Need simple recordkeeping spreadsheet or program

[ChickaD]

Hi! I am trying to find a VERY simple way to keep track of our cows and their calving record. I don't want anything fancy--the simplest program/spreadsheet I have seen has more information than I need to keep up with. My husband keeps a paper record of DOB, then calving record. He likes to see a cow's calving history through the years, which is why the simplest ones I have seen do not seem to be what I am looking for. They offer a lot of information, but not in the form he needs it. If you know of a free or inexpensive program/spreadsheet that does this, please let me know! I have WordPerfect Office 12 Suite (Corel) which contains Quattro Pro (which I know nothing about!). Is there a way to make my own chart in this or import a template from somewhere? Thanks for any help someone can give me! :tiphat:

 

[msscamp]

I would suggest you either play with your Quattro Pro and figure it out, or check with your local colleges to see if they offer a class that will teach you how to use it. Most software comes with a help feature installed - granted, it's not always user friendly but it's still there, generally speaking. Another option would be to google Quattro Pro and see if anyone has a CD available to teach you how to use it. I have Microsoft Office installed on my computer, and have set up a spreadsheet for costs and sales for my goats using Excel. The same thing is entirely possible using Quattro, you just need to learn how to use it.

 

[Miss Daisy]

i think excel is most likely the simplest, possible too simple

 

[ChickaD]

Thanks for your tips. If no one knows of a simple program or spreadsheet that is already available, maybe I can eventually get one set up in Corel's form of Excel. There should be a lot of help online. I appreciate your time in trying to help me! Thanks!

 

[msscamp]

I wish I could be of more help, but I am not familiar with Quattro.

 

[dun]

Scan down through list and see if any of these apply. I didn;t look at them but in the user developed section there are a couple on calf and cow record keeping
http://agebb.missouri.edu/download/index.htm

 

[ChickaD]

Thanks for that list of spreadsheets! When checking a couple of them, I came across Excel files. My OpenOffice spreadsheet can open Excel, so I may have better luck trying to work in its spreadsheet than the one with Corel. I haven't seen just what I "think" I need, but will continue to check the list. There is one that has calf information, but it is based on the year's calving record. I still haven't seen one that keeps up with a cow's calving performance through the years, but I will check into more of these spreadsheets. Thanks again for taking time to help!

 

[cowsrus]

You would think that one of these university extensions could come up with something simple to keep track of cow/calf records.
I think you are looking for the same thing I have been looking and haven't found. If you find something, I would appreciate it if you would post it. Thanks

P.S. There are several commercially produced programs produced, but they are too expensive for my tastes.

 

[gerardplauche]

I can send you a sample of my excel spreadsheet that I use for my feedlot. It will not work for a normal herd operation. :|

 

[ChickaD]

cowsrus,

I will certainly share one if I find it. I can relate to what you said about the cost for the commercial programs. Our cow operation does not justify spending hundreds of dollars, which is what most cost.

I am going to contact the folks at the link dun provided in an earlier reply to this topic, http://agebb.missouri.edu/download/index.htm ,
and see if they would be willing to create this type of spreadsheet.I don't care if it needs to have a little more information on it to make it "fancy" enough to produce. I would just like one that shows a cow's calving performance over the years on one sheet. By the way cowsrus, if you have looked through the list at this link and seen one that is what we are both wanting, let me know that I missed it! Thanks!


gerardplauche, thanks for the offer of your spreadsheet. I will decline for now, since it won't work for a herd operation, and continue to look for what I have described.

I really appreciate all this input!

 

[cowgirl_telly_369]

I could send a sample of ours that I made on excel, used for herd operation.

 

[cowsrus]

I downloaded the beefcow.exe on my computer sometime ago I've not used it yet.It's down by the bottom of that list. It's only good for one year though, you might be able to modify for more than that.It's got room for 300 cows I think.

 

[JRM]

Excel would be probably the easiest to use. I would set up a seperate worksheet for each cow and keep up with DOB, weaning weights, sale date, gain per day etc for each cow/calf.
Access would also do a good job, but Access is not that easy to setup as Excel is and allot of people do not have Access
if you can not find what you are looking for, let me know and I try to setup a spreadsheet for you

 

[ChickaD]

Thanks for all the help you are offering!

cowgirl_telly_69, if your spreadsheet allows for what I have described--viewing a brood cow's performance over her life history on one page, then I would be interested in seeing your spreadsheet. Let me know if it has this capability and I will pm my e-mail address.

jrm, thanks for your input about the information you would include....all good ideas! I do not have Excel, but I have OpenOffice, which BTW, is a free program for anyone needing an office suite. It has several components like the Microsoft suite. I was able to view some Excel spreadsheets from the previously mentioned link through the spreadsheet in Open Office. My son said he should be able to set me up a spreadsheet and groaned when I said I had Corel's Quattro...so I think he plans to use the spreadsheet in OpenOffice. I appreciate your offer to make one for me! I am going to wait until my son is able to work on one and maybe learn from him.

cowsrus, I downloaded that one too and it is a good-looking program, but it isn't what I am looking for...i just need something to enter data into to view easily, then save to back up paper records.

Thanks again for all your help! I would still like to see someone's spreadsheet or know about a program if it has the capability for tracking calving record for the cow's lifetime...

 

[ROCK-N-W]

I created my own in Microsoft Excel.
Comes with office if ya have it, used that for a couple years. It does math too.
Then I purchased Ranch Manager from Lion Edge Technologies.
Great little program and for $99.00 not a bad deal.
My only complaint is not being able to increase the report printing size so that I can read it better when I print hard copy to take in the field with me.
This program beat another one that I purchased for alot more money Hands down easier to use and the people have been very help full and patient. They also converted my Excel spread sheet data and put it into the new program at no charge. Customer service plus free upgrades, Not going to mention what those other folks we're trying to stick us for before I told um to stick it.

 

[cowsrus]

I created my own in Microsoft Excel.
Comes with office if ya have it, used that for a couple years. It does math too.
Then I purchased Ranch Manager from Lion Edge Technologies.
Great little program and for $99.00 not a bad deal.
My only complaint is not being able to increase the report printing size so that I can read it better when I print hard copy to take in the field with me.
This program beat another one that I purchased for alot more money Hands down easier to use and the people have been very help full and patient. They also converted my Excel spread sheet data and put it into the new program at no charge. Customer service plus free upgrades, Not going to mention what those other folks we're trying to stick us for before I told um to stick it.

Thanks RNW, I checked out their website and it looks interesting. A bit more than I need, but if you can track your expenses and income and your cow/calf records, it might be just what I have been looking for. They have a trial version availiable and I think I will try it and see if it works as advertised. Anyone else try this? Here is a link to their website. http://www.lionedge.com/index.htm

 

[larryshoat]

You would think that one of these university extensions could come up with something simple to keep track of cow/calf records.
I think you are looking for the same thing I have been looking and haven't found. If you find something, I would appreciate it if you would post it. Thanks

P.S. There are several commercially produced programs produced, but they are too expensive for my tastes.

Not trying to hijack the thread but, the university's attempts at software developement are pathetic. OSU is so far behind in software and really does not seem to make any progress.

Larry

 

[ChickaD]

A google search of cattle management software has the Lion Edge product about third, so it sounds like a good one to try. After searching through some of the others, I downloaded one from Agritec that has a 90-day trial period. If you decide not to buy, the program retains very basic functionality. After seeing how detailed it is, I decided to look for a spreadsheet instead of a program for what I am needing. There are several there that offer trial periods, for those who are interested in some of the bigger programs. I did see one or two programs that are less than $100. Finding the price is sometimes hard to do at these websites.

I e-mailed the folks at agebb.missouri.edu to see if it is possible to get a spreadsheet developed if requested. It will be interesting to see if there is any interest; I'll let you know, larryshoat! Maybe Missouri will be the "show us" state!

 

[ROCK-N-W]

Thanks RNW, I checked out their website and it looks interesting. A bit more than I need, but if you can track your expenses and income and your cow/calf records, it might be just what I have been looking for. They have a trial version availiable and I think I will try it and see if it works as advertised. Anyone else try this? Here is a link to their website. http://www.lionedge.com/index.htm

I tried the trial version first also. I found it very user friendly. It is a java based program which I am not really familiar with.
Customer service is not extra and they don't charge for extra plug-ins.
That is what you have to watch for with some of the other company's.
After you get the software and it does not do what you need they want to charge for each and every plug-in.
Ranch Manager lets you manage your herd keep track of income & expense's also lets you add photos of herd,vendors info, tracking numbers, p&l, med records it does it all. Most programs would cost allot more than 99.00 bucks if it's worth a darn. Ranch Works is one of those I would recommend to stay away from, I found them to be a rip off. Good luck but you can trust me on this one it works and the learning curve is not difficult and they will walk you right thru it at no charge.

 

[tom4018]

Search Ebay for cattle software. There is one on there that a demo can be downloaded. You might pm Crowder as he bought one of the cheaper ones a while back.

We also use Cattleworks, when we got it it was about half what it is now. It does some things goo but other areas it lacks, that is why we started playing with spreadsheets to get what we wanted. Cattleworks is simple to use but their support is getting awful.