Sara Snider
The Source
Getting organized ahead of time eliminates stress at crunch time.
I love Christmas. It is easily my favorite time of year. The snow, the lights and the spirit that surrounds the holidays are a few of the reasons why. It's the day of the year I look forward to the most.
The chaos, the flurry of activity and the resulting stress is something I dread. Late nights trying to get everything done, last-minute shopping trips and long lines at the stores all take away from the enjoyment.
This year I decided to learn from the past and to do something different. I decided to get organized, start early and be done in time to fully enjoy the wonders of Christmas.
Preparation
I started my Christmas shopping in October. I shopped online, through catalogs and at our local stores. This meant I was able to look around instead of having to settle for whatever I could find at the last minute. I was able to buy gifts I knew my family would enjoy and at the same time get the most value for my dollar.
Mailing Christmas cards was a breeze. The address cards we used for our wedding years ago still come in handy. As people move, I update these cards, and each year I write in the margin if I mailed them a Christmas card. The 2010 cards were in the mail faster than ever before!
Next year I have plans to get everything entered into a spreadsheet and print labels. Yes, I am always looking for ways to be more efficient!
The big day
Being organized and prepared allowed me to better enjoy the holidays. The week before I was able to watch a few of the Christmas classics on TV, read stories to my daughter and relax and enjoy the spirit and excitement of the season. When the big day finally rolled around, I wasn't stressed. I was able to spend time with family and friends — the best gift of all! It was wonderful! Finishing everything well ahead of time was the key.
For many parts of the country, Christmas is quickly followed by spring calving. I can't help but think that the lesson I learned would be helpful to most producers when it comes to enrolling their calves in the AngusSource or Gateway program. Being organized and starting early will make the enrollment process more enjoyable.
Get organized
Verification is all about a record trail. That means keeping organized and detailed records. While it isn't important that you document everything that happens on the operation, the more records you have and the easier they are to read, the more quickly your enrollment will go.
Verification is all about a record trail.Hopefully, when you turned the bulls out you wrote down the registration numbers of the service sires. If they are registered Angus bulls it is a good time to make sure the bulls are transferred to you. Bulls must be properly transferred to you if you want to enroll their calves in AngusSource. If you leased the bulls, make sure you get a lease agreement signed by the owner for the breeding season the bulls were used. If you lease the same bulls year after year, it is a good idea to have an "open-ended" lease agreement — one with no end date. That way you won't have to have one signed over and over for the same bull.
Don't forget artificial insemination (AI) sires. We will need copies of the semen receipts. If you don't already have one on file, contact your supplier and have them send one to you.
We will also need to know how many cows you exposed to the bulls. It is helpful if you have this broken down by pasture, but if you don't, we will work through it with you (it just takes a little more time).
When calving season starts, it is important to make a record of how many cows/heifers you have to calve out. We know on many operations that the herd is culled between breeding and calving. Making a record of the number of head that are sold before calving starts can make the enrollment a little faster. Remember to include any bred females you purchased over the past year. If you are enrolling in AngusSource, you will also need a "bred female receipt" signed by the seller listing the registration numbers of the service sires.
You do need to record the birth date of the first calf born. It is also helpful for us if you record the dam information or some other management information relative to that calf. We will not accept a calendar page with a date circled and "calf born" written on it. While we like individual calving records, they are not required. Calendars are acceptable as long as there are other management records written within the calendar, too. For instance, days hay was put out, when cows were moved from pasture to pasture or additional calving records.
You can enroll your calves at any time after the first calf is born, but we prefer you wait until all the calves are on the ground. Although we can issue tags based on number of cows exposed, very few producers choose to purchase a tag for every potential calf. Most opt to guestimate death loss. This means they are either buying too many tags, and all unused tags will have to be destroyed and documented (just more work) or they overestimate death loss and don't have enough tags. Once the tags are issued, we cannot issue more. Any additional calves that don't receive tags with the first group will be enrolled as a second lot and an additional $50 fee will apply. For producers not keeping individual calving records, a second "first-calf born" birth date for the remaining calves should be recorded.
Start early
Calves must be enrolled and tagged before they leave your operation.Calves must be enrolled and tagged before they leave your operation. Year after year it seems like sale day sneaks up on quite a few producers and they are scrambling at the end to get it all done. The answer? Start well in advance. We prefer you start at least 30 days prior to when you need your tags. That gives us plenty of time to do the training and enrollment, and allows an extra window in case an on-site review is required. Destron will manufacture and ship the tags within three business days of receiving the order.
Think about enrolling prior to weaning or preconditioning. By that time you should have an accurate head count. The calves are already being worked, so you can tag them at the same time.
Finishing early has marketing benefits
Having your enrollment done well in advance not only allows the time leading up to sale day to be less stressful, it allows for increased marketing exposure, too. Once the calves are enrolled, you have access to the online listing site. You can add additional vaccination, management and marketing information, letting potential buyers know when and where your calves will be available for sale up to 90 days in advance of sale day. Once completed, the listing is posted online and e-mailed to more than 600 individuals.
If you still have fall calves, let's get them enrolled. If you are spring-calving, get organized! When you're ready to get started with your enrollment, we are here to help. If you are enrolling for the first time, visit us online at www.angussource.com to print enrollment information. You can also contact our staff at 816-383-5100 to request a packet. If you have enrolled before, simply mail or fax a copy of the required records and we will contact you to complete the training and enrollment.
We hope that 2011 is filled with blessings for your family and a strong cattle market for us all!
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