BIXS hits milestone with launch of carcass data reporting

The Beef InfoXchange System (BIXS) recently activated two reporting tools for registered producers to generate detailed carcass data reports on their cattle registered onto the BIXS database. The tools allow users to see detailed carcass data lists as well as a benchmark report on their carcass data. These and other recent developments represent milestones in the evolution and delivery of the BIXS to the Canadian beef industry. Currently the BIXS database houses approximately 1.5 million detailed carcass data records linked to Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) tag numbers. Cargill Foods and XL Beef are submitting these computer vision system camera-derived records retroactive to January 1, 2012. This data includes yield and quality grades, carcass measures such as marbling score, ribeye area, and fat depth. BIXS staff along with cooperating beef producers developed and tested the reporting tools that provide registered users with the carcass data lists and benchmark reports "We are grateful for the assistance of those beef producers who stepped up to help us develop and test these reporting functions," says BIXS program administrator Holly LaBrie. "It took us awhile to get it right but those producers, and others that have tapped into their individual animal carcass data thus far, have welcomed the new ability to see what kind of beef they produce from their cow-calf operations." The reporting functions within BIXS will continue to evolve to include more carcass data as well as feedlot data as development and testing continues. To complement the new tools, the CCA and BIXS teamed up with the CCIA to build an additional data tool that enables users to quickly import their tag ID and cattle birthdate data into the system. BIXS registered producers can simply click a button to import all their cattle tag ID and birthdate records from their CCIA – Canadian Livestock Tracking System (CLTS) account retroactive to January 1, 2010 and populate their BIXS cattle (tag ID) inventory. Once the information is in the system, users can generate carcass data reports using the newly launched carcass data report tools. Carcass records in the BIXS database are from Jan 1, 2012 onwards. However, it is possible that carcass data on cattle born from May 2010 onwards could be in the carcass data pool in BIXS , provided the cattle were slaughtered at Cargill or XL Beef. Registered BIXS users will find the CCIA data pull tool at the bottom of the 'Enter Your Data' birthdate event landing page. Each time a user 'pulls' data they see a log of events found/created and updated in their BIXS account from their CLTS account.