Stacy Sanders and SyAnn Foster
AHA
"When we do things electronically, we are no longer waiting on the postal service," said Stacy Sanders.
He also noted that electronic reporting did not require any handling or processing by the association staff.
The electronic recording also eliminates paper work and automatically uses semen certificates that have been released to the breeder.
In addition to the AHA myHERD.org service, the association also allows you to use Genetic and Economic Management (G.E.M.) and CattleMax. AHA is also working with the smart phone app CALF BOOK. "We want to give you options, we want to give you something that works for you," Sanders said.
The myHERD service is also switching to a different system to enable a faster web interface, which will also work better on smaller screens like tablets and smartphones.
AHA has a goal of 80% of records turned in electronically. Weaning and yearling data is currently above 80% reported electronically, other data points, such as registrations or payments are increasing.
When using a third party software, make sure that you are creating animals in the software, not in myHERD. Once the initial extract is made to go into the third party software, the AHA does not send data to the software. This is a one-way street of the data going from the software into the AHA system.
The easiest way to transfer animals is to make sure you get the buyers member ID. This is the best way to identify a member in myHERD. myHERD is also able to search for nonmembers that are already in the AHA database.
You can also release AI certificates to customers and to see which certificates have been released to you.
myHERD also displays information which producers you have done business with. You are able to download this list to get addresses and other contact information for your customers. This list can also be extend to 5 years. The download is a CSV file which can be easily opened in Microsoft Excel, or other spreadsheet software.
In myHERD you can also update incorrect data, see adjusted weights, and other reports. Breeders can also order DNA tests through myHERD, see the status of currently ongoing tests, and see previous DNA test results.
There is now a new button to get calf crop data. First, go to the TPR Whole Herd Reporting screen. Click on the calf crop you want to retrieve. You can then click on the "Calf Crop" button to download the data on that calf crop. This data includes data records such as weights, chute scores, dam weights, etc. This report also contains EPD and EPD accuracy data. This report will also contain any genetic defect testing.
AHA has held "School of myHERD.org" webinars. They now have 23 myHERD tutorials on the AHA website at
http://hereford.org/content/schoolofmyherdtutorials. There are two ways to view myHERD tutorials.
The first method tells you step by step and tells you where on the screen to click.
Second, you can have all steps shown or printed at once.
When ordering DNA tests, it automatically shows you active animals. But, if you need to DNA test a deceased or disposed animal, you can simply click on "All Animals" to show all your animals. After selecting the animal, you click the primary reason for DNA testing the animal. You will then choose the type of test you want to use (parentage, GE-EPD, horn-polled, etc.). When doing parentage, if one of the parents does not have a DNA test on file, it will automatically create a field to order a DNA test for that parent. myHERD will also check for duplicate DNA testing, which saves the association money.
Another new feature in myHERD is to look at the status and results of previously purchased test.
Allflex tag products are now available directly from AHA. Allflex has a Tissue Sampling Unit (TSU) that will take a sample for DNA testing. These ear tags can be various combinations of visual, EID, and TSU Allflex products. The TSU sample can be kept at room temperature for a year, and if kept in a freezer can be kept indefinitely (a long time).
PI testing can also be done with TSU sample. AHA is investigating offering PI testing at the same time as DNA testing. One way to simplify DNA testing and PI testing at the same time is to collect two samples.
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