FIELD CORRECTION PROCEDURES FOR DAIRY RECORDS

DAIRY HERD IMPROVEMENT
1985

TOMASZEWSKI, M.A.
VOLUME: NCDHIP HANDBOOK

Integrity of the Dairy Herd Improvement (DHI) system depends on
accurate data to provide maximum benefits for dairy producers. With
producers and artificial insemination (AI) organizations placing
increased emphasis on genetic evaluations of sires and cows,
concern about inaccurate animal identification is increasing. The
lack of proper pedigrees or other conflicts that make the record
unusable for genetic estimates results in many cows not being
genetically evaluated by the USDA's Animal Improvement Programs
Laboratory (AIPL). Sources of error in Dairy Herd Improvement
Association (DHIA) data range from incorrect or missing data
originating at the farm to transposed digits entered by a data
entry clerk at a dairy records processing center (DRPC). The
responsibility for entry of valid pedigree information and
subsequent correction of conflicts rests jointly with the herd
owner and DHI supervisor.

Why Information Is Not Used

Reporting valid pedigree and birthdate information is important
since records are forwarded to the AIPL from all U.S. processing
centers. Records are eliminated or not used for four general
reasons.

  1. They are not used categorically in evaluations, such as
unofficial record keeping plans unacceptable for genetic evaluation
research or records with days in milk outside acceptable ranges.

  2. Data values are outside established editing limits and contain
unacceptable or missing information, the most common being missing
sire identification.

  3. The information recently submitted conflicts with previously
submitted records.

  4. There is an insufficient number of contemporaries to make
comparisons, a calving date before the 20-year period from which
records are selected or a birthdate too close to sire's.

Cows with records that fail these edits or with records that cannot
be resolved are not included in USDA-DHIA genetic evaluation until
the discrepancies are resolved.

Following each genetic evaluation run by AIPL, a tape designated as
format 1060 is forwarded to each DRPC. The tape contains all
records eliminated from evaluation for reasons 2 and 3. No
reporting to the centers is made for reasons 1 and 4. For reason 4,
the record remains on file and could be used if information on
contemporaries becomes available or birthdate information is
corrected. In 1983, only 52.7 percent of the official records
submitted to USDA-AIPL for genetic evaluation could be used. Of
those records that failed, 76.1 percent lacked proper sire
identification. Although herd owners and DHIA supervisors are
responsible primarily for accuracy and completeness of input data,
DRPC's, DHIA management, Extension and AIPL share responsibility
for enhancing the process.

How to Correct Information

Each processing center has its own unique way of correcting
conflicts in the data and furnishing missing data. DRPC's vary
considerably in the amount of editing and correcting done on
monthly input data, as well as the effort to which they go to make
corrections and forward them to AIPL. In March and September, the
AIPL runs semiannual miniruns. These are an effort to detect
identification errors before the lactation is completed. Some
centers attempt to correct information when a duplicate
identification is detected. The objective is to correct the data
before it is sent to USDA-AIPL. These centers send checklists to
supervisors that have cows with conflicting registration or eartag
numbers. Only cows with sire identifications on file are included
on the list. To correct identification, the supervisor should do
the following.

  1. The other cow involved in the duplication may or may not be in
the same herd. She could be in another herd or even another state.
The supervisor's responsibility is to verify identification of cows
in the herd he or she is testing.

  2. Check identity by reading the eartag in the cow,s ear or
checking registration papers.

  3. If the number listed is incorrect, correct the information and
return it to the processing center.

  4. If the number listed is correct, use the prescribed procedures
for verifying data on error listing and return it to the processing
center.

  5. If the supervisor receives a second notice on the cow, return
the form to the state DHI office for handling. It is important that
the information be corrected because the cow will not be used in
genetic evaluation as long as the discrepancy exists.

Other processing centers return a listing to DHI supervisors of the
AIPL's format 1060 error file. A suggested procedure for that
system follows.

  1. Review the error codes.

  2. Determine from the error code(s) shown for each record on the
format 1060 error list the reason(s) for each record failing to
pass AIPL edits.

  3. Determine the correct data from herd records.

  4. Make corrections on the appropriate form.

  5. Forward the correct data to the DRPC for correction and
transmission of a corrected lactation record to AIPL. Corrected
information should not be sent directly by the supervisor to
USDA-AIPL.

It is almost impossible to correct all errors. However, a
supervisor should attempt to correct registered cows first since
pedigree conflicts can be resolved by checking against registration
certificates.

What if the Information is Correct?

If the identity of a cow reported to be in error is correct, it is
necessary to verify to DRPC that the data are accurate. DRPC can
then send a verified record to AIPL that should pass edits unless
her data in the AIPL system indicates the verified data are
actually wrong. Each center provides formation to assist in
correcting information in states that are not processed by that
center. However, some centers assess fees in providing this
information to nonmember states. State DHI offices are equipped to
handle these circumstances, but office must be notified.

The best way to avoid corrections is to avoid mistakes. Make
certain that every grade cow enrolled in an official program is
identified with a permanant, unified series eartag and every
registered cow has been verified against her registration papers.

Embryo Transfer Errors

Registered cows resulting from embryo transfer (ET) will not be
used for genetic evaluation unless the breed association has
notified AIPL that these cows resulted from embryo transfer. Many
ET cows' records fail to pass AIPL edits because there are too many
offspring from the same dam in too short a time interval. The breed
association must transmit to AIPL an ET code along with pedigree
data for AIPL to edit lactation records from ET cows properly. A
common error found in records of ET cows is that the recipient cow
is reported as dam of the ET cow rather than the donor dam.

Other Ways to Reduce Errors

With the rapid adoption of heifer programs by producers in the DHI
system, pedigree information can now be carried from the time a cow
is bred, through the birth of the replacement to the heifer
entering the milking herd. Enrolling producers into heifer programs
will help reduce the incidence of records rejected since pedigree
information is recorded at the time the event occurred. The use of
a PDCA calf registration page, available through most centers, uses
the information in DHI for completing the registration form. If an
error is found, correction at this point will reduce further
problems with the offspring. When registration papers are received
from the breed association, enter the registration promptly into
the appropriate file.  Verified Identification Program (VIP) is
available through state DHI's. This identification program provides
for recording pedigree information onto a form for future
reference. The use of calf pages provides another method for the
permanent location of heifer pedigree information. A systematic
approach for retaining heifer pedigree information results in the
least number of subsequent conflicts.

The most common cause of loss of valuable information for herd
management and loss of records for research is failure to identify
sires of grade cows. The DHIA supervisor should make every effort
to obtain sire identification for grade cows if it is available.

In the future, with advance of computer technology and access to
breed association pedigree tapes at DRPC's, many identification
errors for registered, identity enrollment and identified grade
cows can be corrected before records are sent to AIPL. However, it
is the DHI supervisor's responsibility to check every registration
paper and make certain that every grade cow has a unified series
eartag in her ear. Breed associations, as well as the DHI system,
must cooperate to increase the percentage of records used in
genetic evaluations.





תתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתThe National Dairy Database (1992)תתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתת
תתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתת\NDB\DAIRY\TEXT\DA102400.TXTתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתת


%f TITLE;FIELD CORRECTION PROCEDURES FOR DAIRY RECORDS
%f COLLECTION;DAIRY HERD IMPROVEMENT
%f ORIGIN;Texas
%f DATE_INCLUDED;June 1992