cattle management software

Erica and Bryan Ruth have cattle raising in their "genes." At the first possible moment they could get their own cows, they did so. And, their cattle operation, located near Galt, California (southeast of Sacramento), has grown steadily from there, with the help of CattleMax software, according to Erica.

Back in 2004, when they were able to get a computer and internet service, Erica was involved in an internet cattle forum. She saw an ad for a 30-day free trial of CattleMax - no strings attached. She jumped on the offer, tried CattleMax software and "On the first day of using the trial, I was hooked," said Erica. "We purchased CattleMax Version 2 and have never looked back since," she says. Upgrading with each new version of the software, Double R Ranch is now a CattleMax CS Registered edition user.

The things which appealed to the Ruths with CattleMax were the ability to have great records and reports at their fingertips, the ability to update the records of a group of animals at one time - no more writing down each shot for each animal.

And, they loved CattleMax so much, they have also purchased and use EquineMax for their horse records, helping to make great improvements to their equine herd.

"Our goal in the cattle business is to fill our acreage with top quality Black Angus cattle, take those cattle as a start on a new property outside our current state - create a much larger ranch," Erica and Bryan say. The ultimate goal is to expand and improve the genetics of their herd to the best possible Black Angus cattle. Toward that goal, the Ruths offer onsite artificial insemination and embryo transfers to help more quickly reach that ultimate goal.

Prior to using CattleMax, the ranch kept a binder for each animal with all its vital records there, including health records. Changing to CattleMax helped them with time management, especially. "Before CattleMax, I spent tons of extra time searching through an animal's records and, at sale time, I would have to write out a health record. Now, I just print one out and go!" Erica says. "Our records were always somehow incomplete prior to CattleMax. I would forget an animal or shot I gave or the location. And, an additional bonus, there is now a TON of space in the house where those binders used to be."

The biggest payback for Double R Ranch from their choice and use of CattleMax for their record keeping is the higher prices they get for their cattle. Buyers are paying higher dollars for animals with proven birth records, vaccinations and boostered cattle. "We have 100% better records now, including weaning dates, which also helps our sale prices. Our buyers want a minimum 45 days of weaning on our calves. We are able to prove what vaccinations were given, when they were given, as well as the lot numbers of the vaccines and the location on the animal where they were administered," Erica comments.

"Also CattleMax tells us when an animal is through a drug withdrawal time. That insures no animal gets sold without the buyer being aware, during a withdrawal period. We take those things very seriously here. A huge help is, every time I open my software I get reminders of vaccination etc., what needs to be given and when."

Also, it has made the AI/Embryo Transfer very effective. The records are correct at all times, they know exactly what is in their tank, what calves came from what sires and what cows can be bred to what sires. Length of time for liquid nitrogen use is a huge deal for the ranch, as with low levels there would be loss of valuable embryos and semen. "That would be very costly," Erica adds.

The quality of cattle on the Double R has soared. They are able to improve each animal with the extra information contained in their CattleMax records. All that equals higher selling prices.

Erica and Bryan purchased a laptop specifically for their Cattlemax software. That allows them to have their records on hand for every animal right at the chute. That makes it priceless when they need to be sure not to give pregnant cows certain vaccinations. With the laptop at the chute, they can bring up each animal's record as it enters the chute.

Tax reports have been the biggest unexpected improvement in the Double R Ranch record keeping with CattleMax. "The ability to enter receipts, expenses and print customized reports which suit my tax preparer has certainly been priceless for her and us - she's a very particular person," says Erica. "Tax time was always a disaster before CattleMax. Now, our tax person gets exactly what she wants in a timely manner every year."

Erica and Bryan's advice to other cattle producers:

"Try the 30-day free trial! It truly is free with no strings attached - no credit card information required like a lot of other software companies. Try CattleMax, put your records in the trial and run with it! It has been the best decision we've made for our business. You can ask us anything about any of our cattle and we can very quickly bring up the information and answer the question. We can even print invoices and reports with our own ranch name on them - it impresses our customers!"