CattleLedger field guide
How to import cattle records from CSV without losing tag data
CSV files often look consistent until one row contains a different date, a repeated tag or a column with an unexpected name. A reviewed import catches those problems before they become permanent herd records.
Inspect the source first
Open a copy of the file and confirm the delimiter, header row, date format and tag column. Never clean the only copy of a source export.
Map columns explicitly
Match each source header to a known destination field and leave unknown columns unmapped until you understand them. Similar labels such as ID, tag and registration number should not be treated as interchangeable automatically.
Choose a duplicate policy
Decide whether an existing tag should be skipped, reviewed or updated. For a first import, skipping duplicates is safer than silently overwriting a current record.
Verify a sample after import
Compare several imported animals—including the first, last and one with missing optional fields—against the source CSV. Export a new copy and confirm that tags and dates round-trip cleanly.