diff --git a/snprc_scheduler/src/org/labkey/snprc_scheduler/SNPRC_schedulerManager.java b/snprc_scheduler/src/org/labkey/snprc_scheduler/SNPRC_schedulerManager.java
index f3d5ddd89..bcfa91bab 100644
--- a/snprc_scheduler/src/org/labkey/snprc_scheduler/SNPRC_schedulerManager.java
+++ b/snprc_scheduler/src/org/labkey/snprc_scheduler/SNPRC_schedulerManager.java
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Set;
 
+import static org.labkey.api.exp.api.ExperimentService.asInteger;
+
 public class SNPRC_schedulerManager
 {
     private static final SNPRC_schedulerManager _instance = new SNPRC_schedulerManager();
@@ -547,7 +549,7 @@ public void updateTimelineItems(Container c, User u, List<TimelineItem> timeline
                     if (insertedRow != null)
                     {
                         timelineItem.setObjectId((String) insertedRow.get(0).get(TimelineItem.TIMELINEITEM_OBJECT_ID));
-                        timelineItem.setTimelineItemId((Integer) insertedRow.get(0).get(TimelineItem.TIMELINEITEM_TIMELINE_ITEM_ID));
+                        timelineItem.setTimelineItemId(asInteger(insertedRow.get(0).get(TimelineItem.TIMELINEITEM_TIMELINE_ITEM_ID)));
                         timelineItem.setDirty(false);
                     }
 
@@ -736,7 +738,7 @@ public void updateTimelineProjectItems(Container c, User u, List<TimelineProject
                     if (insertedRow != null)
                     {
                         timelineProjectItem.setObjectId((String) insertedRow.get(0).get(TimelineProjectItem.TIMELINE_PROJECT_ITEM_TIMELINE_OBJECT_ID));
-                        timelineProjectItem.setProjectItemId((Integer) insertedRow.get(0).get(TimelineProjectItem.TIMELINE_PROJECT_ITEM_PROJECT_ITEM_ID));
+                        timelineProjectItem.setProjectItemId(asInteger(insertedRow.get(0).get(TimelineProjectItem.TIMELINE_PROJECT_ITEM_PROJECT_ITEM_ID)));
                         timelineProjectItem.setDirty(false);
                     }
                 }
@@ -816,17 +818,14 @@ public void updateTimelineAnimalItems(@NotNull Container c, @NotNull User u, @No
                     timelineAnimalItem.setObjectId(new GUID().toString());
                     timelineAnimalItemRows.add(timelineAnimalItem.toMap(c));
 
-                    if (!timelineAnimalItemRows.isEmpty())
-                    {
-                        List<Map<String, Object>> insertedRow = qus.insertRows(u, c, timelineAnimalItemRows, errors, null, null);
+                    List<Map<String, Object>> insertedRow = qus.insertRows(u, c, timelineAnimalItemRows, errors, null, null);
 
-                        // add updated values returned from db call
-                        if (insertedRow != null)
-                        {
-                            timelineAnimalItem.setObjectId((String) insertedRow.get(0).get(TimelineAnimalJunction.TIMELINE_ANIMAL_JUNCTION_OBJECT_ID));
-                            timelineAnimalItem.setRowId((Integer) insertedRow.get(0).get(TimelineAnimalJunction.TIMELINE_ANIMAL_JUNCTION_ROW_ID));
-                            timelineAnimalItem.setDirty(false);
-                        }
+                    // add updated values returned from db call
+                    if (insertedRow != null)
+                    {
+                        timelineAnimalItem.setObjectId((String) insertedRow.get(0).get(TimelineAnimalJunction.TIMELINE_ANIMAL_JUNCTION_OBJECT_ID));
+                        timelineAnimalItem.setRowId(asInteger(insertedRow.get(0).get(TimelineAnimalJunction.TIMELINE_ANIMAL_JUNCTION_ROW_ID)));
+                        timelineAnimalItem.setDirty(false);
                     }
                 }
                 // delete existing row
diff --git a/snprc_scheduler/src/org/labkey/snprc_scheduler/services/SNPRC_schedulerServiceImpl.java b/snprc_scheduler/src/org/labkey/snprc_scheduler/services/SNPRC_schedulerServiceImpl.java
index c74bb1bfd..779ae927e 100644
--- a/snprc_scheduler/src/org/labkey/snprc_scheduler/services/SNPRC_schedulerServiceImpl.java
+++ b/snprc_scheduler/src/org/labkey/snprc_scheduler/services/SNPRC_schedulerServiceImpl.java
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package org.labkey.snprc_scheduler.services;
 
+import org.apache.logging.log4j.Logger;
 import org.json.JSONArray;
 import org.json.JSONObject;
 import org.labkey.api.action.ApiUsageException;
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@
 import org.labkey.api.security.User;
 import org.labkey.api.snd.SNDService;
 import org.labkey.api.snprc_scheduler.SNPRC_schedulerService;
+import org.labkey.api.util.logging.LogHelper;
 import org.labkey.snprc_scheduler.SNPRC_schedulerManager;
 import org.labkey.snprc_scheduler.SNPRC_schedulerSchema;
 import org.labkey.snprc_scheduler.SNPRC_schedulerUserSchema;
@@ -36,6 +38,8 @@
  */
 public class SNPRC_schedulerServiceImpl implements SNPRC_schedulerService
 {
+    private static final Logger LOG = LogHelper.getLogger(SNPRC_schedulerServiceImpl.class, "Timeline errors");
+
     public static final SNPRC_schedulerServiceImpl INSTANCE = new SNPRC_schedulerServiceImpl();
 
     private SNPRC_schedulerServiceImpl()
@@ -306,6 +310,7 @@ public JSONObject saveTimelineData(Container c, User u, JSONObject json, BatchVa
             }
             catch (RuntimeException e)
             {
+                LOG.error("Exception saving timeline data", e);
                 errors.addRowError(new ValidationException(e.getMessage()));
             }
         }