If you searched for “The Calving Book” in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, it is very possible that you found more than one option. You probably saw The Calving Book, The Calving Book Lite, ICalve, and maybe a few others. With all of the options out there, theres a lot to think about.
Believe me, when the process of finding an app started, I didn’t know one thing about making an app. That thought had never even crossed my mind, so I was certainly going to try to download one first. I (along with a few others on my farm) searched long and hard for one but could never find anything to fit the bill. Obviously, we needed an app that would keep track of the basic things like calf id, gender, weight, date of birth, etc.
We did eventually stumble upon a few that hit those basic requirements but didn’t allow us to sort the calves in different pastures or books. That was essential for us because we calve out in 3 different places plus we would need to keep the records from year to year.
Another issue we had was that many apps weren’t available for both iOS and Android so then it still wouldn’t do any good if everyone couldn’t be all synced up. That may have been the biggest issue that we faced.
Additionally, many of the the iOS apps used iCloud instead of being backed up to their own database. That’s great when only one person is involved but when you have 6 guys that need access, it isn’t always convenient to all be back up to the same account. Everything gets jumbled up and soon one person is getting the others contacts and pictures.
This app was made by me, myself, and I. I didn’t hire out to get it done so I really think that makes it easier for you to get the support you deserve. Since I know exactly how it works, I can offer support in a reasonable time period. Another benefit of me making it by myself, is that I have total control. I can update and add new features as I see necessary and as you see necessary. That is why it is really important that I get your feedback. I want to know what you feel should be included for the best possible user experience.
Posts
Comparison: Pro vs. Lite
You may have noticed that there are two “The Calving Book” apps. One is feature packed while the other just has the basics. The Lite version is a preview for the Pro version so they operate similarly. Here is a break down of the features.
The Calving Book Lite |
The Calving Book Pro |
|
| Unique log-in |
√ |
√ |
| Make new calf |
√ |
√ |
| Update calf |
√ |
√ |
| Delete calf |
√ |
√ |
| Search |
× |
√ |
| Individual Books |
× |
√ |
| Export Excel/PDF Document |
× |
√ |
| Task/Communication Page |
× |
√ |
|
Choose your own fields |
× |
√ |
| Cow History lookup |
× |
√ |
As you can tell, I have some work to do to get those new features out to you. Please let me know what else you would like to see!
Tutorial: The Basics
For a tutorial on the plus version, click here.
I built this app with simplicity in mind. No one wants to spend hours and hours trying to figure out how to run it. That’s why when you download it, everything should be self-explanatory but I also made this tutorial to help.
Please note that this tutorial is for the pro app, therefore some features are unavailable on the lite app.
Log-on Screen
Use your real e-mail and a password you can easily remember to create an account.
Main Screen
Here is where all of the calves will be listed once they are created. The menu right under the header is where you can select which book you want to view.
Adding a Book
The “Add Book” button is where you can create an unlimited amount of books. This is a useful tool especially when you want to divide in terms of year, location, or anything else you could think of. The option to sort calves into separate books is only available in the pro version of the app.
Adding a Calf
The “Add Calf” button opens the panel which houses all of the fields that are available. (If you want one that isn’t there, let me know!) It is essential that you pick what book you want it filed under so you will be able to see it later. Know that the data picker defaults to the current date but you can change it if you need to. 