Bi-Weekly Update – Friday 26th February 2021:

Society Announcement: The Sad Passing of Pam Brewis (Eastfield):

It is with much sadness that we have to report the passing of Mrs Pam Brewis wife of Tom Brewis who established the Eastfield herd at Lempitlaw Farm near Kelso in the Borders of Scotland. Eastfield was and still is a herd name that appears throughout the herd book with many famous and influential bulls being bought over the years and indeed bred and sold over the years. Our deepest sympathies go out to Ewan, Alison and family at this sad time and a further more detailed tribute will be issued soon.

Barrie L Turner

CEO

AGM:

We can now confirm that a date has been set for the Annual General Meeting which is as follows:

Wednesday 31^st March 2021 at 1.00pm

Due to current restrictions, this will be a virtual, on-line meeting using zoom.

You will receive information by post on how you can register to attend in due course and further details can also be found by clicking here

Galcantray Jedi Eric V287 Tops Stirling February Sale at 15,000gns:

The February sale of Aberdeen-Angus bulls and females took place on Saturday 20th February 2021, which saw Aberdeen-Angus sell to a top price of 15,000gns. The sale saw 66 bulls sell to average £6499 (+ £679 on the year), with an 86% clearance rate.

Increasing demand for Aberdeen-Angus cattle ensured a flying trade at the United Auctions, Stirling February Bull Sales, with a top price of 15,000gns with a further seven changing hands at five figures.

United Auctions held the February fixture of the world-famous bull sales under Covid-19 restrictions, buyers were to sit 2m apart in the sale ring and everyone was to wear facemasks. There was a live streamed parade prior to the sale where buyers could see the bulls being paraded, the sale also included an online bidding facility.

Sale leader at 15,000gns was Galcantray Jedi Eric V287 a May 2019 born bull all the way from the Galcantray herd, Cawdor, Nairn. He is the first son of JAC Just Eric N026 a MAC Elvis K085 (ET) sired bull bought privately from Robert McNeil’s Kincardine Castle herd, prior to the dispersal. The dam, Galcantray Jilly Erica N615 by Carhurlie Deka H684, goes back to a Findhorn cow that was also bought at a herd dispersal. Galcantray Jedi Eric V287 sold in a two-way split to Northern Ireland breeder, Jonathan Doyle, buying for this Drumhill herd and Neil and Graeme Massie, Blelack, Dinnet, Aboyne. Click here to read the full report and see photo’s from Saturday’s sale.

Upcoming Society Sales…

Southern Spring Show & Sale of Pedigree & Commercial Aberdeen-Angus Cattle:

Worcester Livestock Market, Nunnery Way, Worcester WR4 0SQ

Saturday 3rd April 2021

Multibreed Pedigree Sale at Melton Mowbray Market – Saturday 27th March 2021:

Multibreed Pedigree Sale of bulls & females

Saturday 27th March 2021

Melton Mowbray Market, Scalford Road, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE13 1JY

Dungannon Spring Sale – Tuesday 20th April 2021:

Entries close – Friday 5th March

Entry forms must be downloaded from the Dungannon Mart website, entry forms and herd health declarations can be downloaded by clicking here

Please contact Caroline or Fiona in the registrations department to let them know which animals you are putting forward to the sale ASAP this is to ensure animals have a DNA & MYOSTATIN result at time of sale.

To view our upcoming sale catalogue please click here

SALE ANIMAL PHOTOS:

If anyone has any photos of animals they have going forward to upcoming Society sales, please send them to Amy for advertising on our website and Facebook page – [email protected]

Farm Manager Required – Buckhurst Farm:

Buckhurst Farm are looking for a farm manager experienced in…

• Pedigree cattle (breeding & showing)
• AI/Embryo work
• Commercial sheep
• Day to day farm duties/maintenance
• Tractor & field work 

The farm is situated in Bury, Lancs running over 150 acres with 70 head of Pedigree Aberdeen-Angus Cattle (30 Calvers) and winter store lambs. 

Applicants can apply by emailing CV’s to [email protected] or calling 07816 173689/07710 577866. 

YDP Workshop Postponed – England & Wales North (SHADWELL):

The decision has been made to postpone the Shadwell workshop from Saturday 10^th April 2021 to Saturday 24^th July 2021.

Please let Jess Musk know if you would like to attend this workshop by email –  [email protected]

YDP Instagram Takeover: 

We are looking for each of our YDP participants to take over the YDP Instagram page @aberdeenangusydp.

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.

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]

Amy Johnstone, Shows & Sales, Stock For Sale, Stock Wanted, Website & Social Media (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:

• This week has seen the English government release a roadmap out of Covid-19 with dates as firm as can be and of course subject to change.
• The office comes under the devolved Government in Scotland which also released a roadmap with a much longer framework and a commitment to return to a tier system
• This leaves the office still essentially unmanned and the staff working remotely as per the guidelines and continued health and wellbeing of the staff.
• This is not a choice and as I keep announcing it presents challenges with everything just taking that bit longer to achieve.
• Please be patient, we are inundated with calls that detract us from doing the jobs and completing tasks and I assure you it is as frustrating for the staff as it is for the membership.
• We will be working remotely at least until May 2021 before we may be able to go back to stepping up attendance in the office.
• The annual accounts have now been completed and will be in the post to you, this is in preparation for the AGM which the Agenda is included but the timings for our “Virtual AGM” this year will follow. Good job done Angela Cumming!
• This is taking a great deal of pulling together to make sure that it all complies with all the rules and articles and at the end of the day is valid as an AGM in the eyes of the authorities.
• Thanks to Laura Stewart and Bob Allen our IT consultant for guiding us down the best path to make this happen in the most trying of circumstances.
• The Zoom boom continues with further hours spent talking to my laptop, it okay and constructive but all too easy to say let’s call a zoom meeting!
• We have held a couple of subcommittees Zoom meetings to work through our approach to the AI companies and how we can work together to preserve the breed and the brand and protect the best interests of our membership.
• Ireland and the solution to Brexit marches on towards completion well done to Kathryn Bradshaw, Eustace Burke and John McEnroe for their input to date.
• We need to close off the accounts with the UK so could all members in the republic of Ireland with any monies outstanding to the Society in Scotland please settle their accounts without any delay.
• Statements are on the way and please if you could deal with them promptly that would help us greatly.
• All being well we should be able to get registrations started for 2021 by the end of this month then open the gates to the EU members.
• Had notification that my truck was due to be taxed, I cannot believe I have had it for a year but running well and good for a man with a bad hip!
• Our long-time friend and adviser at ABRI who was always on the end of the phone retires, Murray Scholtz a really great man who looked after the software is leaving his keyboard, we wish him well.
• Bull sales were at the weekend and another example of working around COVID-19 making life a little challenging, bulls were in demand and a good average attained and good clearance.
• I believe the parade being videoed helped along with online bidding which did crop up that bulls were sold online.
• Thanks to Will Chrystal for stepping in for me, Barbara Helena, and Amy for their contribution to making it all work and Caroline for chasing constantly to get all the DNA verification through in time.
• A very pleasurable zoom call with the Highland Club AGM held virtually, good to see everyone in such good form and the first time I have been in their company with just a cup of tea in hand with no brown milk!
• Happy to try and help clubs get together virtually we can supply the zoom meeting room to get the business done and have a catch up.
• The first advert space is booked for the 2022 REVIEW, don’t hold back until you are asked normal payment terms apply just book early if you can.
• Work continues with the tagging and DNA process refinements and investigations with the aim of making it better and better. Zoom calls with all concerned parties taking steps forward but slow progress.
• Our investigative work that we have started on Genomics enlisting some specialist help has now started and we will keep you updated on progress as and when we have it. Just a big piece of work to initiate it to get to
• Entries for Worcester sale and Melton Mowbray sale are mostly in with a selection of cattle available at both venues. Thanks to Chris Wilkinson for attending Melton Mowbray and Angus Stovold for offering to attend Worcester on behalf of the Society.
• Good job being done by Amy in making sure social media and advertising is all agreed for each sale.
• We are in the process of sending out hair sample bags for some 500+ bulls that we only have Microsatellite profiles for. It is important that if you receive one you send us it back. We will not be able to test samples on Microsatellite at the end of the year so we will not be able to sire verify and according to the rules cannot register calves unless we have a SNP profile.
• We are having a battle with the regulations on tagging with Northern Ireland which is making a very simple matter very complex we feel that retagging animals is the incorrect solution.
• Having now got the REVIEW behind us focus has started with Pinstone on our plans for 2021 and marketing the breed and the brand. Many of the publicised initiatives are pointing the beef industry to our breed and we need to ram that home while the iron is hot.
• We have some really good thinking developing taking in meat eating quality, the suitability of the breed for the latest initiatives on agricultural support as well as the usual adverts for sales.
• Interesting to see what the later season shows decide to do take a chance on being able to hold a show or play it safe and cancel. Not many breeders have show teams started yet I am hearing so it may well be hampered by just having half a season.
• On a personal note, I thank all the breeders and stakeholders who have enquired about my recovery on the hip replacement. All was going well, and I was on a real high until I came off the Tramadol it hit me like a stone and floored me for a couple of days not just on full cylinders yet but hopefully getting there!
• That just leaves me to wish you all well, keep safe and out of harm’s way, the calving season starts again enforcing the membership to self-isolate anyway, but it will soon be a full year.

News & Notices from Office Manager, Laura Stewart:

 The Society’s Annual Report for year ending 31^st October 2020 should be dropping through your letter box soon.  I can now confirm that a date has been set for the Annual General Meeting which is as follows:

Wednesday 31^st March 2021 at 1.00pm

Due to current restrictions, this will be a virtual, on-line meeting using zoom.

You will receive information by post on how you can register to attend in due course and further details can also be found on our website by clicking here

News & Notices from the Accounts Department:

MONTH END

• Statements are going out in the post today.  If you do have any outstanding invoices, prompt payment would be very much appreciated.

2021 ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP

• A kindly reminder that membership for 2021 is due to be paid, if not already done so.

You can pay by either cheque, internet banking or credit card.  Please don’t forget to quote your membership number when making payments.

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 document below…

INVOICES BY EMAIL

News & Notices from the Registrations Department:

We are in the process of checking the DNA status of stock bulls. We are sending out hair kits to any breeder whose active stock bull/bulls has not been tested on the 50K SNPS platform. Please return the hair sample to us as soon as you can. Some of the older bulls have only been tested on Microsatellite – this testing is being phased out at the end of 2021.

Other bulls have only been tested on the 200 ISAG panel – we will test them again on the bigger test.

We are hoping that the DNA testing process will run more smoothly once these bulls have the proper 50K profiles.

Again we must ask you to check when you flush a female that she has also been DNA tested – we are still coming across donor dams who have not been DNA tested.  Any imported embryos must also have the correct DNA from the appropriate society when they are imported.

Please contact the office if you have any doubts about these donor dams.

News & Notices from the Ireland Office:

Munster Club High Health Status Sale:

The annual High Health Status sale of pedigree Aberdeen-Angus bulls, which is run by the Munster Aberdeen-Angus Club, will take place at Bandon Mart, Bandon, Co Cork on Thursday, April 8^th. All bulls must be vaccinated for BVD, IBR and Lepto and all bulls must be halter-trained. Entries close on March 8^th and for entry forms, please click here.

 Registrations:

Please ensure all registrations (especially outstanding registrations from 2020) are submitted to the office as soon as possible. Postal address for registrations is: Irish Aberdeen-Angus Association, Main Street, Mohill, Co Leitrim. Thank you.

 Job Vacancy:

Applications for the position of general manager of the Irish Aberdeen-Angus Association must be received by February 28^th. For full details on how to apply and for more information on what the role entails, please click here

From us all at the Society we hope you have a great weekend and stay safe!