Bi-Weekly Update – Friday 18th September 2020:
Aberdeen-Angus REVIEW 2021 – Booking Now Open!
Book your advertising space in the Aberdeen-Angus January 2021 REVIEW
Emails have been sent out today to the membership, clubs, trade advertisers and overseas societies – please check your junk boxes.
Online booking and downloadable forms are available now, please see below for links and DEADLINES!
You can now book your advertising space in the upcoming January 2021 edition of the Aberdeen-Angus REVIEW. As always, advertising space is available on a first come, first served basis. Deadline for booking adverts is 31st October 2020. Deadline for supplying your artwork is 20th November 2020
You can access the online booking forms by clicking here
If you’d prefer to print out and post/email the booking form, you can access it by clicking on the documents below –
Forms should be sent to Natalie Cormack using the details provided on the form.
Please submit your bookings as soon as you can to make the process run as smooth as possible.
Many thanks in advance!
Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society Face Masks
Wearing a face mask has become the new normal, so why not promote the breed and the brand and get yourself an Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society face mask?
We have two different designs to choose from – to find out more and place your order then please click here
We can’t wait to see your Aberdeen-Angus face mask selfies!
Upcoming Society Sales
Friday 2nd October – Carlisle Autumn Sale (TBC).
Tuesday 13th October – Dungannon – Northern Ireland Autumn Sale of Pedigree Aberdeen-Angus.
Saturday 17th October – United Auctions Stirling Bull Sales, make sure you head along for your chance to benefit from all the Aberdeen-Angus sire has to offer.
There are 87 bulls for sale along with 6 females with calves at foot or in calf, along with two reductions sales from Eastfield and Weeton.
Click here to see the online catalogues.
Click here to see United Auction Stirling Bull Sales programme of events.
United Auctions Stirling September Female Sale Report
Our CEO, Barrie Turner went to the United Auctions, Stirling centre on Saturday to the September sale of pedigree females, it was a very different place to the normal sale days with strict protocols in place to keep people distanced at two meters. A quiet sale ring with approved registered buyers only in attendance saw through the nine lots in quite a surreal environment but at least it was a return to the live sale ring for pedigree cattle.
Two consignees had lots entered, four females from the Threeburnford herd of Aberdeen-Angus from Angus and Patricia Glennie due to calve in November/December and five cow and calf units from the Scotsmill Aberdeen-Angus herd from Willie Lawson.
Threeburnford Bella R616, a five year old cow by Skaill Elvis N856 went to a top price of 1320 guineas.
Two cow and calf units went to a joint top price for Scotsmill Maggie Princess P415 and Scotsmill Pink Peony R564 of 2400 guineas both six year old cows both sired by Belhaven Rhetorical H065 (ET) with strong bull calves at foot.
Vendors and buyers should be prepared for a very different bull sale in October but as above stated we are back in the sale ring with live sales. The UA staff are policing the social distancing measures very strongly as if they are compromised this could lead to the marts having to have further sanctions to their activities which will affect the functionality of the whole agricultural economy.
Black Beauty Bonanza
It is with a heavy heart that the committee alongside the support from ANM Thainstone have decided that the 2020 Black Beauty Bonanza will not go ahead this year. Due to restrictions and the safety surrounding COVID-19, we have decided that it is in the interests of our exhibitors, spectators and sponsors to postpone the show until 2021. Showing has been banned by the Government with no light at the end of the tunnel at this stage.
We hope you will all support our event next year, making it one to remember. New exhibitors are always welcome!!
Stay safe,
Claire Johnstone
Club Secretary
Position Available for an Experienced Stockman – Wedderlie Aberdeen-Angus
We have a position available for an experienced stockman for our 200 cow commercially run pedigree herd. We would welcome someone who pays attention to detail, is quiet with cattle and able to work in a small team.
Experience with associated tractor work is essential and a knowledge of TMR feeders is preferable.
Comfortable CH cottage available.
Apply with CV and references to John, Marion or Wanda Tilson, Wedderlie, Gordon, Berwickshire TD3 6NW
Ph. 01578740246 or email [email protected]
To all YDP Participants
We are looking for each of our YDP participants to take over the YDP Instagram page @aberdeenangusydp for a week over the summer and into the autumn months.
If you have an interesting week planned on the farm, or an exciting trip planned, or just your varied life on the farm then please contact us to book your week.
Our members are looking forward to varied, fun and fresh, posts, videos and photos from you.
Email: [email protected] to book your week.
The Aberdeen-Angus YDP are also having a virtual stock judging on their Facebook page, to get involved and find out more please click here.
Stock for sale & stock wanted
If you would like to advertise stock for sale & stock wanted on our website then please send all the relevant information, contact information along with pictures/videos to Amy: [email protected]
Potential buyers can contact members directly.
(Stock for sale is for Aberdeen-Angus members to advertise only. We only publish adverts for pedigree Aberdeen-Angus stock).
Staff Update
The staff are all still working from home and continue as a team to deliver to the best of their ability to the membership. Due to the volume of emails that are being received at present please bear with us and we will reply as soon as we possibly can.
In order to work more efficiently in relation to the large volume of emails that are received, please be aware that the [email protected] email address is being wound down and is no longer monitored regularly. Should you email this address you will receive a standard reply to this effect asking you to email the correct person from the contact us page on the website, so that your enquiry can be dealt with as quickly as possible by the person responsible for the particular task. To make this process more streamlined, we are currently working to update the contact us page with a brief description of the main duties that each member of staff deal with to help you select the most appropriate person to contact.
By contacting the correct person by email in the first instance we hope that you will receive a quicker response to your enquiry and urge you to do this going forward so please embrace this change and let’s make it work and the whole business work smarter going forward.
To be able to contact the staff, please see email addresses below. By emailing us this is our most favoured method of communication
Barrie Turner, CEO (01738 448345) – [email protected]
Laura Stewart, Office Manager (01738 448343) – [email protected]
Angela Cumming, Accounts (01738 448344) – [email protected]
Caroline Ford, Registrations, Sales (01738 448341) – [email protected]
Fiona Flood, Registrations, New member enquiries (01738 448342) – [email protected]
Yvonne Buchanan, Registrations, Merchandise (01738 448340) – [email protected]
Amy Johnstone, Pedigree Cattle Services, Stock For Sale, Stock Wanted, Website & Social Media Updates (01738 448348) – [email protected]
Barbara Webster, Pedigree Cattle Services (01738 448346) – [email protected]
Helena Stewart, Aberdeen-Angus Accounts & Pedigree Cattle Services (01738 448347) – [email protected]
News & Notices from CEO, Barrie Turner:
- Covid-19 is still driving us down new avenues to ensure staff safety with the pulling back of restriction lifting with the default still being non-essential offices closed and a home working default if possible. (Scotland).
- I keep being challenged by members on this we have to take all necessary precautions to protect our staff from harm. Failure to do so could have severe consequences for the Society.
- We have however stepped back our staff attendance in the office again to just one member of the team downstairs everyday instead of two with me generally being in “isolation” in my office upstairs.
- We would dearly like to be back to normal as it would help us keep up better as we still have a backlog of registrations both here and in the Republic of Ireland but we have gained some ground on the position of the last report.
- I asked the staff to keep a track of phone calls for a two-week period. This has highlighted some communications that we need to do to reduce the need for members to call the Society.
- Work to be done on this to see how we improve some aspects of the information availability to deal with particular parts of the registration process and take out calling the office as the first default!
- We have upcoming live sales; these will be very different for those who are allowed to attend as was experienced at the recent multi breed female sale at UA Stirling that I attended.
- This means a return to the normal administration tasks on the run up to sales with Sire verification and health status checks being sought from members.
- Owing to the remote working and the way our phone system works its not always apparent who has called from the office. I have asked the girls always to leave a message if a call is unanswered.
- We are continuing to develop a scheme with a major processor and retailer to implement Breedplan data into their Aberdeen-Angus offering this will be being communicated over the next week or two.
- The work with Pinstone our Marketing people continues with the results of a consumer survey about Aberdeen-Angus, The Cud, the REVIEW and our general advertising and communications continuing to develop.
- We continue the process of cementing our long relationship with breeders in the Republic of Ireland post Brexit.
- News through this week that the Black Beauty Bonanza held every year at Thainstone has been cancelled for 2020 as one of the last events of the year that puts a close to all shows for 2020.
- The South West AA club were hoping to hold/attend a couple of events but advice in conjunction with the Society has been not to attend any events for this year and risk the club or the Society being implicated in any outbreaks of COVID-19.
- The final completion of the reinstatement of the royal show pavilion land has come through and there is no trace of the many memories that I am sure the building evokes left at Stoneleigh now.
- We continue to fine tune our restructured DNA and registrations software and we are nearly there but keep coming up against small problems that we need to overcome, and these seem to just keep coming.
- Hats off and a big thank you from me to all our users in the office for making it all work and persisting with the change over to make it so. Long term we will be more efficient, pain before gain is where we are now.
- We have also just started in earnest evaluating a new platform that will enable an updated user interface which will offer more facilities to the membership in using ILR2 registering cattle and handling the Society Business.
- We just need to get the DNA platform finalised before we do if we do implement the change, but the general feeling is that its long overdue!
- I try to keep my eye on the marketplace and I found this new launch this week not sure on the naming of the product but all due diligence in labelling I am assured has been followed!
- This is a summary of some of the activities undertaken but is by no means a complete picture there are many things that are dealt with on a day to day basis that are not reported here.
- Female sale fixture is confirmed again at CCM Skipton with a round 30 lots as a draft from David Isherwood’s Airedale Aberdeen-Angus herd forming the backbone and more lots are invited.
- There are many plates spinning now with the Society and my clear objective over the next two weeks is to ensure I reduce that number and bring several matters to a close just to clear the decks a bit.
- As the autumn housing season approaches (I mean people not cattle!) as temperatures drop it is expected the Covid virus may again start to rear its head. I hope that you and your families can stay clear of issues and above all remain in full health.
News & Notices from the Office Manager, Laura Stewart:
- We have reduced staff attendance in the office, limiting the rota to one member of staff in the office per day due to local positive Covid outbreaks in the area. We will continue to monitor the situation and when not on rota to be in Pedigree House, the staff continue to work remotely from the office.
- Printing has been a big issue that some staff face when working remotely as well as the IT system that we employ to make that happen. Some of the staff have had their remote workstations upgraded to avoid the IT outages that we have faced and printers have been purchased and installed for those that require use of them at home.
- The Cud is under construction which will include a report on Council proceedings as an update for you and will only be available online on the website.
News & Notices from the Accounts Department:
- Statements were posted out at the start of September. If you have any outstanding invoices, prompt payment would be very much appreciated as our financial year end is on the 30th October 2020. You can pay by cheque, internet banking or credit card.
INTERNET PAYMENTS
When making payment through the internet banking, please ensure that you quote your MEMBERSHIP NUMBER and SURNAME as a refence. This ensures that your payment is allocated to the correct account.
RECEIVING SOCIETY INVOICES BY EMAIL
In order to try and save on postage costs we would like to send our invoices by email. If you have not already done so, can you please provide us with your details? Please click on the link below –
News & Notices from the Registrations Department:
- IMPORTANT NOTICE:Please ensure your DNA sample tubes are sent in a suitable padded envelope. We have noticed quite a few instances of samples being sent in paper envelopes which are tearing whilst on-route. These samples are simply ‘Lost in Transit’.
- Please continue to send any DNA samples to the office as quickly as you can after they are taken. The lab are clear that they get the best results from samples that are returned quickly.
- We are working our way through the backlog of registrations, again as we are processing these registrations we are still coming across stock bulls that have not been DNA tested before they have been used. Please check that your stock bull has all the correct Sire Verified, DNA and MYOSTATIN in place before you use them. You can check on the online database if you have any doubts about your bull.
- We are DNA testing all male calves when they are registered and also this year we are testing females when they enter the herd and have their first registered calf. You will get an email telling you when the tests have been requested.
News & Notices from Pedigree Cattle Services:
- With bull sale season just around the corner please remember to check the size of your bulls scrotum. Click here to see a short video from Breedplan on recording scrotal circumference measurements.
From us all at the Society have a great weekend and stay safe!
