Groups in CattleMax
Using different types of groups
There are two options for creating groups in CattleMax - groups based on specific criteria and groups created by manually adding animals.
To create a new group, click the Cattle > Add New > New Group.
You will name the group and then decide if you want the group to be created based on criteria selected by you or by manually adding cattle. (See explanation of group differences below.) Proceed through the group formation process, setting up Sort By, Sort Direction, View As, adding any notes, and choosing columns you want to be shown in the group view. After clicking Create Group, you will have the opportunity to set Criteria to add animals into the Group (based on which type of group you are creating).
Manually select animals to add or remove them out of this type of group. Once animal records are included in a manual group, they will remain in the group, even if sold or dead, until you (the user) manually remove them from the Group.
Specify criteria so that animal records that meet a set of criteria for the particular Group are included in the group. One of the simplest Criteria Based Groups would be Active Bulls. Criteria set for that Criteria Based Group is Status=Active, Animal Type=Bull. Any animal in the herd file which meets those two criteria would be included in the Group. The more criteria set for this type of Group, the narrower the filter for animal records to be included in the group. There are quite a few criteria options available to “limit” the group (see image below):
The minimum number of criteria you can set for the group to limit to the animals you want in the group is the best.
Category: Category in CattleMax might be considered as sort of a subgroup. You might want to assign a group of Replacement Heifers to a Category so you can form a Criteria-based Group which includes only the Replacement Heifers.
To create new Categories, go to the sprocket/gear icon in the upper left, click/touch and select Categories List:
Click/touch New Category and create your category name.
Go to the Active Calves Smart Group to select, by checking the box beside the animals’ ID, the heifers you want in the Replacement Heifers category. You can then click the Update Selected Animals link at the top of the listing > select More Options > Change Categories > choose one value for all or individual values > Continue > assign them to Replacement Heifers category > Change Categories.
Following that, you can create a new Criteria Based Group using the Category = Replacement Heifers as one of the criteria for the Group to have a separate group for the Replacement Heifers.
The Replacement Heifers will still have their records in the Active Calves Criteria Based Group, but can also be viewed and worked, separate and apart, in the Replacement Heifers Criteria Based Group.
The Replacement Heifers category will keep those animals in the Replacement Heifers Criteria Based Group, even though they may be promoted to Cows to enable breeding. When the category is changed, the animal will be removed from the Criteria Based Group based on those category criteria selected within the Criteria Based group.
