CHANGE OF AWA ANIMAL REGISTRATION IDENTS YEAR CODE INSTEAD OF YEAR LETTER FOR 2022 REGISTRATIONS
The AWA has used a year letter system for registration of animals, to denote the year of birth of all animals in the AWA Herdbook. There are only 24 letters in the alphabet, but time is infinite. So, what happens when we run out of letters?
The AWA Bylaws define how the AWA constructs Animal ID’s for the registration of animals as follows IDENTIFICATION in relation to an animal means the unique series of the following information on that animal; its Herd Code, Grade Code, Year Letter and Calf‑Drop Number.
Using the English alphabet as the base of the 24 year letters, we do not use the letter “O” or the letter “I” due to
HERD CODE is a unique identification approved by AWA for
the potential for confusion as numerical integers within an
each herd for the purposes of registration. It comprises a three
Animal ID. This leaves us with only 22 year letters that have
character code. The code may be made up of three letters,
been used to create an animal’s unique identification.
or three numbers or a combination of letters and numbers.
As communicated at the 2021 WagyuEdge Conference
The herd code is part of the identification with which an animal
and throughout 2021, each animal registered in the
must be identified
AWA Herdbook is required to have a unique registration identifier. This is the “Animal ID”.
GRADE CODE means the number or letter denoting the grade
With the First Wagyu genetics arriving in Australia more
of an animal or the section of the register in which the animal is
than 30 years ago, we are in the predicament of the risk
registered.
of Animal ID duplications becoming increasing greater as larger numbers of animals are being born in herds that have
YEAR LETTER means the letter designated by the Association
been registering animals for 22 years or longer.
to denote the year of birth of a registered animal. CALF-DROP NUMBER means the unique identification, consisting of a maximum of 5 alphabetic letters and/or numbers, allotted by the herd owner to each calf born in his herd for that year. (This excludes the Herd Code, the Grade Code and Year letter)
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THE AUSTRALIAN WAGYU UPDATE - ISSUE 79
