Now Available as
a Service:
   50¢/cow/year

   contact:
Arren Heenan
Kentucky
 Cattlemen's
 Office:
 (859) 278-0899

It is a part of the cattle business that few producers enjoy, but keeping good records on your herd is very important to your operation's success. Keeping accurate records allows producers to make decisions based on the performance of the cows, not guess work. It is a time consuming process that does not include boots, a horse or a four-wheeler, but it can aid you in improving your herd.

In order to keep good records there are several things that must be done. 
First, you must have adequate working facilities and have every animal individually identified. Your identification system should include some form of permanent id, i.e., freeze brand, tattoo, etc., along with an easily visible form of id, ie., ear tag. If the animal loses its tag it will still be identifiable, which is important for keeping lifetime performance on your cows.

Calf birth weights are not necessary, but knowing the calf's birth date is important. Calf birth date is used in adjusting weaning weights to 205 days and is important to form a calving distribution table. A calving distribution table shows when the cows calved during the calving season. Did they all breed and calve early or did many females not conceive until later in the breeding season. Having a large portion of your calves come early in the calving season is very important to your bottom line.

Weaning weight and date is another requirement of keeping good records. Most Kentucky producers sell their calves at weaning without any knowledge of individual calf weights. In order to be economically efficient, it is important to know which cows consistently raise a good or poor calf and which bull is doing a good job of putting weight on your calves. The only way to know this information is to weigh your calves at weaning and keep records.

If you retain ownership of your calves through backgrounding or the feedlot, keeping records can give you additional insight into areas of needed improvement.

The University of Kentucky has supported a records keeping software system called CHAPS for many years, but it has been difficult to work with and did not fit many producers' needs. The information gained from this program has always been very useful to producers, but getting the records into the computer was often a problem. You can still expect very informative outputs from the program, with additions that were not on earlier versions, and it is easy to use even if you have minimal computer skills.

There is a great need for a statewide database of performance records on Kentucky's cow herd. Information on breeding success, calf survival, birth weights, weaning weights, backgrounding, feedlot and carcass information from across the state would help to better assess the needs of Kentucky beef producers. Also, a statewide database would enable you to compare how you are doing things, with the state averages. To accomplish this task we are starting a statewide records keeping program and we need your help. We are offering the program to producers for $25.00 (Normal price $350.00) in exchange for your agreeing to send us your records each year. Your records will remain completely confidential and only area and statewide averages and results will be published, no individual information. If you are willing to join us in this project forms may be obtained online or by contacting your county Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension agent or contact:

Arren Heenan
176 Pasadena Drive
Lexington, KY 40503
Phone: (859) 278-0899
Fax: (859)260-2060

Please include your address and an application will be sent to you.

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Cow Herd Appraisal Performance Software, better known as CHAPS is a beef record keeping system developed by North Dakota State University Extension Service in 1985. CHAPS 2000 is a complete herd analysis program, capable of tracking beef cattle production from conception to carcass. CHAPS 2000 is designed to help producers make important management decisions in order to increase profitability of their operations. CHAPS 2000 is now a windows based software program. All CHAPS records entered in the CHAPS III Dos version are easily converted to the new program.

CHAPS 2000 provides a series of summary reports, allowing a producer to track the performance of an entire herd. Summary reports include detailed information concerning:

Arren Heenan
176 Pasadena Drive
Lexington, KY 40503
Phone: (859) 278-0899
Fax: (859)260-2060
Email: arrenheenan@uky.edu

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