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Support  > Key Concepts  >  Tags

Tags

Tag Format Rules

Before you can start recording information about an individual animal in StockManager, the animal must have a unique tag record created in the system.

To ensure that each animal has a unique tag that is compliant with various regulatory bodies, we have instituted the following rules when creating tag records: 

  • EID Tags

    • EID numbers themselves are inherently unique worldwide

    • In certain countries, these tags are also registered to specific animal types

    • StockManager addresses this by automatically prompting the user to select animal type when creating EID tag records

    • Anytime an EID record is created in StockManager, it must comply with the following requirements:

      • Contain up to 16 numbers, no spaces or non-numeric characters

      • Have an associated animal type assigned – Cattle, Deer or Sheep

  • VID Tags

    • VID numbers are not unique

    • To make them unique within StockManager (by farm) we have created a specific system

    • Anytime a VID record is created in StockManager, it must comply with the following requirements:

      • Visual number can be up to 20 characters long – it can contain numbers, letters, special characters or spaces (beginning and ending spaces disregarded)

      • Have an associated animal type assigned – Cattle, Deer or Sheep

      • Have an associated VID Year (available options from 2019-2006 plus 9999 for unknowns)

      • Optional – tag color

Tag Format Rules

Pre-Loading Tags

We have provided the ability to “pre-load” tag records into the system so they can be quickly looked up and assigned to an animal without having to add all of the required data. 

For example, if an EID tag order from Allflex or Zee Tags was imported into StockManager, the process would ensure that all required data was entered for all tags on the order. In the case where the order contained an EID and VID information, the system would ensure that all tags were also assigned an Animal Type, VID Year along with tag color (optional). 

If one of these tags were then added to an animal and scanned with an EID Reader, the system would show not only the EID information but also the VID number, Animal Type, VID Year and tag color. The same thing would happen if the user looked up the combination of VID number, VID Year and Animal Type – i.e. it would also display the EID number and tag color.

Tags can be pre-loaded in StockManager using the Tag Import function using the following methods:

  • Import EID/VID files directly from Allflex or Zee Tags using order number

  • Import compliant EID/VID .csv files from your device file manager

  • Manually load VID only tags by defining a number range, assigning Animal Type, VID Year and tag color

Pre-Loading Tags

Creating Tags Real Time

While pre-loading tags is the most efficient way to create tags in the system, there are many situations where this is not feasible and tags need to be created real time while attempting to add data to an individual animal. 

We have enabled this function in StockManager in multiple areas including:

  • Animal / Non-ID Group & Configured Events

    • If an EID or VID search does not match an existing animal in the system, it will ask if you want to create a new record

  • EID Reader File Import and Import Records (Web – coming Q4 ’18)

    • If an EID on the session file does not match an existing animal in the system, it will automatically create a new record in the system with the Animal Type selected during the import setup

Creating Tags Real-Time

Merging Tags

A common scenario that our test users have faced is that they mistakenly create two records for the same animal with an EID/VID tag – one based on the EID information and another based on the VID information. 

This usually comes about in the following scenario:

  • The tag data for the animal’s tag has not been pre-loaded

  • The tag is created real time based on just the EID or VID information

  • The user doesn’t add the complimenting EID or VID information at that time

  • The next time the animal is looked up in the system, it is by the opposite method than the original (i.e. if the original method was EID, the next lookup is based on VID information)

  • The system tells the user that there is no record in the system and asks if they want to create a new record

  • They do and add data to the animal, thus creating a separate record for the same animal

To address this, we have added the capability to merge an EID only tag with a VID only tag. This will be based on the UPDATE TAG functionality in Animal / Non-ID Group and Configured Events screens

Merging Tags
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