Additional ADCA Registration Ideas, AFTER we vote YES

[Cascade Meadows Farm - Kirk]

In the long run, Genotyping and Parentage Verification reduces time, energy, heartache, and costs for all of us. Mandatory Genotyping of females, starting with those born in 2016, seems like a minimal solution that we should surely support.... but in addition to that proposal, here are some ideas we should also consider, AFTER we vote YES on the current proposal:


1. Eliminate (or extend to 36 months) late fees for fully parentage verified animals.

The ADCA currently charges a registration late fee for females registered later than 12 months after birth. Presumably the late fee is to encourage folks to register while memories are fresh, to improve accuracy, and to reduce the headaches and costs associated with errors, especially parentage errors. But if animals are fully parentage verified, then it seems like the late fee should be excused (or extended until 36 months, instead of 12 months). This would give breeders a little more time to consider culling some questionable females, before unnecessarily testing and registering them.


2. Charge LESS to register and transfer fully parentage verified animals, AND charge MORE to register/transfer NON-verified animals.

If it's true that in the long haul, that parentage verified animals are substantially less problematic and less costly for the association and members, then there should be a distinct price difference in registering and transferring Parentage-Verified vs. NON-Parentage-Verified dexters.

Perhaps the fee structure for BOTH registrations and transfers should be something like this:

$20 to register or transfer fully parentage-verified animals
$40 to register or transfer NON-parentage-verified animals

Of course, the association would need to adjust these prices down the road as they see a budgetary need to do so.


I have a fairly large herd of non-parentage verified animals and I'm a rather poor farmer, but I will be voting YES on the current proposal, and I would also fully support both of these additional ideas because it will give me an incentive to genotype my entire herd, including the older females, as soon as possible.


I'm hoping that folks will push for these fee structure ideas whether the current proposal passes or not.


Anyone have some better ideas?

[zephyrhillsusan]

Cascade Meadows Farm - Kirk, I really like your first idea a lot.  I think 36 months is a good age.  That gives someone time to breed the heifer and evaluate her offspring.  If they haven't done it by then, it seems to me there would be less and less motivation to do it.

On registering non-PVd animals, if I understand the proposal correctly, eventually that would be phased out.  So I wonder if it's worth the time and effort to revamp the fee schedule for the dozen or so intervening years.  It would save some people some money, but there might be other higher priorities.

One that would be nice is a "birth certificate" system (previously mentioned) that would record births of animals that weren't going to be registered; or they could be registered later for an additional fee.  I don't have a clue how that would work, but it would be nice to have all of a bull's (or cow's) progeny recorded, whether they were registered or not.

One thing to remember is that with PV, obligate status can be conferred without having to pay for tests.  PV is actually the ONLY proof of obligate status; the numerous pedigree errors that have been cited are enough to show that you can't count on obligate status based purely on pedigree.  So the more people get into doing PV, the more they'll save money elsewhere to help balance the cost of genotyping.  

[Cascade Meadows Farm - Kirk]

May 3, 2015 16:13:50 GMT -5 zephyrhillsusan said:

One that would be nice is a "birth certificate" system (previously mentioned) that would record births of animals that weren't going to be registered; or they could be registered later for an additional fee.  I don't have a clue how that would work, but it would be nice to have all of a bull's (or cow's) progeny recorded, whether they were registered or not.

A smart programmer could easily give us a feature in the ADCA system where we could each log in and input our own calving records. We sorta already do that.

Currently when we register an animal, most of us go online and fill out the form.... But, instead of waiting until you're ready to register the animal, imagine filling out that same form on the day the calf was born, and then the system could store that information as a birth notification (instead of having that form flow directly forward to the registrar for immediate registration). You wouldn't yet need a name for the calf, you'd just need the parents' info, birthdate of calf, sex, color, etc.. The registrar wouldn't need to do anything at all until you were ready to complete the registration (if you chose to register it at some future point).

These birth notification records would sit there in the ADCA system until you possibly wanted to register the animal at some later date.... then, instead of re-inputting the information into the registration forms, you would just pull up the birth notification record and click "register now" and complete any remaining information including a name for the animal. Only then, would the registrar get involved to complete the registration.

It might be 2 or even 3 years between the day you input the original birth notification, and when you click "Register now".... If the animal is a cull, you would never click "Register now".

There shouldn't be a charge for inputting your own birth notification records and this could be built to actually REDUCE errors and reduce the time spent by the registrar to register these animals when the time comes.

Under this idea, if you went to the online pedigree system to list the progeny of the parents, you could see their registered offspring AND see these birth announcement records all in a single list. When an animal become registered, the system would automatically delete or hide the birth notification record and create the registered animal record in its place.

This programming work seems like a good place for the ADCA to spend some its reserves money.... If this was designed well, it could actually save time and money in the long haul.... resulting in LESS paid inputting for the registrar, and MORE free direct inputting by members.

[Cascade Meadows Farm - Kirk]

Now that it has been decided that full genotyping of all calves will start in 2016 ... maybe we should start to push on extending late fees to 36 months (if calf is parentage verified)... and also push on adjusting the registration system to allow us to input our own birth notifications the day the calf is born (see above).

[Olga]

I would be in full support of registering the birth of all calves, even those that do not become breeding stock. I hate seeing "holes" in progeny records.
I also support the idea of extending or even eliminating the late reg. fees. Good ideas.

[kansasdexters]

YES! There really doesn't need to be a late fee on registration, if the calf is fully parentage qualified (Sire Qualified, Dam Qualified). It's definitely worth asking for this new courtesy. Progress, progress, progress! Get it right the first time and save, save, save, on efforts and stress.


Patti

[cddexter]

I know you all hate it when I come on and whine about how I've been saying this for years, but I've been saying this for years: BIRTH NOTICES

England has been doing it forever. Every calf is recorded, whether it's going to be registered or not, regardless of sex. This provides a calving record for the cow, which is invaluable for the next owner. Our herd book ended up being printed in very large print. with lots of white space. England uses very small print, they include both the calving record and the registration list: they had oodles more entries and their book was 1/4 the size of the ADCA's. Only those calves where the owner then confirms in writing that they want the calf registered will the calf actually get in the herd book with a number, but at least there is a record of calving interval, losses, etc..

Instead of the stick, why not use the carrot? If someone has an animal that's not dna'd born prior to 2016, and they go ahead and have it done even tho' it's not required, why not give them a break on fees? The ADCA has a ton of money set aside, they are supposed to be a charitable organization. What do they plan to do with all that surplus. The Bod can never agree on a project that involves spending even a tiny portion of the reserves. Use it to reward members for good behavior, why not..

imo, cheers, c.

[midhilldexters]

I agree.
How about one of you "wordy" types coming up with a letter we can email to the board? Happy to help in any way I can.

Carol K

[lakeportfarms]

I sure wish I got to negotiate deals with some of you every day. Now that they got what they wanted and female genotype and PV is mandatory, make sure the wordy letter to the board includes the words "pretty please" as many times as you can.

[midhilldexters]

Sour grapes will get you far Hans. The membership got what they wanted, and what they voted for.
Were you not one of the ones whining about late fees? Well show support for it then, support the cause.

Carol K

[lakeportfarms]

I would have happily supported female genotyping as part of an overhaul of the fee structure, but as it is elimination of late registration fees has about a zero percent chance of being implemented. You all gave up any leverage you had on the matter. Keep on paying $15 to register a steer if you want, as one example.

[midhilldexters]

Female genotyping was way more important than late fees in most people eyes, and we didn't need to barter for it. We shall see what happens with it I guess.

Carol K

[hollydzie]

Well I don't think there was any begging or pleading just a simple vote of yes or no. Hopefully this is just the beginning of great things with the ADCA.

[howmany]

Let's just think of more ways too increases and expand the money coming out of the breeders pockets.how about voting yes to put a freeze on spending or adding any rules that all breeder or forced to agree to money that comes out of the prophets of the sales of hour animals.thanks need to vent.Brian stokinger

[Cascade Meadows Farm - Kirk]

Brian, The ideas we're proposing here, would reduce the costs to breeders. Eliminating or delaying the late fee should SAVE you money. Allowing free input of birth notifications, should save money (no need to register steers).