With the new year approaching, many will take the time to reflect on 2025 and plan for the days to come. For spring-calving Angus herds, this is a perfect time of year for that.

Herds enrolled in Inventory Reporting for Nov.-Jan. 15 are working on submitting the last of their data from this year’s calf crop. As herds are wrapping up their data for the year, there are many tools Angus breeders can use to reflect on the performance of their herd and to gather insights moving forward.

AHIR Work History/Reports

Data that has been processed is compiled into reports by trait (e.g., birth, weaning, yearling) and are available the next day in your Login account. In Login, you can find these reports at Reports > AHIR^® Reports > AHIR Work History/Reports. They will show adjusted weights and ratios, as well as contemporary groups. This is a good resource to double-check the accuracy of the data and that contemporary groups reflect how the calves were managed on your operation. 

Production Performance Report

The Production Performance Report provides a summary of performance data and calving distribution for MaternalPlus^® herds. This report will show when females calved during the calving season (e.g., first 21 days, second 21 days) and the average performance of those calves through weaning. This report can be a useful tool to look back at the overall performance of your previous calf crop. 

This report is available once all the data for the year has been submitted and reenrollment is complete. Herds who have earned the MaternalPlus designation can find this report in Login at Reports > Dam Reports > Production Performance. You will need to enter the dates for your calving season to generate an accurate report.

Weaning Sire Summary Report

The Weaning Sire Summary Report compiles the birth and weaning data from the calf crop by sire. This report will show how each sire’s progeny performed on average compared to other sires with progeny. The report will also break down the data by sex and show how many calves were lost.

Similar to the Production Performance Report, this report is available to MaternalPlus herds that have completed enrollment for the year, which ensures all sires are accurately represented with all herd data being accounted for. It can be found in Login at Reports > Sire Reports > Weaning Sire Summary. 

Calf and Dam Disposal Reports

As animals are leaving the herd, it is important to record when and why and report the disposal information. This data can be useful to look back at the overall reasons why calves or dams are leaving the herd. 

The disposal codes available describe anything from death from specific diseases or predators to various reasons an animal may have been culled. For MaternalPlus herds, a summary of these reported disposal reasons can be found in Login at Reports > Dam Reports for both dam and calves. 

Planning for the future

No matter what your goals may be for your herd for the coming year, take some time to reflect on the past year and where your herd is today. There are many tools available to members to make your data work for you. 

For spring-calving herds, this is also the best time of year to get involved in Inventory Reporting. Enrollment is open until Jan. 15 for herds that calve primarily in the spring. Herds that are primarily fall calving are recommended to enroll in the May 1-July 15 enrollment period.