Breeding User Journey
Welcome to the Breeding User Journey — a self-paced learning path for dairy professionals who manage or participate in the breeding workflow using DairyComp and its connected platforms.
Whether you're a breeding technician entering breedings in the barn, a herd manager overseeing reproductive performance, or someone who handles both — this journey will walk you through setting up your breeding program, recording breeding events, managing semen inventory, and analyzing your results.
What You'll Learn
By the end of this journey, you will be able to:
- Configure your breeding program — technicians, breeding codes, and sire matings.
- Enter breeding events across four platforms — DairyComp (desktop), Pocket CowCard (PCC), VAS PULSE Platform, and DC on Mobile
- Read and interpret breeding data and outcomes on the CowCard.
- Manage semen inventory and track straw usage with SEMINV.
- Forecast your herd's future using the ECON\IR projected inventory report.
- Analyze reproductive performance using BREDSUM and the GUIDE command.
Who This Is For
This journey is designed for:
- Breeding technicians entering daily breeding events from the barn, parlor, or office.
- Herd managers setting up breeding programs and reviewing reproductive performance.
- Farm staff transitioning to DairyComp from paper records or another system.
🗒️ NOTE: No prior experience with breeding workflows in DairyComp is required. However, even experienced DairyComp users may learn about features they did not know existed. This journey was created to guide you along!
Before You Begin
This journey assumes you have:
- DairyComp installed and running with an active cowfile.
- Basic familiarity with DairyComp navigation — you should know how to enter commands on the command line and navigate windows.
- Access to the platforms your farm uses for data entry — depending on your setup, this may include Pocket CowCard (PCC), VAS PULSE Platform, and/or DC on Mobile.
🗒️ NOTE: If you're completely new to DairyComp, begin with Getting Started with DairyComp first before beginning this journey: Getting Started with DairyComp
Your Learning Path
This journey is organized into three phases. Work through them in order — each guide builds on what came before.
Phase 1: Setup & Foundation
Before you start entering breedings, you need to configure the building blocks — the people, codes, and sire choices that DairyComp uses with every BRED event.
Guide | What You'll Do |
|---|---|
Add the technicians and breeding codes used in breeding entries | |
Matings | Set up sire choices (SIR1, SIR2, SIR3) and import mating files |
Phase 2: Entering & Reading Breeding Data
Learn how to record breedings and understand what the data looks like in DairyComp. Four platforms are covered — focus on the ones your farm uses, but we recommend at least reviewing the DairyComp (desktop) guide since it covers core concepts that apply everywhere.
Guide | What You'll Do |
|---|---|
Enter BRED events on the desktop application | |
Enter BRED events on Pocket CowCard — single and batch methods | |
Enter BRED events through the web platform — single and bulk methods | |
Enter BRED events on the mobile app with scanner support | |
Read breeding outcomes, technician numbers, and breeding codes on the CowCard |
Phase 3: Inventory & Analysis
Now that breeding data is flowing into DairyComp, learn how to manage your semen inventory and measure your breeding program's effectiveness.
Guide | What You'll Do |
|---|---|
Track semen straw counts with the SEMINV command | |
Forecast herd size, milk production, and heifer inventory | |
Analyze conception rates, technician performance, and breeding trends |
How to Use This Journey
- Work at your own pace. Each guide takes roughly 5–15 minutes to read through.
- Follow the order. The guides are sequenced so that each one builds on the previous. Complete Phase 1 setup before entering breeding events in Phase 2.
- Phase 2 is flexible. You only need to learn the entry methods for the platforms your farm actually uses. The field names vary slightly across platforms (for example, the breeding date may appear as "Breeding Date," "Date," or "EDAY"), but the required data is the same everywhere: cow ID, date, sire, technician, and breeding code.
- Practice as you go. Each guide includes steps you can follow in DairyComp. The best way to learn is to do it with real or test data.
Click here to get started with the first guide: Technicians and Breeding Codes