HerdMate · Open Reaper Scout

Start with a known tag.

This guide covers the current C72 workflow and the new Animals workspace layout.

Connect your Google account

  1. Open Reaper Scout in Chrome on the C72.
  2. Choose the Google account assigned to your operation and approve the requested access.
  3. Check the operation name at the top of Scout. If it is wrong, sign out and choose the correct account.
  4. Use “Open my sheet” to check that the connected workbook is yours and that it contains the intended animal records.

Starting a new operation

  1. Sign in with the Google account that should own your records.
  2. If setup opens, enter your operation name and tap Set Up My HerdMate.
  3. Allow setup to finish. It creates a Google Sheet in that account’s own Drive, checks its Animals and scan-log layout, and connects your operation.
  4. If your connection drops, sign in again and choose Resume setup. Keep the original operation name; do not create replacement accounts or workbooks to clear an error.
  5. When Scout opens, check the operation name and use “Open my sheet” to inspect the workbook.

If setup says it is unavailable or cannot confirm workbook creation, retry later or contact support with the message. Do not scan until your intended operation is connected.

Existing prepared accounts can use a shared workbook; their ownership and access remain as configured. New setup uses the signed-in customer’s own Google Drive. Existing devices may need one fresh Google sign-in after an app update.

Scan with the Chainway C72

  1. Connect to the internet, sign in and confirm your operation.
  2. Allow location access if you want GPS with your scans. GPS accuracy appears on screen; elevation may be unavailable.
  3. Enter a pasture or location name and tap SET, or choose a saved location.
  4. Tap the Scan or type EPC tag field. Your working C72 configuration must send UHF tag reads into that field as keyboard input, with Enter to submit.
  5. Point the C72 at a known compatible UHF tag and squeeze the trigger. Check that a tag appears and the count changes.
  6. Tap its record link to open the animal card. Confirm the full EPC and animal identity against the physical tag and your Sheet.
  7. Check the sync status and the HeadCounter row in your Sheet before relying on the result.

Repeated reads of the same tag do not represent more animals. A target count is a reference; reaching it does not automatically end scanning.

C72 scanning settings can differ by device and installed reader software. Keep a configuration that already scans correctly. If the field stays empty, confirm UHF output with the device’s reader utility; do not guess at new trigger or output settings.

The browser workflow here uses Chrome. The current Google Play package’s browser behavior needs separate verification. R6 Bluetooth connection is only a partial result; R6 tag decoding is still unresolved.

One Animals table for new workspaces

Put adults, young animals and different species in Animals. Keep one row for each animal, with its identity, description and parent links together. Animals do not move to a different table when they grow up.

TablePurpose
AnimalsFull tag EPC, Animal ID, printed tag, name, species, sex, breed, date of birth, color, description, dam/sire IDs, location, status, weight and notes.
HeadCounterScan events, session, tag EPC, location, time, available GPS, read count and signed-in account.
TreatmentsPossible later table for treatment events linked by Animal ID. Its fields and workflow are not defined yet.

Link a tag to an animal

  1. Open your connected Google Sheet.
  2. In a new workspace, add the animal’s full scanned identifier to Tag EPC in Animals. Add its stable Animal ID and the printed number separately.
  3. Format identifiers as plain text, including leading zeros. Use the complete scanned EPC for linking; the last four digits are only a display shortcut.
  4. Enter the name, species and other details you know. Parent references use the parents’ Animal IDs.
  5. Reload Scout to refresh its animal list, scan the tag again and open its card to verify the link.

An unlinked tag means there is no matching animal record in the connected operation. The current app does not yet have an in-app animal creation form.

Existing DCC/HerdMate workbooks: the established Ranch Tracker and Calf Tracker layout remains supported. This change does not migrate or delete those records.

If a scan does not behave as expected