Grassroots Transition FAQ and Change Summary

• Review current herd records.
• Download or save records for animals you no longer own.
• Complete pending registrations and transfers.
• Submit needed blood cards and authorizations before the final send date.
• Review account balances.
• Make sure email addresses are current and subscribed to AlpacaGrams.
• Watch for additional AOA transition updates by email.

The Grassroots go-live date is now targeted for October or November 2026.

AOA had originally planned to complete the transition sooner, but additional testing, data review, and system preparation are needed before final cutover. Proteus will remain active until the final migration begins.

Yes. During final migration, the database will be locked for an estimated 10 to 14 days.

During this locked period, registrations, transfers, and other registry updates cannot be processed by members or AOA staff. Members are expected to have read-only access for current herd lookups and downloads, but no changes or transactions will be completed during that window.

AOA will share the confirmed lockout dates as soon as they are available.

The database must be locked so final data can be pulled, reviewed, imported into Grassroots, and checked before the new system becomes active.

This process is expected to include several days for data extraction and preparation, followed by approximately one week for Grassroots to complete the import and related setup.

No. This will be a noticeable member-facing change.

Grassroots will show your current herd. It will not show animals you previously owned or animals that were marked deceased or sold without transfer.

If you want to keep a record of past animals, please download or save those records in the current system before the final cutover.

Members can use a simple spreadsheet to track past alpacas going forward.

AOA will send blood cards to the lab on August 18.

The final blood card send date before the software transition itself is still TBD. AOA will confirm the date as soon as it is set.

After that date, AOA will temporarily pause sending blood cards while the software rollout is completed. Submissions will resume once the new system is live.

To ensure data accuracy during the transition, registrations, transfers, and other unfinished registry work must be completed before the final migration begins.

Transactions that are not completed before the transition will not be included in the migration.

Members will need to resubmit any registrations, transfers, or other registry transactions that were not completed before the transition.

Accounting will be separate from the registry in Grassroots. If you have a balance on your account that is not resolved before the transition, please contact the AOA office.

If you owe money to AOA, your balance will need to be paid before you have access to Grassroots.

Transfers will work differently in Grassroots.

In the current system, all listed owners are involved in approving a transfer. In Grassroots, any current indicated owner can initiate and approve a transfer.

If an alpaca has a co-owner, the co-owner will receive an automatic email notification. If you co-own an alpaca and disagree with a transfer, you must contact the AOA office promptly. The transfer will proceed unless the office is contacted.

Yes. This is one of the larger workflow changes.

Grassroots does not use accounts the same way the current system does. Account numbers will no longer be used. If multiple people share ownership, they must be linked together in a group.

In Grassroots, when you view an alpaca, you will see all names in the group that owns that alpaca.

When transferring an alpaca, you will need to be careful when co-ownership is involved. This includes spouses who were traditionally on the same account in the current system. When transferring an alpaca, you will need to select the group that includes both spouses or the appropriate business partner combination.

If you currently co-own alpacas in the AOA system, these groups will be created during the transition.

Members cannot create new groups themselves. Please contact the AOA office if you need assistance setting up a group for shared ownership.

If a person is not included in the appropriate group, they will not have ownership authority or access to view the alpaca in Grassroots.

Only the indicated owner of the dam at the time of birth can begin the registration process.

If you sell the cria before registration is completed, the dam owner must log the birth first. The cria owner can then complete the registration and pay the related fees.

The owner of the dam at the time of birth controls the first step in the registration process.

Sire authorizations will work differently in Grassroots.

In the new system, the indicated owner of the sire may log a breeding after it takes place. That logged breeding will serve as the authorization for registration.

If no breeding was logged, the indicated owner of the sire at the time of conception will receive an email when the registration is submitted.

If the sire owner has a concern, they must contact the AOA office. The registration will proceed unless the office is contacted.

No. Grassroots uses an invoicing model rather than the shopping cart process members are used to in Proteus.

This means payment workflows may look different, and staff may need to verify payment on transactions in a different way than the current automated checkout process.

AOA will provide more information about payment and invoicing procedures as workflows are finalized.

Members will receive login instructions when the new system is available.

Some lapsed members or members who have not logged in for several years may experience an issue where the system does not automatically recognize their credentials. If this happens, please contact the AOA office for assistance.

No. Agents will no longer be available in Grassroots.

Members who previously used an agent to complete registry work will need to complete those actions themselves or contact the AOA office for assistance.

If more than one person needs ownership authority or access to alpacas, they may need to be linked together in a group.

Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) test information will be included on the registration certificate PDF. The certificate will be two pages, with the second page showing whether BVDV was “not detected” or “not tested.”

Color and coat genotype results are also planned for inclusion on certificates once that phase of testing and system development is complete.

Some search functions will be different in Grassroots. Show result searches will not be as robust as they are in the current system.

One improvement is that members will be able to search alpacas by geographic region.

EPD publication may be delayed during the transition. AOA understands that Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs) are an important tool for breeders.

The transition will overlap with the period when SGS reports are normally uploaded, which may delay the schedule for submitting results for EPD calculation.

Yes, longer term.

Grassroots will cost less per month than our current system once AOA is fully transitioned. During the transition, there will be a period of overlap where both systems are active. That overlap creates short-term cost, but it is part of the process needed to reach the long-term savings.

No. AOA is not moving its registry operations to the United Kingdom.

Grassroots, the software provider, is based in the United Kingdom. AOA will continue to operate from the United States, and member support, registry review, and AOA business operations will continue to be handled by AOA staff.

AOA’s data will be hosted on servers located in the United States.