The last week or two have featured a lot of international focus in the news around the world, from the excitement around the kick-off of the 2018 World Cup in Russia to the historic meetings between the USA and North Korea. Society representatives have also been clocking up the miles both locally and internationally, through events such as the Royal Cornwall Show and the European Angus Forum which took place this week over in Estonia. The Forum started in Tallinn on Sunday 10th June and finishes back in Tallinn tomorrow with a tour of the city. Here is your bi-weekly round-up of all the news from in and around the Society.
Society Newsletter:
Over the past few weeks, we have been pulling together content to compile a Society Newsletter. The document is made up of a range of interesting articles, case studies and information pieces. Make sure you keep a look out in your post boxes and email inboxes for what we hope you will find a useful and enjoyable read.
European Angus Forum – Estonia 2018:
The Estonian Aberdeen-Angus Association has played host to a number of Aberdeen-Angus breeders and enthusiasts from all over the world this week as they hosted the 2018 European Angus Forum. Angela McGregor and Barrie Turner were in attendance over in Estonia with a UK delegation of members including Geordie and Julia Soutar, Andrew and Patricia Simpson and William and Karen McLaren. We will be bringing you a detailed account of the week early next week, for what was a great event in another example of a country where the Aberdeen-Angus breed is prospering and growing.
CEO visit to Mosshall Red Angus:
Barrie Turner had the pleasure of taking in some fresh West Lothian Air on an afternoon visit to see what is probably the largest Red Angus Herd in the UK. Giving his account of the day, Barrie said:
”I received a warm welcome by George and Nikki Taylor at Mosshall farm and was treated to a drive around the cattle. Situated down in Blac on a heavy wet soil, it has been a hard and long winter at Mosshall where cattle were turned out later than normal this year, as was the case for everywhere in Scotland this year. The Red Angus herd was a wonderful sight and they all looked as if they had wintered very well, and the calves at foot were full, happy and content. As a ‘convertee’ from dairy farming to suckler cows, George explained that the labour factor and time consuming dairy enterprise was becoming an issue with a young family, so alternatives were sought.’’
The Taylors’ caravan park enterprise is very busy all the year round and is easily run with regular users being on site for long periods. To try and be a bit different, they decided on Angus but went for the Red Angus to make themselves a little more niche. Hence, a while ago and after reflection, the CEO had to retract and adjust a statement made about wanting to ‘cover the county in Black Magic’, momentarily forgetting about the red! This was exonerated by the packaging which is black with the red ribbon round it.
Great research has gone into the breeding of the Reds at Mosshall and Denmark has been the source of a great deal of the source of the seed stock of the herd. It has been expanded and now runs at around 100 cows, 80 red and 20 black pedigree Aberdeen-Angus.
They also have around 40 commercial sucklers that run alongside the Pedigree herd and are crossed with the Red Bulls as a demonstration to their customers of exactly what using the Red Angus produces in the commercial environment. All the bulls are sold from the farm with a regular customer base coming back and back again. Nikki and George are big believers in the idea that the animal has to look right and if it looks right, it probably will be! They do however use Breedplan as a tool in the box, to both market and buy stock for the farm. They are also a high health status herd and mainly utilise AI and ET to broaden the genetic base.
Barrie would like to thank Nikki and George for a really enjoyable afternoon and evening, and a bite to eat to round off the visit to Mosshall which was a long overdue opportunity for the CEO.
Royal Cornwall Show:
We were in attendance at the Royal Cornwall Show last week where visitors were out in their numbers, old and new, to celebrate the Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society’s patron HRH Prince Charles’ attendance at the Show. Cornwall gave us the first opportunity to make use of our new branding and designs which we hope you all like as much as the breeders in the South West did. We were delighted to take third place in the trade stands competition for livestock and societies! You can get a glimpse below:
The Champion on the day for Aberdeen-Angus was Balgay Elfhelm R368 of Mr C J & Mrs JLM Hutchings & Sons, and you can view a full report from the event including some photography at: http://aberdeen-angus.co.uk/news/show-news/royal-cornwall-show-2018/
Society Open Day at Longford Farms:
On 4th July, the Society is holding an Open Day at Longford Farms in South Wiltshire, which will give visitors a chance to come and see the versatility, commercial nature and practicality of our breed in full practice. For the past 14 years, the beef cattle at Longford Farms have been managed by Robert Huxley. You can hear from Robert about the operation along with full information about what can be expected at the Open Day at: http://aberdeen-angus.co.uk/news/society-open-day-come-see-aberdeen-angus-at-work-at-longford-farms/
We’d encourage members to come along to what will be an enjoyable, informative and worthwhile day (we’ll even feed you!). Get in touch with the Society directly for any information and to register your interest for catering purposes.
Aberdeen-Angus Portugal joins Breedplan:
We brought you a news piece about how our friends across the water in Portugal have made the move to use the services of Breedplan, via their April Analysis publication which will be their first official genetic evaluation publication to use Breedplan. It’s great to see associations overseas continuing to drive their activity in a front-facing direction, taking the steps necessary to further strengthen the presence and work of the Aberdeen-Angus breed around the world. You can read more about this particular piece of news on our website at: http://aberdeen-angus.co.uk/news/aberdeen-angus-portugal-joins-breedplan/
2018 Royal Highland Show:
The Royal Highland Show which starts on Thursday 21st June. Aberdeen-Angus will be in the ring from 2pm as part of what is set to be a very competitive Show of magnificent cattle. This time last year the breed championship went to the day’s female champion Carlhurlie Darcie S134 of Mr and Mrs A Cormack (pictured below). We look forward to welcoming many of you into the Aberdeen-Angus stand and having a chat on what is set to be another wonderful weekend!
GDPR:
As mentioned in the last update, we are still in the process of collating and managing all data received based on the members forms which we received back. We’d like to put out a final call for anybody who hasn’t yet returned a form to please do so in the next week, as any later will be too late for your details to remain on the Society’s database, as the legislation dictates. A big thank you again for your co-operation, you can access the form on the website at: https://www.aberdeen-angus.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/attachments/A-ACS-GDPR-form2018.pdf
Merchandise:
In the next couple of weeks, we’re going to be running a selection of special offers on the merchandise we have available here at the Society. Keep a look out for announcements on our website and Facebook page for some great offers available! We will also have merchandise on sale at the RHS, so make sure to check it out and pick yourself up a treat.
Upcoming events:
Royal Three Counties Show
- 15th – 17th June 2018
Royal Highland Show
- 21st – 24th June 2018
YDP workshops
- 30th June 2018 (10am): Liley Farm, Liley Lane, Millhouse Green, Penistone, Nr Sheffield. S36 9NG. By kind permission of Ben Marsden
- 1st July 2018 (10am): North Alfordon Farm, Okehampton, Devon EX20 1RX. By kind permission of Dudley & Stuart Luxton.
Open Day
- 4th July 2018 Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society Open day at Longford Farms, Salisbury, further details to follow
Stock for sale:
We’re continuing to add more stock for sale adverts to the website which you can view at: http://aberdeen-angus.co.uk/news/stock-for-sale/. If you have any stock for sale you’d like to promote, just get in touch with us at [email protected].
Remember, if you have anything you’d like the Society to share or inform other members of through these updates, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us and we are happy to accommodate all useful and newsworthy information. Have a wonderful weekend!