Add Animals - File Upload

Import a spreadsheet to add multiple cattle records to Breedr at once. This is the fastest way to get an existing herd into Breedr when you're starting out, or to add a large group of new arrivals.

Adding just a few animals? It's quicker to add them one at a time on the app. See Add Animals Mobile App.

Have an EID reader? Scan animals directly into Breedr using Chute Mode. See Get Started with Chute Mode.

What you'll need:

A computer with access to app.breedr.tech (log in with the same email and password as the app)
Your animal data in a CSV file, see Convert a Spreadsheet to CSV Format if you're working from Excel or Google Sheets
The Breedr import template, download it in Step 1 below

Step 1: Download and fill in the template

Download the Breedr Downloadable Animal Template
Open it in Excel or Google Sheets.
Fill in your animal data with one row per animal.
Save or export the file as a CSV before uploading.

Using your own spreadsheet? You don't have to use the template! Breedr lets you map your own column headings to the right fields during upload (Step 4 below). Using the template just makes that step faster.

Required Fields:

Your file must include at least one animal ID and the following fields. Uploads will fail or produce errors without them.

Field	What to enter
Any Animal ID	At minimum one of: Visual ID, Electronic ID, or Registered ID
Sex	male, female, steer, heifer, cow, or bull ; first letter only is also accepted (m, f, s, h, c, b)
Estimated DOB	Date of birth format: MM/DD/YYYY
Date On Ranch	Date the animal arrived on your ranch. Use the birth date if born on ranch
Breed	Breed name or code (see the full list of accepted breed codes)

Optional fields

Include these columns if you have the data, all are optional and can be added later via Edit Animal Information or Upload Activities.

Identification

Field	Notes
Electronic ID (EID)	15-digit ISO EID number
Visual ID (VID)	Ear tag number
Registered ID	Breed association registration number
Alternative ID	Any other identifier you use
TSU Barcode	Tissue Sampling Unit number
UHF / RFID ID	Ultra-high frequency tag ID
Trich Tag	Trichomoniasis test tag number
Tattoo	Tattoo identifier
Brucellosis Tag	Brucellosis vaccination tag number
Secondary EID	A second EID if the animal carries two tags
Herddogg Tag	Herddogg sensor tag ID

Animal Details

Field	Notes
Name	A name for the animal if you use one
Face Pattern	See accepted values: Face Patterns
Hide Color	See accepted values: Hide Colors
Horn Status	Enter Polled, Scurred, or Horned
Is Twin	Enter TRUE/FALSE
Litter Size	Number of animals in the litter

Ranch & Origin

Field	Notes
Location	Field, pen, or pasture on your ranch. Creates a new Location if the name doesn't already exist
Source	Where the animal came from, ranch or seller name.
Purchase Price	What you paid for the animal
Purchase Date	Date of purchase

If adding new animals to a source or unit, must exist in contacts before we add any animals. See Set up Address Book and Contacts for more information.

Breeding & Birth

Field	Notes
Sire ID	ID of the animal's sire.
Dam ID	ID of the animal's dam.
Surrogate Dam ID	ID of a surrogate dam if applicable
Service Type	natural service, artificial insemination, or embryo transfer
Embryo Straw ID	Straw ID for embryo transfer records
Embryo Cane ID	Cane ID for embryo transfer records
Birth Weight	Weight at birth
Calving Ease	Calving ease score
Calf Vigor	Vigor score at birth

Sire and Dam must exist in Breedr before adding ID to animals: See Add a Sire for more information.

Arrival

Field	Notes
Arrival Weight	Weight on arrival to the ranch

Step 2: Go to Import Data on the browser portal

Log in at app.breedr.tech.
From the left-hand navigation, select "Import."

Select the "Custom Import" icon.

3. Select 'Add Animals'.

4. Select your .csv file from your computer and then press 'Next.'

5. Each column from your spreadsheet will match a drop-down menu. Match the fields you would like to upload using the drop-down menu. Double check the auto matched columns that it is filling in the data in the right spot.

6. Once all columns are matched, click 'Finish upload.' When the screen turns green, the upload has been successful. If there is an error, be sure to download the un-imported animals.

If Your Upload has Errors:

If any rows fail to import, Breedr will show an error screen. Do not close the window without downloading your error file first.

Click "Download un-imported animals" to save a CSV of the rows that failed.
Open the file and check the error column (common causes are listed below).
Fix the errors in your spreadsheet and re-upload only the failed rows.

Common Upload Errors and How to Fix Them:

Error	Likely cause	Fix
Invalid breed	Breed name not recognised	Check against the accepted breed code list and update
Duplicate ID	An animal with the same EID or VID already exists in your account	Check your existing records; if it's a genuine new animal, use a different ID
Invalid sex value	Sex field contains an unrecognised value	Use: male, female, steer, heifer, cow, bull (or first letter)
Invalid date format	Date not in MM/DD/YYYY format	Reformat all date columns to MM/DD/YYYY
Missing required field	One of the required fields is blank	Fill in Sex, Estimated DOB, Date on Ranch, and Breed for every row
Invalid EID format	EID is not 15 digits or has extra spaces	Check for spaces in the EID column (see Recommended Settings for Equipment if EIDs were scanned in with spaces)

Uploading activity or performance data?

The file import only adds animal records. To upload weights, pregnancy checks, treatments, or other activities, use the Activities importer. See Upload Activities - Web.

Need some help?

Use the chat window, call our Customer Success team at (737) 412-3131 , or email support supportusa@breedr.co