AlpacaKeepAlpacaKeep has three different things, not three ways to make the same thing: a tracked animal, a reference animal, and a typed-in ancestor. They look similar in a pedigree, but they are not the same, and picking the right one keeps your plan count and your family tree correct.
What each one is
- Tracked animal. A full animal you manage day to day. It has health events, weights, fiber reports, breeding records, and its own profile. A tracked animal counts toward your plan's animal limit.
- Reference animal. A lightweight pedigree entry for a parent, ancestor, or rented stud you do not manage. It holds just enough to sit in a family tree. A reference does not count toward your plan limit.
- Typed-in ancestor. Not an entry at all. When you have nothing to link to, you type the name and it shows as plain text in the pedigree. It is the fallback for when you have no animal and no reference to point at.
Good to know. A reference animal is the middle ground. Use it when a typed-in name is too thin (you want it in inbreeding math or want to reuse it), but a full tracked animal is more than you need.
Quick comparison
How to pick the right one
- It lives on your farm and you record its life: make it a tracked animal.
- It is a parent or ancestor you want in pedigrees and inbreeding math, but you will not manage it: add a reference animal.
- You only have a name and nothing to link: type it in.
Watch out. A typed-in name is plain text. It will not link, and it will not count toward inbreeding (COI) math. If that ancestor matters, add a reference instead.
Related
- Linking parents: pick an animal or type a name
- When to add a reference animal
- Read your animal's pedigree