Sort Codes: Let FLS Pick the New Pen For You

3 minute read

When you induct, process or treat an animal, you choose its new pen by hand. You read the weight, decide where it belongs and scroll the pen list. Done hundreds of times a day, this is slow, and a tired crew can pick the wrong pen.

Sort Codes let you write your sorting rules once. FLS then selects the New Pen as soon as the weight is entered. You can still change it.

How the rules work

A rule is a weight range, an animal type, or both. Each rule sends matching animals to one pen. A few points to know:

• Leave a field empty to match anything. A rule with only a weight range ignores animal type.
• Both ends of the range count. In a 600–700 rule, an animal at 600 and an animal at 700 both match.
• Rules are checked from the top. The first rule that fits decides the pen.
• Weights use the unit your account is set to, pounds or kilograms.

For example, say you have two rules. Rule 1 is 600–700 lb, any animal type, going to Pen 01. Rule 2 is Steers, any weight, going to Pen 02. A 650 lb Steer matches both rules. It goes to Pen 01, because Rule 1 is higher. To put Steers first, move Rule 2 up.

Where to find it

Open Settings on the Mobile Medical screen. Scroll to Sort Codes.

1. Under Auto-select New Pen during:, tick Induction, Processing, Treatment, or any combination.
2. Tap + Add to create a rule.
3. Enter From and To. Pick an animal type, or leave Any animal type.
4. Choose the New Pen.
5. Tap the up arrow on a rule to move it higher. Tap X to remove it.
6. Tap Save.

Each rule is labelled Rule 1, Rule 2 and so on, so you can see the order at a glance.

What happens at the chute

When you enter a weight, FLS picks the pen of the first matching rule. If the weight changes and no rule fits any more, FLS puts back the pen that was selected before. A 600 lb animal goes to Pen 01. Change the weight to 500 and the pen returns to what it was.

Important safeguards

• If no rule matches, the pen stays as it was.
• When you modify an animal already in the yard, FLS keeps its own pen. Only new inductions are sorted.
• A rule must have a weight range, an animal type, or both. FLS refuses an empty rule.
• To must be greater than From.
• Every rule needs a New Pen.
• If a save is refused, your existing rules stay as they were.
• If the rules cannot be loaded, Settings says so and keeps your saved rules.

Available in FLS Cloud

Sort Codes are on the Mobile Medical screen at no extra cost. Admin and editing roles can change the rules. Other users only see the results. Auto-selecting the pen from the weight means fewer taps at the chute.

If you still pick every pen by hand, write down your current sorting rules. Then enter them as two or three rules and turn on Induction first.

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