Further products from the range can be viewed at the website below which can all be embroidered to suit. For more details go to their website or to order contact Alistair Brooke 07702 539652.

The event is being organised by the North East and Central Scotland Aberdeen-Angus clubs and will feature a farm tour, stockjudging, practical demonstrations, educational exhibits, seminars, cookery demonstration and trade stands. It will be open to the public from 11.00am to 4.00pm.

“We are greatly indebted to Lord Dalhousie and his farm manager, Bruce Christie, for kindly agreeing to host this event at Westside,” said Neil Wattie, Jun, chairman of the North East Aberdeen-Angus Club.

“It will give farmers the opportunity of viewing one of the leading commercial Aberdeen-Angus herds in the country and will highlight the easy-keep advantages of the Aberdeen-Angus breed and the expanding market for Aberdeen-Angus cattle, fuelled by the strong demand and premium prices for Certified Aberdeen-Angus beef.”

All proceeds from the event, after expenses, will be donated to charities nominated by Lord Dalhousie. The main beneficiary will be the Mental Health Foundation but donations will also be made to local charities, including the Royal Highland Education Trust – Angus Countryside Initiative, Dalhousie Day Care Centre and Brechin Cathedral.

Burghill Farms is a largely arable farming enterprise on the Dalhousie Estate extending to 2000 acres with a suckler herd of 100 Aberdeen-Angus cows – 70% of which are pure-bred – with all progeny finished on the farm. Around 20 heifers are retained for breeding each year and the remainder finished or sold for breeding with all steers finished on the farm and sold to Scotbeef Ltd for Marks and Spencer.

The Angus herd was founded in 2000 when the switch was made from Continental breeds with the purchase of bulling heifers over three years from the Unigarth herd of Rognvald Sinclair at South Unigarth, Sandwick, Orkney. A closed herd policy is now operated and only stock bulls are bought in.

Details of sponsorship opportunities and trade stand information available from Eddie Gillanders, Secretary, North East Aberdeen-Angus Breeders, 11 Sunnyside Gardens, Drumoak, Banchory, Aberdeenshire. AB31 5EZ. Tel/Fax: 01330 811616. Mob: 07801 186303. E-mail: eddie.gillanders@btopenworld.com

The competition is open to any suckler producer in England, Scotland and Wales who is running pedigree Aberdeen-Angus bulls on commercial suckler cows. Producers must be either selling Aberdeen-Angus sired offspring as stores or finishing them on farm for liveweight or deadweight outlets.

Judges will be looking for profitable enterprises with good technical ability, sound management practices and an emphasis on the bottom line. The closing date for entries is 30 April 2010.

Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society chief executive Ron McHattie adds: “This competition regularly draws out some of the finest beef producers in the UK who are using Aberdeen-Angus genetics to an advantage. We will be looking for producers who are making maximum use of management tools such as EBVs, who have a good grasp on the commercial market place and who are most importantly running a profitable enterprise.”

Dick Mason, Policy Director for sponsors Lloyds TSB Agriculture and Bank of Scotland says: “The ability to take advantage of future opportunities at the same time as managing volatility will remain a real challenge to beef producers. A key focus for the management of any herd will, therefore, need to be on efficiency, productivity and profit. We are pleased to be involved with the competition which we hope will encourage those with skills in these areas to come forward and showcase them.”

Regional judging will take place over the summer with finalists from Scotland, England North, England South and Wales being judged in the autumn. The winner of this prestigious competition will be announced by the Society at the end of the year with the winner receiving a silver salver and a cheque for £1000.

For more information or to request an entry form please visit the Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society website www.aberdeen-angus.co.uk or contact 01738 622477 or email info@aberdeen-angus.co.uk

The new development increases the unit’s capacity to 166 head of individually housed mature bulls. The company claims the stud now is now the largest unit of its kind in the UK and one of the largest in Europe.

The extension comprises 44 pens for both beef and dairy sires, with the growing business of custom semen collection partly fuelling the facility’s expansion.

Cogent's Stuart Boothman

“The bulls which are moving into this facility have a range of owners,” said Cogent operations manager, Stuart Boothman, who oversees the running of the stud. “Apart from those that are on collection for Cogent as part of Visions – the company’s young sire progeny testing scheme – there are bulls from North American and other international AI companies who buy bulls in Europe and want to house them in the UK, as well as many from British farmers.

“If you take, for example, some of the beef bulls that sell for very high prices, the only way their owners will get a return on their investment is if the bulls come for collection and they frequently come to Cogent.”

The fact that the semen sexing facilities on the premises are widely considered to be the most advanced in the world also gives the Beachin facility an edge.

“This particularly attracts AI companies and individual breeders to bring dairy sires to the premises, where the semen can go straight through the sexing procedure, significantly increasing the chance of producing a heifer calf,” he said.

Cogent stud extension

The new facility – housed in a 77m x 22m clear-span building – has been modelled on and slightly adapted from Cogent’s previous successful extension and features deep-bedded straw and spacious, light and airy pens for optimal animal comfort.

Welfare continues to be a high priority and bulls have regular access to a large central sand play area which features 18 inch deep sand and a wide embedded tree trunk for scratching and rubbing.

“This provides a safe environment in which the bulls can stretch their muscles and exercise,” said Mr Boothman. “It also adds interest to their day and definitely improves the overall health and libido of the bulls and prolongs their collection life.”

A further attraction is that semen collected from any bull on the stud will qualify for export, potentially giving an important fillip to international trade in genetics from Britain.

“This represents a significant investment for Cogent,” said sales and genetics manager, Hugh Pocock. “But it also represents the creation of a strong base for the cattle genetics industry in the UK and we are confident the extended facility will prove an added attraction for international customers when considering British genetics.”

“We are delighted and considerably relieved to have moved”, said director, Geoff Corke. “We have planned and converted the modern warehouse adhering to the latest exacting EU regulations overseen by Defra. It is probably the best EU licensed semen store in Europe which has been custom built to these protocols.

“We had been looking for the ideal site for over a year and pleased to have found such a superb location.”

The new larger facility will give store manager, Tim Brook, far more space for storage. “Business is booming in both export and domestic markets” said Mr Brook. “Not only are we storing and handling semen collected on farm for domestic use or from our two studs for export but, we are now – because we are completely independent – handling more and more semen on behalf of British retail companies.”

Director, Rob Wills, who heads up the team leading the British charge into the semen export market, is also pleased the new store is up and running.

“We are proud of the proactive nature of our business in the overseas market and of the new trading benefits that we have been able to bring to bull owners throughout the UK,” said Mr Wills. “The real boom market is for British Aberdeen-Angus genetics which we have concentrated on for the past two years and are now reaping the rewards for our perseverance”.

Entries are already flooding in to join the programme so for more information go to the YDP page and click on the down load registration option on the top right hand of the page. The closing date for entries is the 31st March – for more information contact YDP coordinator Gayle Bersey on 07792  777889 or email gayle@bersey.fslife.co.uk

The semen has been sold by Rosemount herd owners, Alex and Wendy Sanger, of P B Scanlan and Partners, Prettycur Farm, Hillside, Montrose, Angus, from their stock bull, Chapelton Eventer E809.

Bred by QMS chairman, Donald Biggar, Chapelton, Castle Douglas, Kirkcudbrightshire, the bull was second in his class at the Perth bull sales three years ago when purchased by Mr and Mrs Sanger for 23,000gns.

The buyers, Mellis and Piret Marmor, have just sold 20 in calf heifers and 18 yearling heifers from their Aberdeen-Angus herd in Estonia to Belarus and are developing a market for Aberdeen-Angus beef in Estonia through their own butchers’ shops.

“Aberdeen-Angus is a new beef brand for Estonia where the main meat is pork,” said Ms Marmor. “More beef is now being eaten and we are experiencing a strong demand for our organic, grass-fed Aberdeen-Angus beef. With increasing demand for beef in the domestic market and a buoyant market for breeding stock to Belarus and other former Eastern Bloc countries, we see a good future for the Aberdeen-Angus breed in Estonia.”

Mr and MrsMarmor rund a herd of 74 Aberdeen-Angus cows and followers, trading as Aberdeen Top Genetics Estonia. The herd was founded in 2006 with the purchase of heifers from the Cairnton, Tonley, Whinbush and Rosemount herds and a further 35 heifers from the 200-cow Rosemount herd in 2007. Two stock bulls were also purchased from Tonley and Cairnton. Calves in the herd are registered in the Herd Book of the Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society.

“The Aberdeen-Angus breed is becoming well established in Estonia and we hope the use of semen from our stock bull will help the breed continue to progress,” said Mr Sanger.

The Rosemount herd specialises in supplying finished cattle to retailer, Watt The Butcher, in Montrose under the Glenbervie Aberdeen-Angus brand in conjunction with the Glenbervie Aberdeen-Angus herd at Glenbervie Home Farm, Drumlithie, Stonehaven, Kincardineshire.

Lloyds TSB Agriculture has been confirmed for the third year running as the major sponsor of the UK’s national beef event, Beef Expo.

Organised by the National Beef Association, Beef Expo 2010 will be held at Hexham Auction Mart in Northumberland, courtesy of Hexham and Northern Marts, on Thursday May 27, 2010.

The annual event attracts thousands of beef farmers and industry professionals from all over UK and Ireland, as well as from overseas.
Gareth Oakley, Agriculture Director for Lloyds TSB and Bank of Scotland Agriculture, said: “Beef Expo has quickly established itself as an important technical event for the UK beef industry. We are pleased to be the major sponsor again for the 2010 event and our continued support underlines the commitment we have to the UK livestock sector.”

“Improving UK beef cattle prices, together with a weaker pound and reduced cattle numbers, have combined to have a strongly positive effect on the beef market in recent years. We believe the long term prospects for the livestock industry remain positive and this gives producers an opportunity to plan for the future.

“We detect a growing sense of confidence amongst our beef farming customers with a growing number strengthening their businesses by investing in new equipment, systems and land. The line up of services and expert advice at Beef Expo 2010 will make it an ideal event to discuss such investment and developments and to help producers drive their businesses forward,” he says.

Beef Expo is the National Beef Association’s annual flagship event and is held at a different venue every year. The comprehensive programme of technical, practical and livestock demonstrations, competitions, seminars, beef breed displays, trade stands and educational exhibits, with a strong commercial focus, makes Beef Expo  a “must attend” event for beef farmers.

Every year, the event attracts thousands of visitors from throughout the UK and Ireland and also a large overseas attendance.

The theme of this year’s Beef Expo is “The Way Forward” and a special feature will be the National Spring Spectacular Show for continental and native breed pure and cross-bred beef cattle which proved a major success at last year’s event at the Three Counties Showground.

As in previous years, visitors will have the opportunity of taking part in a tour of local beef farms on the day before the event and this will be followed by a two-hour conference with leading speakers from the beef industry in late afternoon and the annual pre-event dinner in the evening.

Beef Expo is now well established as the premier event for the beef industry in the UK and the local organising committee, under the chairmanship of Scott Donaldson, auctioneer with Hexham and Northern Marts and NBA northern council member, are hard at work to ensure a first class event for the UK beef industry.

Hexham is an ideal location to attract visitors from both north and south of the Border and situated in the heart of Northumberland’s suckler beef country which should make for a bumper attendance.

Further information from Euan Emslie, Event Organiser on Tel: 01430 441870. Fax: 01430 448432. Mobile: 07718 908523. Email: euan@appliedremedies.co.uk Website: www.beefexpo.co.uk

In summary, all cattle entered for these sales will be required to come from BVD accredited herds and be vaccinated and if not from BVD accredited herds then the individual animals will require to be tested and vaccinated against BVD. Similarly on the Johnes front, cattle entered must come from herds which are testing for Johnes and taking steps to eradicate the disease.

This is a bold initiative by the Society and we are proud to be the first breed society to raise the standard at our official sales. This initiative will go a long way to increasing buyer confidence. Beef farmers have enough to worry about without having to contend with buying pedigree cattle of unknown health status at an official Society sale. Council are to be commended in raising the bar in regard to this very important issue. As our membership grows and new breeders are coming forward to official sales, it is important that we try to make life as easy as possible.For more information on high health status click here.

To ensure you are fully prepared for selling cattle at Society Sales the following check list has been created for you:

OFFICIAL SOCIETY SALES CHECK LIST

All members entering cattle for any official Society sale should ensure that the following simple steps are taken so reducing any problems. Remember all cattle will be inspected by a Society appointed vet prior to the sale whose decision on any related matter is final.

Closing Dates for Entries: Check with the Auctioneers or on the Society’s website for the closing dates for entries. As a general rule closing dates are usually about 4 to 6 weeks before the sale date but can vary depending on the auctioneer’s rules.

Tagging: Ensure animals are double tagged in accordance with current EU legislation.

Other Documents Required: Check that the date of birth on your entry form is the same on both their Pedigree Certificate and their BCMS Passport or equivalent document in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland.

Contagious Diseases: Check that all animals are free from Warts (particular attention should be paid to the sheath and scrotal area of bulls), Ringworm, Mange, Lice or other contagious diseases.

Treatments: If your entries are showing signs of any of the above conditions and have been treated then a signed veterinary certificate to that effect must accompany your entry.

Health Declaration Forms: All cattle entered for official society sales must be accompanied by a completed Health Declaration Card copies of which are available from the auctioneers or can be downloaded from the Society’s website.

BVD: If your entries are from a BVD accredited herd then they must be vaccinated with a veterinary approved vaccine no more than 12 months prior to the date of the sale. If your entries are from a herd which is not BVD accredited then the individual animals which you have entered must be tested free of BVD and vaccinated no more than three months prior to the date of the sale.

Johnes Disease: All entries for official Society sales must come from herds which have entered into a CHeCS Approved Health Scheme and should be monitoring the levels of Johnes Disease within their herd and taking steps to reduce its incidence if present.

Testicle Size: All bulls entered for official sales will have their testicles examined by a vet. The minimum circumference at the widest part of the scrotum should be 30cms at 12 months of age, 32cms at 18 months of age and 34cms at 24 months of age. The testicles should be even sized and of a firm consistency.

Presentation: It is in all vendors’ interests that your animals are presented in the best possible condition and should be washed and clipped where ever possible. If you can’t do this and would like some help then call the office and we will put you in touch with someone who can help.

Since the catalogue went live on the Society’s website just before Christmas, it has received 23,985 page views. This is an all time record for a Perth Aberdeen-Angus catalogue with more than 3000 hits coming in the first 2-3 days of the catalogue being live as well as the fact hits are coming from more than 400 different IP addresses. Last year’s hit rate totalled slightly more than 18,000 page views.

Chief executive Ron McHattie says: “This is a clear indication of the power of the new Aberdeen-Angus website and the ease for breeders and buyers to look for information. What is evident from the traffic is that more users are spending longer looking through the catalogue and are using the search facilities to compress the data to fit their herd criteria, whether it’s in the form of growth rates, muscling or calving ease.”

February’s Perth Bull Sales at Stirling starts on the 1^st February and Stirling Agricultural Centre with the judging of Aberdeen-Angus females at 8.30am followed by a show of more than 200 bulls. For more information read this post.