Bulk Change - Assign Observation Codes

When using Stockbook, sometimes the need arises to change a certain piece of information over an entire group of animals. To do this you should use the 'Bulk Changes' feature. This allows you to select a group of animals and change a piece of information for the entire group, without having to do each animal individually. 

How do I assign observation codes?

If you are recording weights, traits, muscle scans and fleeces for a performance recording system such as a Breedplan society, MSG, Sheep Gentics, all records should be associated with an observation code.

Observation codes are used to link observations taken at a like stage in the growth of an animal e.g. birth, weaning, 400 day, etc. In this way, for example, it is easy to extract all the weaning weights out for a group of animals.

You can define as many codes as you like, though Stockbook does have some present ones which should be used, for example Birth Weight - BW, Weaning Weight - WW.

There will be occasions when it is more convenient to assign obervation codes in bulk. This option allows you to do just that.

NOTE: A bulk change cannot be 'Undone'. Please ensure you do a backup before doing any bulk changes.

Step 1  

• Select the Utility > Bulk Changes > Assign Observation Codes menu option.​ (For Sheep, the menu option will be Utility > Bulk Changes > Assign Age Stage Codes.)

Step 2

The Assign Observation Codes window allows you to assign observation/stage codes to specific types of information, for all animals born in the same year and observed (recorded) on the same date.

For example: A mob of 2014 drop calves were weighed on the 17/02/15 and the observation code assigned to that event was 200 (200 day). The correct Observation Code for that event should have been WW (Weaning 200 days). Assigning this correct observation code across that entire group of animals, can be done in this window.

1. Calf Year: Enter the year of birth for the animals to be updated. - 2014
2. Start Obs. Date and End Obs. Date: Enter the date range on which the animals were observed. - 17/02/2015 to 17/02/2015
3. Observation Code: Enter the observation/stage code to be assigned to the records found. - WW (Weaning (200 day))
4. Data Type: Choose the type of data to be updated. - Weight
5. Tick the 'Overwrite existing observation codes' box if you want to replace the existing observation code.

• Click Yes to Confirm message: 'If you proceed, you will assign an observation code of "WW" to all Weight records taken between 17/02/2015 and 17/02/2015 inclusive, for all animals born in 2014. Proceed?'
• Click OK to Information message: ' Update Complete.'