Software surveyed

• Red Wing Software
  E-mail: info@redwingsoftware.com
  Phone: 800-732-9464

• Cow Calf 5
  Web Site: www.CowCalf.com
  Phone: 402-762-4357

• Farm Stock
  E-mail: farmwork@farmworks.com
  Phone: 800-225-2848

• Cow Sense^®
  Web Site: www.cowsense.com
  Phone: 800-584-0040

• CattleMax
  Web Site: www.CattleMax.com
  Phone: 877-454-COWS

• THE Beef Cattle fIRM
  Web Site: http://economics.ag.utk.edu/firm.html
  Phone: 615-898-7710

• Cattle Pro 2003
  Web Site: www.cattlepro.com
  Phone: 800-204-2002

• Cattleworks, LLC
  Web site: www.cattleworks.com
  Phone: 800-507-2902

• CHAPS not in OSU report
  Web site: www.chaps2000.com
  Phone: 701-483-2348, Ext. 105

Bottom-line recordkeeping

Just how much can computers improve your bottom line? A summary of North Dakota Farm and Ranch Business Management data from 2000-2006 indicated a whopping $237.69 difference in net return/cow between the top 20% of beef producers and the bottom 20%.

The common denominator between such highs and lows is a producer's ability to put things together, have a plan and get it done, says Kris Ringwall, North Dakota State University beef specialist in Dickinson, all of which is done by recordkeeping.

“If you don't have good records, you're just throwing darts at the board,” Ringwall says.

What can be collected

Here's what eight, commercial-based software programs can store on cows, plus user-defined fields.

• Individual ID, name
• Breed composition
• Breed registration #
• Tattoo/brand number/eartag
• Purchased/raised, cost & date
• Birth date
• Birth weight
• Pedigree
• Weaning weight/205-day weight and ratios
• Additional weights
• Cow weight/weigh dates
• Condition score
• Hip height
• Age
• Color
• Horned/polled/scurred
• Temperament score
• Most Probable Producing Ability (MPPA) score
• Management code
• Number of calves born, weaned
• Number of calves held as yearlings
• Calving interval
• Date of last calf
• Projected calving date
• Days open
• Average calf performance weights
• Average adjusted calf performance weights
• Average calf performance ratios
• Average daily gain of calves
• Heat detection information
• Breeding information
• Pregnancy status
• Pregnancy check date
• Pelvic area measurements
• Health/vaccination records
• Death/disposal cause/date
• Sold to/price
• Pasture/location
• Embryo transfers
• Average calving ease score
  — OSU Report, CR-3279

Coming up

• November “Accounting”

  A look at computerized accounting records, what's available to cow-calf producers and how to use them.

• December “Analysis”

  Combining herd performance and accounting records to run year-end analysis and make managerial decisions.