The sale will consist of 30 cows in calf or with calves at foot, 10 yearlings and two stock bulls, Also entered in the sale will be the herd of pedigree Hereford cattle, as well as Water Buffalo, Llamas, Ostriches, Pygmy Goats, Fancy chicken, geese, Kune Kune pigs and an excellent range of modern machinery and livestock equipment.

The sale will be held on farm at Ayrshire Farm, Langtye Lane, Ripe, Lewes, East Sussex. For more information contact South East Marts, Hailsham, on 01323 844874 or email info@southeastmarts.co.uk or go to the auctioneers website.

Application forms can easily be downloaded from the website (top right of the YDP page) and must be sent back to the Society office by the 31^st March.

For more information on the workshop dates, venues or the programme itself, contact YDP co-ordinator Gayle Bersey on 07792 777889 or email gayle@bersey.fslife.co.uk.

17^th April – South East England workshop at Rosemead herd (Angus Stovold, Surrey).

23^rd May – Central England at Nightingale herd (Willie and Angela Robertson, Worcestershire).

4^th July – South Scotland at Rawburn herd (John Elliot, Roxburgh Mains).

1^st August – Central Scotland at Netherton herd (Messrs W and D McLaren, Perthshire).

8^th August – North of England at Tree Bridge herd (David Evans, Cleveland).

14^th August – South West England at Rull herd (Ed and Clare Jones, Devon).

Dates for the South of Ireland, Central Ireland and Northern Ireland, as well as North Scotland and East Anglia will be announced shortly. Details of the trainers and times will also follow soon.

Lincsbells Pride Mandy H084 (13.05.08) and Lincsbells Duchess H075 (31.03.08) are both by Aynho Proud Graston C204, a bull by Skail Desmond. The dams of both these heifers are by Tui Erixis.

Please contact Bob Bell for more information 07770 952035

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.

2009 YDP winner Jess Denning

It was a Youth Development entry form in her first Society Review that led 20 year old Jess Denning to win the trip of a lifetime. YDP co-ordinator Gayle Bersey finds out what Jess has learnt from her experience and where her prize will take her

The Denning family are Somerset born and bred and until fairly recently milked on the 120 acre Temple Farm in Chedzoy. In 2006 the decision was taken to disperse the dairy herd and move into suckler cows. Some dairy cross cows were kept and some pedigree Angus cows were purchased from Sheldon and House at Taunton to form the ‘Temple’ herd of Aberdeen-Angus.

The farm is very much a family affair, with Jess and her brother and sisters taking an active role in all Temple Farm activities. The majority of cattle, pigs and sheep on the farm end up in the Denning’s catering business, ‘Pasture to Plate’ or with their homemade apple juice, in the farm shop. Pedigree bulls are also sold off farm. More pedigree cows have since been added to the herd, most recently from the Rull herd of Ed and Claire Jones.

It was just after Jess’ parents Andrew and Judith joined the Society that they received the Review with the YDP entry form in. They both felt that this was something Jess would enjoy getting involved in and she turned out to be pretty good at it too. Jess attended the workshop at Lockerley Farm and thoroughly enjoyed the day. As part of the NVQ folder, she had to attain some ‘showing experience’ with a pedigree Angus breeder and the trainer put her in contact with Colin Hutchings.

Showing with Colin throughout the summer and gaining a place in the 2007 final in Perth made Jess keen to have a go herself and get her parents cattle out on the show circuit. For her 18^th birthday her parents bought her a very fitting present, Kingsbrompton Jacata Erica, which was the start of her very own pedigree herd under the ‘Park Wall’ prefix.

Jess entered the YDP again, gaining a place in the 2008 final at Carlisle and enjoyed success at several local shows with her cattle and that of other peoples too. In 2009, Jess’ dreams were shattered when by the smallest of margins she missed out on the chance to go to Veterinary College which had always been her plan. While deciding on a different career path, Jess entered the YDP and for the third time made it through to the final where, it was obviously ‘third time lucky’ as Jess won the senior section against some stiff opposition.

Judge, Bridget Borlase praised her for her ability with cattle, but also commented that she would be a great ambassador for the breed having paid attention and carried out instructions with great efficiency.

Jess with one of her heifers from her Park Wall prefix

2010 is looking like a promising year for this rising star, Jess is in the midst of completing her Farm Secretarial course and has just taken on the roll of Treasurer for Sedgemoor Young Farmers as well as the Somerset Young Farmers County Rally.  She has lined up some show experience with Richard and Carol Rettie in the summer and to top it all she has the sponsored trip to study Angus abroad to look forward to courtesy of winning the YDP final. Jess has chosen Canada as her destination and she is hoping to get involved with the show teams at the Calgary Stampede. It will also be a great opportunity to see some of the genetics that have influenced our herd book.

Jess paid tribute to how much she has gained from the YDP saying: “my only disappointment in winning is that I won’t be able to enter again! It’s given me the confidence and knowledge to show my own cattle which I wouldn’t have known where to start before and I have met so many great friends through all of the workshops and finals. I would urge anyone to have go.”

During 2008 and 2009, some 110 Aberdeen-Angus heifers and eight bulls were exported from UK and Ireland to Portugal and the Azores Islands, lying half-way between Lisbon and USA in mid-Atlantic.

Four years ago, I met Paulo Costa from the Portuguese Farmers Federation at the European Aberdeen-Angus Forum in Germany. Over a few beers, we discussed the suitability of Aberdeen-Angus cattle for the Azores to improve the quality of local beef from dairy cross cattle and establishing a local beef “brand”.

Their beef must be grass-produced as the cost of importing cereal feed is prohibitive. His objective was to produce premium quality (and price) beef for export to the mainland, which is where most of the islands’ milk goes.

After considerable political lobbying, an importation was approved in 2008. But, in order to access “British-type” Aberdeen-Angus at the time of the FMD outbreak in Surrey, the cattle were sourced from the Irish Republic, with input from myself, Sheila Eggleston of Eggs-Port Ltd and Irish breeders.

This has been followed in 2009 with the export of 56 heifers and four bulls from England and Scotland, with Angus Stovold (Surrey), Geoff Biddulph (Cheshire), John Moores (Lancs) and Dan Whiteford (Northumberland) sending the largest numbers, along with a bull from my own Tegsnose herd.

I visited several farms in mainland Portugal and the Azores in June and was impressed to see how the cattle had adapted to very different conditions, as they have done historically in former British colonies worldwide.

Nigel Hammill (centre) with Luis Armando Machado (left) and Roland Winter, with a group of Pexhill heifers on Roland’s farm in Alentejo

We first stayed with Roland Winter in Alentejo, a hot dry arid scrub area north of Algarve. He is a Swiss Quarter horse breeder of world renown and has carved a 300 hectare ranch out of volcanic rock and scrub!

Tegsnose Kiwi Transformer in his new home on the island of Terceira

His cattle are fed a cereal based diet (fairly cheap) as grass is scarce. Temperatures regularly hit 40C in summer and the animals have shelter among Eucalyptus trees or some custom flat roof shelters. Water is pumped to troughs from man-made lakes.

Roland`s cattle calve all year round with the aim of producing consistent beef supply for specialist restaurants in Lisbon, where Aberdeen-Angus beef is growing in popularity and advertised on TV. As he increases his herd, he and a neighbour intend to further exploit the opportunity to sell branded “Angus” beef.

In contrast to Alentejo, the islands of Faial, Pico and Terceira (a two hour flight from Lisbon) were lush and green and the Aberdeen-Angus cattle were as happy as pigs in sh-t!

The main industries on Terceira are dairy farming and fishing. Cows are grazed in small drystone-walled paddocks and milked in the fields with portable machines.

Grass is available 10 months of the year, the exceptions being July/Aug when it is too dry. Beef production has been mainly continental cross Holstein with bulls kept entire and slaughtered at 12-14 months at carcase weights of 180-220kg. The meat is then butchered and sold, without hanging.

Lately, with Paulo`s encouragement, many dairy farmers have started using Aberdeen-Angus by AI and all the pedigree bull calves born to the imported heifers have already been contracted for sale – to the delight of the importers!

We stayed with the new president of the Portuguese Angus Association, Luis Armando Machado, and his wife Catarina, on Terceira. Luis bought my bull, Tegsnose Kiwi Transformer, as well as heifers from Rosemead, Borewell and The Moss.

Portuguese Aberdeen-Angus president, Luis Armando Machado, with some imported UK heifers

He recently bought 400 hectares of mountain grazing land to add to his home farm, building to a herd of 100 pedigree Aberdeen-Angus cows. As well as UK and Irish genetics, he is importing embryos from Canada and New Zealand to see which suit the climate best.

Paulo Costa has made great progress and is now breed secretary for the Portuguese Angus Association, based in Terceira. He is working with other farmers to establish a Portuguese “Angus” brand. The enthusiasm shown by the original importers is spreading rapidly around the islands, which augurs well for the future of British genetics.

The Portugeuse Aberdeen-Angus Herd Book was established in November, 2007. There are currently 15 breeders with 145 pure-bred Aberdeen-Angus cattle between them.

The cattle are distributed in Alentejo and Beira Interior on mainland Portugal and on five of the nine islands which make up the Azores – Sao Miguel, Terceira, Graciosa, Faial and Pico.

Paulo organised a party of 26 Portuguese farmers to visit the Royal Show last July to watch the judging of dairy and beef cattle – then join in the singing at the Aberdeen-Angus barbecue!

My wife and I were greatly impressed by the enthusiasm and professionalism of all the farmers we met, most of whom are quite young. The standard of food and welcome by all the local people should make the Azores a “must visit” destination for breeders from the UK and Ireland. English is spoken in most places. We will be back next year and hope some more British cattle will follow!

Schivas Billy Man champion and top price Aberdeen-Angus at Thainstone multi-breed

By the Ranui W Impact 762 son Ballathie Lord Jack C230, he is out of the Cudlobe Fortune 32H bred daughter Rosemount Beuatiful Maid E547 and stood champion earlier in the morning. He sold at 4200gns to Liam Muir, Orkney.

The five out of six bulls presented for sale averaged £2478.

We live in a fast moving information age. More information sooner means better management decisions that can translate into significant financial returns.

Cattle breeders now have the opportunity to obtain more information about an animal’s genetic potential very early in its life, especially for economically important traits like feed efficiency, marbling and tenderness.

These traits, which are critical for making breeding and management decisions, were not previously known with certainty. Now, thanks to new bovine genomic technology, cattle producers are able to make mating and management decisions within weeks of the animal’s birth – early enough to maximise their profit!

And, genomics continues to evolve at a rapid pace. Since the first genetic marker (for marbling) in beef cattle was commercially available in 2000, rapid advancements in the breadth and application of genomics are transforming the landscape of beef cattle genetics.

Pfizer Animal Genetics is leading the way with this new technology in the UK and globally. In the first quarter of 2010, Pfizer Animal Genetics will release a new genomic test that expands the breadth of cattle DNA evaluation by almost a thousand-fold – from a current 56-marker technology to predictions that utilize more than 50,000 DNA markers

50K HD coming early in 2010

The new high-density 50K (50K HD) offering is based on the Bovine SNP50 DNA-marker chip, which has been used extensively by researchers to discover markers that are correlated with the expression of numerous beneficial traits.

Now, Pfizer is able to offer this powerful research tool as a commercial product to provide a much more complete genetic profile of each animal evaluated. The test is being offered initially to Aberdeen-Angus breeders, with customisation for other breeds expected to follow.

New information offers endless possibilities to beef producers

“When I was growing up showing Aberdeen-Angus heifers in the 1970s and ‘80s, this kind of technology and the impacts it can have, were not even remotely imaginable,” explains Dr Ronnie Green, senior director of global technical services for Pfizer Animal Genetics.

“Bringing the benefits of this new technology to beef producers and the greater beef industry, is a major landmark in the history of beef cattle genetic improvement.”

According to Green, the 50K HD test will allow for the evaluation of a host of economically relevant traits — dry-matter intake, yield, average daily gain, feed efficiency and tenderness — which are not typically evaluated using EBVs.

“This new technology will enhance the precision and speed at which producers are able to make genetic progress in their herds,” he says.

Breeders like Lee Leachman, a prominent US Aberdeen-Angus breeder, realise the opportunities the new 50K predictions offer to his operation and the entire beef industry.

“Until now, the 50K technology has been just used for research. Now, using this technology in the seedstock business, will expand our selection to cover almost all of the traits that affect profitability,” Leachman says.

“As an industry, we’ve evolved from selection based on a few traits to a point where we are now interested in 15 to 20 traits (like growth, carcase, fertility and longevity) that are influenced by thousands and thousands of genes. The 50K technology will increase the accuracy of our decisions on nearly every important trait.”

Leachman sees the impact that the new technology will have on profitability.

“For us, there is tremendous value in using predictions from the 50K technology to choose with accuracy which bulls from a group of yearlings will provide the most profit,” Leachman explains.

“With current technology, we have to wait two – three years for progeny data to achieve the accuracy that the 50K technology can provide.  This will help ensure we are picking the right bulls to use as herd sires.”

The technology will also give breeders more information when purchasing potential sires for their herds. For marketing purposes when selling bulls, farmers will be able to provide buyers with more accurate information that commands a premium sale price.

For the commercial producer, data on the animal’s potential may dictate feeding and management decisions or where the cattle are sold, such as into the high-end export market, a branded beef programme or a commodity market.

The 50K HD panel has already been evaluated in more than 4500 Aberdeen-Angus animals that are representative of industry genetics. Pfizer Animal Genetics is now completing the validation of the trait predictions on additional “real-world” cattle from operations across North America and in UK high accuracy sires.

These quality control measures will ensure that the 50K HD panel delivers the most reliable and trustworthy information possible for Aberdeen-Angus breeders in the UK and Europe.

In addition to introducing new global bovine genetic technology, Pfizer is in the process of strengthening its genetics products and services in Europe, with the establishment of European and British headquarters in Paris, France and Walton Oaks, UK, respectively.

“Pfizer Animal Genetics is completely committed to the European cattle genetics industry,” says Nigel Evans, vice president, Pfizer Animal Genetics.

“We are dedicated to accelerating the delivery of new genetic tools, including the 50K HD product, and a full range of smaller marker panels, parentage and genetic condition tests.

“These technologies will enable producers to capture higher profits from higher-value carcases and help meet consumer demand for high-quality, tender and flavorful beef on the dinner table.”

In Europe, Pfizer Animal Genetics is supported by the technical expertise of its global staff and the strength of its parent company, Pfizer Animal Health. A recently announced partnership with Orchid Cellmark Ltd in Europe will enhance delivery standards for the GeneSTAR®, SireTRACE®, SureTRAK® brands and for specific genetic condition testing.

Together, Pfizer Animal Genetics and Cellmark are dedicated to providing customers with accurate, reliable and timely results. New technology and rapid, accurate results are the blueprint for your future success.

For more information please contact our Customer Service at 0845 303 7398 or PfizerAnimalGenetics-EU@pfizer.com or visit us online at www.pfizeranimalgenetics.co.uk.

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