Our aim over next 5 years is 50%.

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Technologies for data collection

• Hand held computers – AI technicians (GPRS …)– Linear scoring (across breeds)– Milk recording (electronic meters)– Farmers in the Field (PDA’s)

• 2 way text messaging– Farmer alerts e.g. SCC level– Farmer requests

• General info for individual cows• Genetic evaluation results

• Carcass grading machines– VBG systems for scoring marbling

All made much easier by having an

integrated database

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Electronic Milk Recording System

Data HandlerAuto Sampling

Electronic Meter

RF Comm Link

Cows’ IDs loaded direct from database

Meter Records Milk Volume Electronically

Meter automatically agitates/samples

Barcoded vial, no writing, more accurate

Milk Yields electronically loaded to dbase

Lab results electronically loaded to dbase

Meters delivered - No Capital Purchase

Meter automatically deposits sample into Barcoded bottles

Electronic DIY System

1.Technician Loads Cow IDs for Herd

to Datahandler (DH)directly from database.

2.Farmer operates DH,meter reads PM, AM

volumes & auto samples

Tech. sends electronic weights file to database

4.Database merges weights & Lab file

and sends Reports to Farmer

3.Lab tests

barcoded samples,sends results file

to database

* 1 meter per Cluster

Tech. drops the DH + Meters* to Farm

No Recorder, No manual sampling, No writing, No

keying !

Also:• Less hassle on farm• Capital cost of meters is less• Reduced errors• Model To Grow Business

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Electronic DIY Equipment– Irish Model 2006

Equipment required for 1 cell:

• 72 x Tru Test Electronic Milk Meters* • 7 x Data Handlers• 1 x Portable Printer• 5,000 barcoded vials, tray, accessories, etc.• Laptop for data transfer• Ancillary charging, data transfer equipment, etc. • Ford Transit Van, 2.4d, LWB 1 tonne, customised• Total Capital = €100K approx.

* ICBF will calibrate each meter annually in Moorepark

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Run by MROS directly

Dairygold 3 Cells (Limerick, North Cork, East Cork)

Progressive 3 Cells (Wexford, Kilkenny North Leinster TBD)

SWS 1 Cells (Bandon)

Kerry 1 Cell (TBD)

MROS subcontracted to ICBF

Arrabawn/Tipperary 1 Cell (Tipperary)

Connacht Gold 1 Cell (Mayo/Sligo)

Donegal Creameries 1 Cell (Donegal)

Electronic DIY €DIY Rolled out in 2006

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DIY Electronic Milk Recording – Recap on Advantages

Minimise Effort = Reduce Cost/Hassle

Maximise Benefit = Increase Value Add

Easy to use – Electronic DIY option

Auto sampling = improved data integrity

Reduce Cost – Meter rental no purchase req’d

Less steps in process = Timely Reports

Reduce Cost - Elec. Data processing – no recorders,

no keying req’d

Centralised Database = Better Reports, Breeding Info

Reduce Cost - Barcoded samples, centralise Lab

Specialised options = Decision Support System

Effort

Benefit

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AI Handheld Recording

Problems with existing system• Docket written by AI technician may not contain

correct animal details, difficult to match tag information.

• May be a delay in keying dockets.• No in-breeding checks.• Data received by ICBF was poor.• Difficult to generate valuable reports for farmers.

Solution• Introduce AI handhelds to provide a better

service.

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AI Handheld Recording

• Itronix Handheld• Infa-red Printer• During 2005 the AI

Handheld recording system was designed, built and initial field tests conducted.

• The number of inseminations recorded on Handhelds this year now stands at 153,466

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Features: Current V’s Proposed Systems

Feature Current Proposed• Docket Processing Yes Yes• Inbreeding Check No Yes• Lethal Gene Check No Yes• Short Returns Check Yes Yes• Info to Tech on Cow No Yes• Real time mgt information No Yes• Tighter Semem stock mgt No Yes• Sire advice Programme No Yes• More accurate billing No Yes• Single database with CMMS updates No Yes• More accurate GE’s No Yes• Effective supports Progeny Test Prg No Yes• Supports farm management reports No Yes

• New System provides a significantly better service for farmers while eliminating manual processing and reducing error levels.

EBI REPORT

ON-LINE HERD MANAGEMENT

PERSONALISED POCKET NOTEBOOK

HERD FERTILITY MANAGEMENT

SIRE INBREEDING CONTROL

DIRECT HELPLINE TO ICBF STAFF

Herd Management Tools For Increasing Profit

BREEDING CHART

WHICH COWS ARE COSTING ME

MONEY?

HOW DO I COMPARE WITH THE TOP 10%

IDENTIFY MY BEST PERFORMERS TO

BREED FROM

EBI – Euro value of the genes an animal will pass on to its offspring.

AM I MAKING THE CORRECT BREEDING

DECISIONS?

ON-LINE HERD PROFILES

BASIC

PEDIGREE

EBI

FERTILITY

On-Line Herd Reports – Up to date information to help you manage your herd.

PERSONALISED POCKET NOTEBOOK

3 PRE-PRINTED LISTS OF YOUR COWS

RECORD YOUR :

CALVINGS

SERVES & PREG TESTS

DRY-OFFS & OTHER EVENTS

SAVES YOU TIME DURING THE YEAR

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Fertility Reports

• Summary of Key Dates

• Comparison of Submission Rates

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Fertility Reports

• Action List– Identify animals that require attention.

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Fertility Reports

• Summary of Herd Fertility

• Calving Intervals

• Calving & Submission Patterns

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Fertility Reports

• Herd Comparison with National Avg’s– Submission rates– Conception rates– Pregnancy rates– Services/conception– Repeat intervals– % not in calf

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Milk Quality Report

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Milk Quality Report

• Scatter Graph– Visually display & compare Individual Cow SCC levels

from current & past milk recordings.

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Milk Quality Report

• Graphical Comparison with National Averages

• Average & Median SCC

• % Cows with low SCC

• % Cows with High SCC

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Milk Quality Report

• Action List– Identify animals that need attention.– Ordered by Mean SCC for Lactation.

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Afternoon Farm Visits

• Diarmuid Hegarty, Blarney

• Michael Downing, Whitechurch

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Diarmuid Hegarty

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Michael Downing

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Comparison of Top and Bottom EBI Cows

Diarmuid Hegarty Michael Downing

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Irish Cattle Breeding Federation

Thank You for Listening

www.icbf.com