Recording Twins and Multiple Births
When a cow produces twins or multiple calves from a single breeding, you can record each offspring individually and link them all to the same breeding record.
How to Record Multiple Offspring
- Navigate to the Calving screen and find the dam’s active breeding record.
- Click Record Calf to create the first offspring.
- Fill in the details for the first calf (identification, sex, birth weight) and click Save.
- Return to the same breeding record.
- Click Record Calf again to create the second offspring.
- Fill in the details for the second calf and click Save.
Repeat for any additional offspring from the same breeding.
What Happens
- Each offspring gets its own animal record with full lineage linked to the dam and sire.
- The breeding record shows that it produced multiple calves.
- All offspring appear in the dam’s offspring list.
Tips
- Tag each twin distinctly. Use different ear tag numbers or colors so you can tell them apart in the field and in the system.
- Record individual birth weights. Twins are often lighter than singles, and tracking individual weights helps monitor their growth.
- Note the birth order. Use the comments or notes field to record which calf was born first, especially if one had calving difficulty.
- Watch twins closely. Twins often need extra attention — consider setting the Watch Close flag on both animals.