ONLINE REGISTRY HELP PAGE

If you have not yet signed up for the Online Registry Service, please use the form on the proceeding page.  Complete the form and return to ABBA for processing.  Once your form has been processed you will start receiving emails from the records department letting you know that you can begin using this service.

Please remember:  Whenever you encounter a new system, it takes time to become familiar with it.  Persistence is rewarded by success.

We encourage you to read through these helpful instructions and print them off for future reference. In an effort to aide your understanding of using the online registry, we have prepared a set of instructions which are more brief in nature and utilize more graphic representation for explanations.  You are encourage to read the instructions below thoroughly as they contain more detailed information than the graphic-oriented instructions. 

This online registry allows you to:
        update your calving aged cow herd inventory ,
        update your bull herd inventory ,
        record calves (FORM 1) ,
        record weaning weights (FORM 2) and disposal information,
        record yearling weights (FORM 3) and disposal information.

Security.
You will have to set up an ABBA internet account and log on using your account information to use the online registry tools.  Please remember to periodically change your password to a unique and private code and remember not to share this code with anyone that you do not want to have access to your ABBA internet account.  In time we will provide additional information accessible from your ABBA internet account such as account balances, transaction histories, etc. which you might not want others to have access.

Recording / Registration Options.
When recording calves, you will have the option of identifying whether you would like to actually register the calf or not.  All calves recorded in the same calf-crop, both registered and unregistered alike, may be recorded in the same batch.  Registered animals will continue to have their registration certificates printed and sent to you by mail.  Transfers of registered animals from one owner to another must still be performed by completing the transfer form found on the reverse side of the registration certificate and mailing to the ABBA.

How it works.
The design of this system is based on the use of the traditional paper forms you have been using to submit herd information to the ABBA in the past.  The primary difference is that you no longer have to complete these paper forms but rather can record your information into the appropriate types of batches.  

Once you have created a batch you can record data as you have time or the information is available.  You can actually create a batch and record details for a few animals, log off the system and then return at a later time log back on, open up that particular batch and record more information.  When finished recording information for all animals in the batch, you can submit the completed batch for processing at the ABBA.  For example, you could log on and create a batch for recording your Spring calf-crop and record a few calves that are now on the ground and you have information available and then continue adding information on additional calves as they hit the ground over the next several weeks.  When calving season is over and you have finished entering data on the newest calves, all you have to do is submit the batch for processing and your calves can be recorded.  No waiting until calving season is over and then having to find time to get all your notes, books and printed forms out to complete and mail into the ABBA.

When each batch of information is processed at the ABBA, you will receive an email message notifying you that your information has been processed and that a report file (pdf format) is available for you to download from the system which looks the same as the current report you are use to receiving in the mail.  The report files will provide information on contemporary groups, ratios and updated EPDs eliminating the need for waiting on the postal service to receive this information.  

Before you begin.
Before starting a session to record any of the types of information mentioned at the top of the page be sure you have all the information you will need available.  You might have already written out a paper form for all of this information or you may have everything you need in a pocket herd record book or on miscellaneous worksheets you have created for use in the pasture.

Getting Started:
After you have logged on to your ABBA internet account, click on the link in the upper portion of the page titled "Online Registry".  You will be taken to a page displaying all of the batches that have been created for your account, looking something similar to the following image:

If the batch list contains no previously created batches or if you wish to add a new batch, Click on the "Create New Batch" link.

• Creating a Batch.
  You will now see a screen providing the options you would like to use in creating a new batch, looking similar to the following image:
  
           
  When creating a new batch, you will be asked to specify the type of data that will be recorded in the batch so that the appropriate data entry forms are used when recording information against each animal in the batch.  The batch will otherwise be empty and you will have to add every animal you wish to include in the batch by supplying a herd id and  registration number.  
  
  Be sure to add any comments you feel necessary to the "Comments" field when creating new batches to help you distinguish amongst the different batches you will create over time for your herd.

• Adding an Animal to a Batch.
  You may wish to add one or more additional animals after initially creating the batch.  To do this, simply click on the "Add" button seen at the end of the list of animals currently in the batch.  On the data entry form that is presented, complete all the necessary blanks to record the appropriate information against each newly added animal.  Remember that every animal included in a batch must have appropriate data completed or you will not be able to submit the batch for processing by the ABBA. 
  

• Editing Batches and Animals.
  You can access the individual records in a batch to add or edit the detailed information of each animal by clicking on the "Batch #" link as seen in the batch list image above.  Once you have done this you will be presented with a screen similar to the following image which is a list of the animals in the batch:
  
  
  
  The data that is shown in the animal lists is different for each type of batch to make it easier to proof your data entry when looking at the list of animals.  To edit the information of a particular animal in the batch click on the link in the column labeled "Record No." for that animal.  You will be presented with a data entry screen that will allow you to add/edit information for the animal.  
  
  Entering data - Use the tab key after entering data to proceed to the next field in the data entry form, NOT the enter/return key on your keyboard.  
  
  For specific instructions on editing information in each type of batch, click on a link below:

  CALF RECORDING FORM (FORM 1)

  WEANING WORKSHEET (FORM 2)

  YEARLING WORKSHEET (FORM 3)

  COW DISPOSAL FORM

  BULL DISPOSAL FORM

  AI CERTIFICATE REQUEST

  
  When finished editing, select the appropriate option at the bottom of the form and then click on the "Go" button.
  
  You probably have noticed a column in the batch list and animal list labeled "Status".  It is important to pay attention to the information in this column for each batch and animal because is tells you whether the information you have entered for the animal has potential problems associated with the data.  These problems could cause difficulties in processing the information once it reaches the ABBA which would result in the possibility of a delay in processing the data you submit until all questions are answered.  The results seen in the "Status" column are determined by a set of edits included in the online registry system.  The set of edits included in the online system are only a portion of those used by the ABBA to maintain data integrity, further edits will be performed by the ABBA when we process your information.  Therefore, there still is a possibility that additional errors may be generated causing the need for questions to be answered before processing can be completed.
  
  Warnings.
  Warnings are given in green.  They inform you of possible mistakes but usually suggest such things as sire not owned by you at time of service, twin already recorded, etc.  Processing can continue but you should make sure that you double check the data you have entered to ensure that it is correct.
  
  Fatal Errors.
  Fatal errors are given in red.  They must be corrected before a batch can be submitted.  Fatal errors include such things as, duplicate names or herd IDs, birth date conflicts, omission of required information, etc.  It may take several attempts to eliminate all of the fatal errors found for an animal in a particular batch but you don't have to clean all of these up in a single session.  You can come back to it at a later date and add/edit the necessary information to clear the fatal error.  If all else fails, you can delete an animal from a batch by clicking the "Delete" option and then the "Go" button seen on the animal data entry form.  Deleted animals are still listed, but the information is not sent with the rest of the batch when submitted to the ABBA and will still need to be submitted in a separate batch or by other means if you wish for it to be processed by the ABBA.
  
  A good technique to use when finishing up editing data for a particular batch that you will soon submit to the ABBA is to scan over the animal list of the batch and make sure that no "Fatal Error" messages are observed in the "Status" column.  If any are observed, look at the specific errors on the data entry form for the animal and get them fixed up before trying to submit the batch.  
  
  Batches with "Fatal Error" messages can NOT be submitted for processing.

• Submitting a Batch.
  When you are satisfied with the data you have recorded against the animals in the batch and you have fixed all fatal errors , you can submit it to the ABBA for processing by clicking on the link titled "View Batch Summary or Submit this Batch".  Doing so will present you with a screen similar to the following image:
  
        
  
  This batch summary provides you with some general statistics about the batch to make sure that you are ready to finish the submission process.  If you are ready then all you have to do is to click on the link titled "Submit this batch to ABBA"  Now all you have to do is wait for the ABBA to receive your batch of information and complete processing.  It could take a few days for the ABBA to process your batch of information, possibly longer during peak periods, as we will process information in the order it is received.  You will be notified via email message that processing is complete and a Report file is available for you to download from this website.
  
  Once you have submitted a batch, you will NOT be able to submit the batch again.  However, it will continue to show in the batch list for your future reference and the details of the batch can be viewed but not edited.
  

Status Indicators in Batch List.

• Initialized
  This means a batch has been created, but no records have been entered in the batch yet.
  
• Fatal Errors Exist
  This means that the batch has errors in it and you need to fix up the errors before it can be submitted for processing.
  
• Validated with Warnings
  This means that the batch has warnings in it.  You are able to submit a batch with warnings in it for processing.
  
• Validated
  This means that the batch has no warnings or errors and you are able to submit for processing.
  
• Sending
  This is seen for a short time after submitting a batch while the system finishes creating the data file for the batch and sends it to the ABBA.
  
• Submitted
  This means you have successfully submitted the batch for processing.

If you have batches where the status doesn't say "Submitted", it means that the information in the batch hasn't been received by the ABBA yet.