• Become a member of the association; register a set of Herd Letters and Herd Prefix; and pay your yearly membership renewal fees (for annual members only).
  
  

• Submit the birth information for your current calf crop on a performance entry form or Dam List provided by the CSA office.
  
  

• Submit necessary funds to register your animal (if registration is desired)
  
  

• Submit the weaning and yearling information on additional forms also provided by the CSA office.
  
  

• Verify that the information on the certificate of registration you receive is correct. If there are any corrections to be made, notify the office immediately.
  
  
  

Performance

Performance Data

Birth performance data is mandatory for the registration of all Simmental animals. All performance data submitted increases the accuracy of an animal’s EPD (Expected Progeny Difference), which is calculated for all animals in the Herdbook.

This information must be submitted on the performance entry forms or Dam Lists the CSA office supplies the breeder at no charge. Our computer system is set up to make complete use of all the information present on the performance data sheets. The breeder must use these sheets, for we do not accept information written on scraps of paper.

Record Keeping

A good memory can never substitute good record keeping. It is recommended that the breeder keep two sets of records - one for use in the field and another for work processed at the CSA. The CSA has a supply of pocket-sized calving books that contain space for breeding and calving information, as well as space for notes concerning specific animals of your herd.

Performance Data Requirements for Males and Females

It is highly encouraged that birth weight, weaning weight and date, as well as yearling weight and date be provided when registration of an animal is desired. Performance data should be submitted on all your animals, whether you intend to register them or not, since it increases EPD accuracy in the CSA performance system.

The CSA computer system calculates adjusted weaning weights for all animals, but only indexes or ranks them if the animals are weighed within the range of 160-250 days of age (norm of 205 days plus or minus 45 days). Adjusted yearling weights are also calculated for all animals; however, the system only indexes or ranks them if the animals are weighed between 320-410 days of age (norm 365 days plus or minus 45 days).

Information & Procedures to Follow
When Submitting Performance Entry Sheets

The Canadian Simmental Association now supplies Dam Lists on which you submit the required performance information and register your cattle at the same time. This eliminates duplication, and will speed up the registration process.

Instructions Concerning Dam Lists

Complete the necessary calf information for all calves born to the dams listed on your Dam List. The information for those herd cows which are under 10 years of age is provided. If you have a cow in your herd that is over 10 years of age and is still productive, please add it to the bottom of the list.

DAM: Already entered for you with Dam’s bar code, registration number, and tattoo. If the dam is of another breed, state the breed and the year of birth of the dam (ex. SMXX 87).

SIRE: Please supply Canadian registration number only (No prefixes or suffixes).

BREEDING: Indicate type of breeding method N / A / E

- Natural (N) no date necessary, unless mating is observed (signature of owner of sire must appear in the appropriate column)

- Artificial (A) provide date of insemination

- Embryos (E) must provide implant date

NEW----- - Embryos…provide recipient’s tag number, age in years, and breed composition (up to 3 breeds e.g. 50% SM/ 25% AR/ 25% HH).  If recipient is purebred, please indicate.

BIRTH INFORMATION: Enter the following

- Animal’s name 25 characters maximum

- Tattoo Herd letters, number, and year letter only

- Location Right, Left, or Both ears for tattoo location

- Birth date day/month/year

- Sex Male or Female

- Twin # enter a #2 for twin, #3 for triplets, etc.

- Ease of birth Unassisted, Easy pull, Hard pull, Surgery or Mal presentation

- Horn status Horned, Polled, Scurred

- Color enter B for black or grey

- Birth weight in pounds (lbs.) only

NEW----- - Grouping of calves… a number from 1 to 6 can be entered, indicating pasture conditions different enough to influence weaning weights (i.e. dry pasture – group #1 versus lush pasture – group #2, etc.)

- Enter weaning weight in pounds (lbs.) and date weighed (dd/mm/yy). There is space for alternative weaning dates if your calves were weighed on different dates.

- Enter yearling weight in pounds (lbs.) and date weighed (dd/mm/yy). Yearling data is optional for females but is mandatory to register males. There is space for alternative yearling dates, if your calves were weighed on different dates.

STATUS CODES: NEW----- Disposal Codes: we now require that the information pertaining to the animal’s status be more accurate.

• - Twin code
• - Calf disposal code
• - Dam disposal code

   

REGISTER/TRANSFER: Enter the following

• - Steered date if a male has been steered
• - Certificate "C" for calf certificate
• - Blood/DNA place Y (yes) in the box if this is required
• - Karyo place Y (yes) in the box if karyotyping is required
• - Br. Vacc enter calf’s brucellosis vaccination number (if applicable)
• - Transfer indicate name, address, postal code, and member number (if known) of buyer. Also provide sale date.

• LASTLY: Always sign bottom of form when sending information to the office; and have any concerned person sign in the designated area when applicable.

Points to Remember When Submitting Performance

•  Give each animal a unique/different tattoo. Tattoos are very important for identification and entry in our computer system.
  

•  Only use CANADIAN registration numbers for the sire and dams. If you have used an AI bull, make sure you are given the CANADIAN registration number from the AI technician.
  

• Provide all performance information (birth, weaning, and yearling) on all animals. This is essential for EPD accuracy on sires. Selective or incomplete performance data does not provide accurate herd performance.
  

• All weight data should be submitted in pounds.

   

Registration System
Applying for Registration

Registration and performance go hand in hand, you need performance in order to register your cattle. Registration requests are entered on performance entry sheets (see the Register/Transfer section of "Instructions Concerning Dam Lists"). Registration is the term used to indicate certification of Purebred, Fullblood, and Percentage Simmentals.

Purebred females must have a minimum of 7/8 Simmental blood and Purebred males must have a minimum of 15/16 Simmental blood. Fullblood females and males must have 100 percent Simmental blood.

EPDs (the Expected Progeny Difference) are calculated on all registered Simmental animals. Certificates of registry show the animal's pedigree, individual performance information, and EPD calculations for seven production traits. Certificates also include EPD calculations for production traits on the animal's ancestors in the pedigree. THE CORRECT FEE MUST ACCOMPANY THE APPLICATION FORM

Registration Requirements

• OWNER OF DAM - Our records must indicate that the applicant was the registered owner (or lessee) of the dam at the time the calf was born.
  

• TATTOO - The applicant must be the registered owner of the herd letters used to tattoo the calf. Refer to the section on Herd Letters.
  

• PERFORMANCE DATA - Performance data is required on all animals to be registered. Refer to the section on performance data entry.

   

   

Animals Over Two Years of Age

It is very important to register your cattle before they are two years old; otherwise, they must be parentage verified by DNA testing. These procedures can be very costly, especially if there is no DNA on file for the animal’s parents, or if one or both parents are dead.

Requirements

The requirements for registering calves that are the result of embryo transplants are basically the same as those requirements for calves from normal breeding procedures.

1.  The embryo calf must be parentage verified to its sire and dam; therefore the donor dam, sire, and embryo calf must have a DNA or blood test completed. The type of test to be performed on the embryo calf depends on the type of test that was performed on its parents. (See section on DNA procedures.)

It is stressed that both Canadian Simmental Association members and embryo transplant centres be advised of the importance of being able to differentiate between bull blood groupings in those instances when semen from two bulls is being used to simultaneously inseminate a donor cow. In those cases where parentage cannot be established through testing, the resultant offspring will not be eligible for registration by the Canadian Simmental Association. Do not use two different bulls until you have contacted the CSA office.

2. A transfer of ownership form for embryo transplants is required if you have purchased a frozen embryo or a recipient cow who is carrying a live Simmental embryo. This form authorizes the purchaser to tattoo and register the calf in his own name. Please attach this to the import application.

Registration of Imported Animals

Importation of Live Cattle

To register imported animals in Canada from the United States and Europe, the following rules and conditions must be followed:

Note: At the discretion of the CSA, additional pedigree information may be requested (i.e. for an extended pedigree).

3.  The Canadian buyer must tattoo the imported animal with his Canadian herd letters.

4. The Canadian buyer must register the imported animal in Canada using the same animal name that appears on the original certificate.

5. DNA is required for the imported animal, its sire and dam. If DNA or blood verification has been completed in the country of origin, the CSA will accept this verification. The DNA or blood certificates from country of origin must be sent to the CSA. This is not applicable to animals born in the United States.

Exception: (Embryo Breeding) The resultant embryo calf that has been registered in the U.S., and now needs to be registered in Canada, must be DNA parentage verified.

6. An "Import Application" for an imported animal must be completed and returned to the CSA.

7. If the animal is a bred female, the service sire must have a DNA test on file and a copy of the DNA certificate must accompany the import application form.

8. Once the CSA registers the imported animal in Canada, the original and Canadian certificate will be mailed to the person who is registering the animal.

Importation of Semen Outside of Canada

When a Canadian Simmental breeder is importing semen from outside Canada, and wishes to register offspring from the bull, the following rules and conditions must be followed:

1. The original owner must have the bull from which the semen is drawn registered with his/her association.

2. The bull from which the semen has been drawn then must be registered in Canada. To register this bull, the original certificate from country of origin is required. The original certificate on the bull must show four (4) complete generations of ancestry from the originating country.

Note: At the discretion of the CSA, additional pedigree information may be requested (i.e. for an extended pedigree).

The name of the bull that appears on the original registration certificate must be used when registering this animal in Canada.

3. An "Import Application" for the bull from which semen is drawn must be completed and returned to the office.

4. The bull from which semen has been drawn, must be DNA tested along with the bull’s sire and dam. If the bull, sire, and dam have been DNA parentage tested in their country of origin, the CSA will accept the verification from the licensed lab. DNA certificates must accompany the copy of the original registration certificate. In the case of older bulls the country of origin may only have blood typing on record. If this is the case, then parentage verification by blood will be accepted.

5. To register resultant offspring, performance data must be submitted to the CSA, using Canadian registration numbers. You will receive pre-printed applications for registration. Complete and return these to the office so a registration certificate can be processed.

6. Calves conceived by artificial insemination from semen drawn outside of Canada and the United States after January 1, 1995 must be from sires which have been tested for all chromosomal abnormalities to be eligible for registration.

Importation of Embryos Outside of Canada

To register an embryo from a flush outside of Canada, the following rules and conditions must be followed:

1. The embryo calf must be parentage verified to the sire and dam; therefore the donor sire, donor dam and embryo calf must have DNA results on file. We will accept blood certificates from the country of origin if no DNA is on file.

2. An import application for the sire and dam of the imported embryo must be completed and returned to the CSA.

3. A transfer of ownership for embryo transplants is required (form issued by CSA only). If you have purchased a recipient cow who is carrying a live Simmental embryo or purchased an embryo, the completion of this form authorizes the purchaser to tattoo and register the calf in his own name. Please attach this to the import application.

4. To register the embryo calf, please send in the performance information. The Calving Data sheet must be filled out and returned to the office so that we can process a registration certificate.

5. The donor cow and sire are required to have karyotyping on file with the CSA office before the resultant embryo calf can be registered in the Canadian Simmental Herdbook. Donor cows and sires from the United States are exempt from this regulation.

Note: At the discretion of the CSA, additional pedigree information may be requested (i.e. for an extended pedigree).

A transfer of ownership must be completed every time you sell one of your registered Simmentals. When transferring Simmental animals, please use the transfer of ownership form on the reserve side of the registration certificate or calf certificate OR use the transfer of ownership section on the application for registration form when transferring cattle at the time of registration.

The following basic information is required on a transfer form:

NAME & ADDRESS: The seller must ensure that the correct name and full address of the buyer is filled in legibly. It is very important to have the animal registered in the name under which the buyer has his membership and herd letters, in order to avoid problems later on when he may have calves from this animal which he will want to register.

TRANSFER DATE: The sale date is the date the transaction took place - the day on which the buyer purchased the animal. It is important to have the correct sale date, particularly when selling bred females, so that our records show the buyer to be the owner of the cow when she calves. If our records indicate that the he is not the owner, he cannot register the calf.

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE: If a female was bred prior to a sale, the Certificate of Service portion of the transfer form must be completed, or attach the A.I. breeding slip. This information will be included on the transferred certificate, so the buyer will know the sire and the approximate time the calf will be born. At some time you may purchase a bred heifer or cow, then when you ( the buyer) receives the transferred certificate for the animal, the service information will be printed on the certificate. When the resultant calf is born and you fill out its registration application, all that you will be required to supply in the way of breeding information is an indication that the breeding dates are on the cow's certificate. Simply writing "On Dam's Certificate" in the service section of the application for the calf will be sufficient. Do not submit the dam's certificate as proof of service information, that information will be recorded in the computer system.

Payment of Transfers

It is the general rule of thumb that the seller or sales agent takes care of the payment and submission of transfers to the CSA office. It is stated in the Animal Pedigree Act that a transfer of ownership MUST take place within six month of the purchase. The CSA also has an incentive to have transfers done as quickly as possible. If the transfer is received after 60 days of the sale, the cost of the transfer doubles. So a breeder can save some money by getting transfers into the CSA office well before the 60-day period lapse.

Unless otherwise stated, transfers are returned to the seller or sales agents, who forwards the certificate to the new owner.

Please transfer your sold animals to either commercial or purebred breeders, so that these buyers can receive a complimentary issue of Simmental Country magazine and be put on the CSA mailing list. Please complete the transfers of sold cattle as soon as possible after the sale.

In-Family Transfers

The CSA has a type of transfer called an In-Family Transfer. There are some very specific guidelines to follow. The policy for an In-Family transfer states:

"Within family transfers are $5.35/animal. To qualify the request must be made in writing to the CSA. The transfer of ownership must be: to finalize an estate; or where a parent transfers all of his/her herd to a son, daughter, son-in-law or daughter-in-law from one spouse to another or forms an incorporated company within the immediate family; or where a company changes its name; or where a partnership is dissolved and a transfer made of the partnership animals to one or more continuing partners within the family, provided there is no financial consideration involved."

In order for the CSA to process your In-Family transfer, please consider the following:

a) Absolutely no financial consideration is involved.

b) All of the animals within the herd must be transferred at one time.

c) The name of the last owner on the certificate will not change.

d) The CSA requires a detailed explanation of the transfer, in writing, to be kept on file in the CSA office.

e) The final decision is made at the discretion of the CSA management.

An In-Family Transfer does not include transferring one or two head to other members of your family, a regular transfer is required in these cases.

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