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Post by lakeportfarms on Jul 7, 2013 9:33:16 GMT -5
Good thoughts Jennifer, I like the idea of a short field for comments such as you mentioned.
Here's another thought...In the owner or breeder field, a box that indicates if the owner or breeder is an active member with dues paid for the calendar year. That could help with the registration accuracy and transfer discussed in prior posts on this thread. If neither are active members, then it would raise some questions for a prospective buyer of an animal. But some of these things may not be possible with this existing pedigree program. It is a database program however, and there SHOULD be the capability to manage and display a virtually unlimited amount of data if it was constructed well.
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Post by kansasdexters on Jul 7, 2013 10:44:12 GMT -5
These are all wonderful suggestions. The person identified as being the Chair of the ADCA Website & Technology Committee (reference Summer 2013 ADCA Bulletin, p. 4) is Robert Seddon. If anyone has contributions and ideas to make in this area, then please contact him directly and volunteer your time and expertise on that committee. He is a committee of one right now.
Patti
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Post by lakeportfarms on Jul 7, 2013 12:57:35 GMT -5
Patti,
I'll do that. Though I'm not in the information technology field, I've had a lot of experience with this in my own business and I'll be happy to help in any way. It would be nice to find a more complete and comprehensive pedigree database to go along with the new website. Hopefully the cost won't be prohibitive, and the data that currently exists can be easily imported into new software and there isn't a steep learning curve to use compared to the Ponyweb software that is currently used in the ADCA. It's just speculation from a quick review of their website, but I don't think it has much flexibility in customization. It has served the association well for a while, but maybe it's time to move on.
Hans
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Post by indexters on Jul 7, 2013 13:28:01 GMT -5
Patti, thanks for the information. I will also contact him. I would like a way to be more involved and this is an area I think I could contribute.
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Post by wvdexters on Jul 7, 2013 13:29:09 GMT -5
What great ideas!! These suggestions would really help us navigate through the pedigree database. I'd love to be able to add more detailed info and some good pictures to the site.
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Post by carragheendexters on Jul 7, 2013 17:28:28 GMT -5
Hi Everyone,
I am amazed at all the issues on DNA testing that you guys have over there. Perhaps it is because it is still all quite "new" to you. In Australia DNA testing and parentage is so straight forward. We only have the one option of lab to use, Uni of QLD, Genetics laboratory, a highly professional laboratory that uses state of the art equipment by highly qualified laboratory scientists. I have yet to hear a complaint about them re "wrong" results. The only "wrong" results that I know of is when people get the sire or even dam incorrect, and it is usually sorted out eventually by sending in the correct parents samples.
If we were ever concerned about a result it would be easy to have it retested, even if the animal is long gone, the lab keeps the DNA sample for future reference. The joy of this is that when PHA testing became available some years back, animals that were deceased could be tested from the DNA that was kept on file.
Also the problem you guys have trying to update your status of animals on the database, here in Australia we have to fill out a herd return each year, it is mandatory. When renewals for membership are sent out a computer printout of your herd is sent with it. You have to mark any changes in your herd with a code next to the animals name, eg sold to non-member, deceased, transferred to commercial herd, sold for slaughter, etc. This is then sent back with your renewal for the office to update the database. The database will reflect that an animal is active, inactive (still alive but owned by non-member), dead or deregistered. An animal can never be removed from the database. Also if your membership lapses all of your animals become inactive.
Perhaps when your DNA teething issues are sorted, it will be more streamlined. Also our DCAI admin is run by a company called ABRI at the University of Armidale, we have an office person and Executive Officer dedicated to us (Dexter society) ABRI is responsible for a whole horde of different breed societies so is very familiar of the different requirements of breeds and DNA parentage.
regards Louise
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Post by jamboru on Jul 7, 2013 19:22:54 GMT -5
Au herd returns only account for registered live Dexters. They do not account for youngstock yet to be registered, so with males and females not requiring registration until 3yo, (unless they are being sold, shown or have calves requiring registration), we don't have a complete picture. I think UK has calf notification of some sort, not suggesting we should, but we could do with a space on the herd return print-out to notify youngstock, male and female who are possible future registrations.
Fran
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Post by Olga on Jul 7, 2013 22:41:42 GMT -5
The herd return form is a great idea! I will contact R.Seddon and get involved, thank you for the suggestion. Right on the webmaster, I keep getting them confused, since the Registrar and the Webmaster are a married and are sure to help each other out.
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Post by cddexter on Jul 8, 2013 0:07:07 GMT -5
sometimes I feel really old.
For probably the first 40 years of the ADCA, paying for the transfer was the responsibility of the seller. Then, too many sellers didn't want to waste the $10 as it was then (or too darn cheap and/or lazy, actually), so eventually over time, it's evolved that the buyer pays.
There used to be a herd return sent out every year, to be reviewed and made correct, and that was the listing of animals under your name in the herd book. Didn't sent it back? Oh well, no animals listed for you in the herd book that year. Pretty simple, and good motivation. With the advent of no longer printing the herd book, this went out the window. It used to be really handy to be able to look back over the years and trace who owned an animal. Can't do that any more. The only thing that shows up is the current owner.
I tried to talk the assn. into using Birth Notices, like they do in England. Really handy, but oh no. Can't do that. The English herd book lists the owner, the animals registered to them as of year end, and then lists all births: cow, date of calving, sire, sex of calf, color, and whether it was going to be registered or not. Complete with proposed registered name and a HB number, or alternately, a description of the animal's fate: sold to butcher, died, bulldog, steered, or whathaveyou. A terrific calving record that could be followed from year to year. Told the story of animals that didn't conceive, had a calf every year like clockwork, you could figure out who was a dwarf or not by the type of calf produced,
For what it's worth, I recently was asked for info on one missing line in an extended pedigree. The owner of the animal was told the program only went to three generations so there was no way to add a fifth. Huh? Every extended pedigree I've seen on the ADCA site goes to five plus the animal. All the other fifth generation animals were there, how come one missing one couldn't be added.
Rosemary used to list the transfers by transfer number. Impossible to find anything unless you went through it, line by line, because it was chronological. It took four years and a fair amount of polite begging to get that changed. I don't even know if transfers even show up any more.
Long day at work, to die for hay off the fields this year, all safely stored in the barn. I feel like a replete squirrel. cheers, c.
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Post by cddexter on Jul 8, 2013 8:26:38 GMT -5
Back to the original post that started this thread...
I'm with Carol K. I think by now, and especially since many don't just read current posts, but browse through the posting history, everyone, and I mean EVERYONE is in no doubt about what Judy and Gene think about the Cothran lab, and what they both think about UCD, and why--ad nauseum. I think this repeated lab bashing and self-promotion have exceeded surfeit. Unless there is something new to report, it really is time to move on. Please.
Anyone out there disagree?
Thoughts from the tide pools of Vancouver Island. c.
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Post by lakeportfarms on Jul 8, 2013 16:19:14 GMT -5
I'm going to boil it down to this...If I had a buyer for a bull, cow, heifer, etc..., but the sale hinged on whether or not the cow carried red, chondro (which for us is common), PHA (though all ours are tested), or polled if you prefer, and I wanted the results quickly, who would I use?
I think the choice is pretty clear. Maybe the Cothran lab will get better with competition, but Legacy or UCDavis directly are going to get the results to you faster. I've had more than a few times I've waited better than a month for my results going through the ADCA and Cothran lab in years past, and it will take a lot to erase those memories. I'm not going to get into the accuracy debate, since I haven't had firsthand experience with that.
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Post by cddexter on Jul 8, 2013 19:13:45 GMT -5
Well done, Gene.  I'm slayed. In your dreams. cheers, c. |
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Post by legendrockranch on Jul 8, 2013 21:25:14 GMT -5
I've had more than a few times I've waited better than a month for my results going through the ADCA and Cothran lab in years past, You can not go by what was done in the past years. Remember in the past years we first had to send our testing samples to Pam, she in return had to take them to Texas A&M. Turn around time for me now sending them directly to Texas A&M is running about 1 1/2 weeks for genotyping. It probably helps living in Texas where the lab is located.  Barb edited to add that I just googled how far Texas A&M is from me, it's a 3 hour drive. |
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Post by ssrdex on Jul 8, 2013 23:54:48 GMT -5
I have no past experience with any lab other than UCD VGL. My latest experience through Legacy went like this- got submission form on 6/24, mailed hairs on 6/26, received email on 6/28 @4:48pm of genetic marker report/permanent record for Glenn Land Little Bob, and on 7/2 received email for PV of my boss cow Christie's Lil' Miss. Did all the ordering on my iPhone. Pretty hard to beat that service
Joel
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Post by lakeportfarms on Jul 9, 2013 8:10:14 GMT -5
Barb, I'm sure it has improved without the additional layers, but what I am mainly referring to is the ease of use combined with the speed that the Legacy and UCDavis testing offers. I enter the information on the computer (no handwriting and many of the fields are automatically generated with autofill on the computer), cut and past the sire/dam names and information if necessary, then a sheet is printed with barcode to place the hair sample. Mail it off to UCDavis, get an automatic e mail notification that it arrived at the lab, then 3 days or so later the results are e mailed in PDF format to my e-mail. They're also stored online with my user account for access. I can be out in the pasture with potential customers and pull up the test results right there on my phone to show them.
IF...I was advising Gus Cothran's lab on what needs to be done now that there is some serious competition for the Dexter business, I'd be advising him to copy what UCDavis does with their process because it's far easier for many of us with large herds.
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I'm slayed. In your dreams. cheers, c.
