Montana Beef Quality Assurance Certification Course

• Tutorial Main
• Introduction
  • Education Team
  • Intro to BQA
  • BQA History / Nat. Audits
  • 2005 Nat. Audit
  • Top 10 Industry Goals
  • Defining Quality Beef / Cattle Care
• Regional Curriculum
• Record Keeping
  • Effective Record Keeping
  • Information Recorded
• Care & Handling
  • Producer Attitude
  • Animal Behavior
  • Facilities & Transportation
  • Nutrition
• Feed & Additives
  • Feed
  • Additives
  • Handling / Monitoring
• Animal Health
  • Vaccines
  • Injections
  • Needles
  • Implants
  • Parasite Control
  • Antimicrobials
• Processing
  • Vaccinations
  • Dehorning & Castration
  • Identification
  • Weaning
• Carcass Quality
  • Quality Grade
  • Yield Grade
  • Other Quality Issues
• Marketing
  • Source & Age Verificiation
  • Market Timing
  • Cow Marketing
  • Feeder Calf Grades
  • Shrink
• Breeding & Genetics
  • Uniformity & Consistency
  • EPDs
  • Crossbreeding
• Biosecurity Basics
  • Disease Control
  • Learning Tough Lessons
  • Attention to Zoonotics
  • Agroterrorism
• Certification Process
• MT BQA Directives
• BQA Code
• Certification Exam

Funded, in part, by beef and veal producers and importers through their $1-per-head check off through the Cattlemen's Beef Board and state beef councils by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.

Effective Record Keeping

Record keeping is a key element of Beef Quality Assurance, and is a good business practice. There are many software programs on the market that are designed for both commercial and purebred cattle operations. The Integrated Resource Management (IRM) book (Redbook) can also be used as an effective record keeping system.

For nearly 20 years, cattlemen have used the IRM Redbook to track the profitability of their cow–calf operations. These pocket–sized record books provide an effective way to keep better production records. The primary use of the IRM Redbook is to record calving information and daily production activities. The Redbook also provides over 100 pages to record calving activity, herd health, pasture usage and cattle inventory, plus an annual calendar and notes/address section. It offers special features, such as body condition scoring section, summary of death loss section, calving section and cattle treatment record. Included are Beef Quality Assurance national guidelines and proper injection technique information. Order forms for customized 2008 IRM Redbooks are available by contacting Costs: $5.95 each (incl. s&h). To order a Redbook, call NCBA Customer Service Center at 800–525–3085. or NCBA at 303–694–0305.

In an industry where the return on assets typically hovers around the 3% to 5% level, it seems critical that making management adjustments without some records is risky. On the other hand, keeping records on performance of the cowherd does take time and one of the biggest issues for some cow/calf producers is labor.

The key to developing a good record keeping system is identifying the information that needs to be collected that will result in the items that the producer will use when making management decisions. Collection of irrelevant data can prevent meaningful evaluation and may not be time or cost effective. Collection of not enough information may not identify problem areas and could be costly.

For effective record keeping:

Effective documentation showing appropriate staff/employee training, inventory control, product use, animal identification, withdrawal times and disposal (of livestock, animal health products etc.) is the only way to avoid liability from a residue contamination.

First find a method that works for you and that allows you to maintain accurate, thorough and timely documentation of your herd’s health and management. Records should be kept for a minimum of three years.

General information to track the following procedures: When / Where / Why Weights Treatments or vaccines received ID of animals being shipped or received

According to the National Beef Quality Assurance Guidelines animal treatment records will be maintained with the following recorded:

• Individual animal or group identification.
• Date treated.
• Product administrated and manufacture’s lot/serial number.
• Dosage used.
• Route and location of administration and who administered the product.
• Earliest date animal will have cleared withdrawal period.

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Copyright © 2006, Montana Beef Quality Assurance