Articles on: Your Animals & Records

Importing from WinRbro or ESS (Rabbit15, Cavy15, Goat15, Poultry15)

Use the WinRbro import for an original XML export from Rabbit15, Cavy15, Goat15, or Poultry15 (WinRbro or Evans Software Services programs). You check the counts and warnings in a preview before anything is added, separate from the regular import review.


Prepare the export


Export your data from the program and keep the original .xml file. It can be up to 5MB. Don't convert it to a spreadsheet or PDF.


Photos don't transfer. The export lists photo file names, not the photos, so keep your photos handy to add to each animal afterward.


Preview the import


Open Import from your Dashboard (under Tools). If you see What do you want to import?, keep Add new animals selected. Then on the Import a WinRbro or ESS export card, select WinRbro / ESS XML. If you don't have animals on Creatures yet, the card is at the bottom of the page, below the Upload and build review button.


Import a WinRbro or ESS export card with the WinRbro / ESS XML button


On the upload page:


  1. Select Choose XML export and pick your file.
  2. Leave Species on Use species from export. Newer exports include it. For an older export, choose the program's species: Rabbit, Guinea Pig, Goat, Sheep, or Chicken. Use Chicken for Poultry15. Creatures still uses breed names to spot turkeys, ducks, and geese.
  3. Enter a Source name, such as "Avery Ridge Rabbit15". Use the same name every time you import from the same program file. Creatures then reuses animals it already imported instead of adding copies, and it never overwrites existing animals. Give each program file its own name. If you leave it blank, the file name is used.
  4. Select Preview import. Creatures checks that the file is a readable WinRbro or ESS export.


WinRbro import form with Choose XML export, Species set to Use species from export, Source name, and Preview import


Check the preview


The preview shows what Creatures found. Nothing is added yet.


Parsed records counts what is in your file: animals, shows, litters, weights, milk tests, meat and fiber records, contacts, and photos. Relatives without their own record are ancestors named in a pedigree that have no entry of their own in your program. Compare these numbers with your program.


Parsed records showing 8 animals, 1 relative without its own record, 4 shows, 2 litters, 3 weights, 1 contact, and 2 photos not imported


Source coverage says how many records can be imported. Your XML file stays private. Creatures keeps it until the date shown, and Cancel preview ends access right away. Values Creatures can't import stay only in your file, so keep your original export.


Read Integrity flags and Warnings if they appear. Photos show up as a warning here, because the export lists only their file names.


If the file, species, or counts look wrong, choose Cancel preview. Otherwise, select Confirm import.


After you confirm


Imported lists what was created, such as animals, show records, litters, and weights. Skipped duplicates counts records already imported under the same source name. Select View animals to see your animals.


Imported result with animals, show records, and litters created, plus View animals and Undo relationships


Imported with warnings means some items were skipped, so read the list. If you see Retry skipped show results, select it to try those show results again.


For 72 hours, Undo relationships removes only the family links this import added. Your animals and other WinRbro records stay. This is different from Undo import in the regular import review.



Updated on: 29/10/2026

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