American Simmental Association (ASA)

American Simmental Association Interface with CattleMax

As a registered plan CattleMax customer and member of the American Simmental Association, you can save time and effort by using the following features.  

• Import your breed association cattle records into CattleMax.
• Sync the association data with your animals in CattleMax with matching registration numbers.
• Register your calves with the association after adding the calf to CattleMax.
• Update herd EPDs

The Herd Inventory file or Herd Extract is a copy of your active registered cattle records, 3 generation pedigrees, current EPDs, and current performance information as previously submitted to the association. 

The EPD or Performance file contains a current copy of your registered animals’ EPDs and is commonly downloaded when the Association releases new EPDs.

Important Items to Note:

• If importing records, please wait until the import process is complete before entering any records into your CattleMax Online account.
• Do not open any files from the association prior to importing them into CattleMax, as this will likely lead to information being imported incorrectly. If you have opened a file, please re-download it and start the process again with the re-downloaded file.
• If you are unable to see the option to enter a registration number on an individual animal, please update your account settings. (To do so, click here: Customizing CattleMax / Account Settings.)

How do I obtain the file from the Breed Association for import into CattleMax?

The American Simmental Association allows members to download their herd inventory file by logging into their account on the breed association’s website. For detailed instructions on downloading your herd inventory, follow nu1 through 8 below.   

1. Go to https://herdbook.org/simmapp/template/Login.vm
2. Login with your ASA member account
3. Go to “Data Search” then Click “Special Reports.”
4. Select “Extract for Others” from the list.
5. Select “Extract for Other Software.”
6. Select “CattleMax/CowSense Extract.”
7. Click the dropdown box and change setting to Plain Text (.csv) and click Download Herd Extract
8. Do not open the file, doing so will likely corrupt it and prevent the data from importing.

Please contact the Breed Association at simmental@simmgene.com or 406-587-4531 if you have any questions or concerns about obtaining the file.

I have the unopened herd file. Now what?

1. Open your CattleMax account.
2. Click on the Cattle tab 
3. Choose your breed association name from the Industry Data Interfaces section. If you do not see your breed association you will need to set up the respective breed interface in CattleMax. To Enable Breed Association Interfaces, click here.
4. Click Import Herd Inventory, then Browse to select the unopened .csv file you saved to your computer. The file will be named Simm_Data_extract-XXXXX.csv  (where XXXXX is your ASA member number)
5. If you already have existing registered animals in CattleMax select the Sync feature by placing a checkmark next to  "Sync my Account with this ASA File"  (See details below regarding this feature.) Be sure each registered animal already in CattleMax has the correct registration number or duplicate animals will be created.Click Import Animals to finish the task.
6. NOTE: When importing records, please wait until the import is complete before entering any records into your CattleMax Account. 

I already have Registered cattle in my CattleMax account. How do I use the Sync option?

The Sync option allows adding new animal records to the CattleMax herd data or completing/updating current animal records (such as pedigree, performance, etc.). CattleMax will match registration numbers for the file to be imported, so it is important that the registration numbers in your CattleMax herd file EXACTLY match your breed association records.

While your association may use letter prefixes as part of the animal registration number in their database, they may not consider that prefix part of the animal’s official registration number.  Therefore, the association may drop the letter prefix in their file for import into CattleMax. Be sure any animals you already have in your CattleMax account have their registration number entered accordingly before import to prevent duplication of animal records.

How do I submit a new calf registration file from CattleMax to the Breed Association?

1. Calves eligible for registration will be shown by selecting the Cattle tab, then under Industry Data Interfaces select the American Simmental Association. Only active calves with no data in the Registration # line will appear for review on this form.You can also view and select Inactive animals by placing a check in the Show Inactive Animals

2. Errors indicate data is missing which the breed association requires.  Click Edit to view and correct the errors; once the information is completed, the checkbox will appear for your use.

3. Once everything is correct and you are ready to submit/upload to your breed association, select the calves to submit for registration by checking the box beside their ID. To select all animals, check the box in the header.   

4. Next, click the Download Electronic Registration File of Selected Animals button, and save the file to your computer desktop for easy access. 

5. Attach the calf registration file to an email and send to the association at  simmental@simmgene.com.

I sent the new calf registration file to the Breed Association. Now what?

When you have used the CattleMax interface to submit registrations to your breed association, you will be able to download and import the registration numbers along with any EPDs and performance data for the newly registered calves into CattleMax. Once you have been notified that your calf registrations are complete, you will need to download the file for import.

After you have the unopened file from the association downloaded to your computer, open your CattleMax account > click the Cattle tab > View All Groups and Interfaces > your association > Import EPDs > Browse > choose the Calf Registration file from the association saved on your computer > Import EPDs.

How do I update my herd EPDs in CattleMax?

The American Simmental Association allows members to download their own EPD files. If you have questions about obtaining this file, please email the Breed Association or call  simmental@simmgene.com or 406-587-4531.

After you download the unopened EPD file, open your CattleMax account > click on the Cattle tab > View all Groups and Interfaces > your association > Import EPDs > Browse > choose the EPD file saved on your computer > Import EPDs.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at howdy@cattlemax.com or 1-800-641-2343 for assistance.