Herd Assessments: Helpful Tips For Accurate Records
The AGA practices Inventory based reporting and fees are based on yearly one-rate herd assessment fees for all active females 13 months of age or older. With this herd assessment, the member is able to register a calf, log in data on the calf and cow, and transfer the animal. Females must have herd assessments for consecutive years in order to stay active. The current rate for a herd assessment is $25.00 if paid before March 15, 2023.
How do I complete my herd assessment?

Herd assessments can be completed by logging on to your account on the AGA Online Registry Service or by requesting a paper herd assessment be mailed to you. Members who do not have an online account set up or those who have selected the preference for a paper herd assessment should have received those papers earlier this month. If you would like a paper herd assessment mailed to you, please contact the AGA office at 303-465-2333.

If you choose to complete your herd assessments online, click below for a step-by-step tutorial of the process.
Can I complete my herd assessments after March 15?

Herd assessments completed after the March 15 deadline will be subject to the late fee schedule below:
  • Assessments applied March 16 - April 15
  • 5% late penalty = $26.25 per female
  • Assessments applied April 16 - May 15
  • 10% late penalty = $27.50 per female
  • Assessments applied after May 16
  • 15% late penalty = $28.75 per female

Members are encouraged to update their inventories and assess females prior to the March 15 deadline to avoid late penalties.
Do I have to assess my non-AMGV females?

If you have a non-AMGV registered female (Angus, Red Angus, Simmental, etc.) that is not going to have a current year calf recorded with the AGA you can use the disposal code "50" to remove her from this year's inventory.

Use this for example for a purebred Angus cow that is bred for a purebred Angus calf for this coming year. On January 1 of next year (2024) the "50" code will be removed automatically and she will show up in subsequent inventories. If she has permanently left the herd please remove her with a standard disposal code most appropriate for her specific circumstance to take her off the books permanently.

If you have non-AMGV females to add to your inventory, please contact the AGA office to get those females added to your account and proper herd assessments applied. Late fees apply to non-AMGV females as well for the years they are bred to register an AMGV calf.
What if I'm not planning to register her 2023 Calf?

In order to not only you, but the Association as a whole to have accurate data records and fully immerse ourselves in THR, it's important that we provide details on all calves out of active females, each year! Yes, that also includes calves you aren't planning to register, calves you may sell at weaning, and even your bull calves that will find themselves as steers down the road.

Once a female has been assessed for 2023, if you are not registering her 2023 calf for whatever reason, we encourage you to use a "Reason Code" found in the Assessed-2023 Tab to keep the female in your active inventory. To find the "Reason Code" find the small yellow scroll to the right of each female. Once selected, a dropdown menu is provided for you to choose the appropriate code without registering a calf. After making your selection be sure to click "Save":
What happens if I do not pay my herd assessments?

If an AMGV female is not assessed for a year, she would need to be caught up for the years she has missed before being considered active again. A calf cannot be registered within the AGA registry without a proper herd assessment on the dam. Charges for catching a female up are paying a herd assessment plus late fees for every year she has been inactive up to three or more years.

  • Example: Cow 101D was assessed in 2020 but was not assessed in 2021 or 2022 and needs a herd assessment. The account would be charged: $25 (2023 Herd Assessment) + $28.75 (2022 Herd Assessment) + $28.75 (2021 Herd Assessment) = $82.50.

If you have a female that has been inactive for three or more years, please contact the AGA office at 303-465-2333 or email [email protected]. 
Why is Total Herd Reporting Important?

As a part of the THR process, members are asked to either record a calf for every female assessed or record a reason code for why she did not have a calf in that year. Calves should be recorded and females should be reported for every year of that female's productive life.

The AGA also encourages submission of phenotypic data which includes observational data like weights, temperament, calving ease, etc. It is important to take time for accurate data collection, such as making sure the scale is cleaned off, to ensure the data is truly representative of that animal. Contemporary groups are one of the most important aspects of an accurate genetic evaluation. Reporting information on entire contemporary groups is very important within expected progeny differences (EPDs) calculations and helps make the EPDs more reflective of the animal's performance potential.

Total herd reporting is meant to improve the collection of performance information on all active animals and therefore helps to improve the accuracy of the AGA database. More accurate data fulfills the association's ultimate goal of providing commercial producers with information they can effectively utilize and trust.

For questions regarding herd assessments, total herd reporting, or recording data, please contact the AGA office at 303-465-2333 or email [email protected].
American Gelbvieh Association | 303-465-2333 | [email protected]