National Beef Association Magazine - Autumn 2022

Julie

National Beef

Concorde

Leamington

DEPUTY

Neil Shand

ceo@nationalbeefassociation.com

CHAIRMAN

Andrew Laughton

Julie Holmes

that no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior consent of the publishers. Every care is taken when compiling editorial and advertisements and the publishers can accept no responsibility for errors or omissions arising from publication. Views expressed and information contained in

National Beef Association Magazine are not necessarily those of the Editor or of the National Beef Association who cannot therefore be held responsible for any reason arising therefrom. Neither the Association, the Publisher nor the Editors endorses any services or products advertised in this Magazine.

Contents

Welcome to the Autumn edition of Beef magazine

Andrew Laughton

It is with great sadness that we learn of the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. She has been a great constant for most of us, knowing nothing else but her being there.

Her wisdom, stoicism, integrity and discretion among her many qualities will be missed. Her love of the countryside also resonated with us all too.

Our condolences go out to the Royal family along with best wishes to King Charles III.

The days are beginning to shorten and with it comes a nip to the mornings. We have finished baling after one of the earliest and driest seasons I can remember. Seemingly the driest July since 1935……hot or wet summers and cold or mild winters have been the norm in our climate for centuries!

The pandemic showed us how pollution dropped off without the travel be it by car or plane – a pal who lives close to Glasgow reported how clear he could see the detail of the city not seen before nor since “normality” returned.

That said it certainly seems to me that there are more ‘extreme weather events’ in more recent years – I’m thinking not only of this summer but of Autumn 19 when only 20% of the winter wheat was able to be planted

in our area. This is as well as more of those huge wet days or the high temperatures and we seem to get more of and the all dry, all wet cycle – certainly an anxious thought as we baled with acres and acres on the floor as every combine in the district flew along in perfect conditions. The background thought and echoed by many of “when it starts…..” Maybe I’m just getting old!

We cannot deny the burning of all that fossil fuel must be the biggest part of the problem but we also have a raft of people pointing the finger at ruminants - as part of a larger agenda as well, I am sure.

The holistic nature of the whole farming cycle has to be taken into account, which our detractors fail to recognise.

There is also a host of confusions such as different carbon calculators as well as the other rarely mentioned positive consequences of livestock in the agricultural cycle such as fym replacing man made fertilisers with their own factory impacts.

My thought is that notwithstanding the above, we as farmers need to be able to not only refute it with evidence, but also be able to show our customers, the public, that we are actively pursuing ways of reducing our footprint whilst still keeping shelves full.

I was amazed that a tree only sequestrates 6kg of carbon (generalised figure) and of course we can’t eat them. Being more efficient by reducing say the number empty cows as well as better health, which will help growth rates for example, will be better than trees, more profitable and we can enjoy a steak to boot!

Kind regards Andrew

Us farmers all know that livestock are really part of the solution and not the problem.

Neil Shand

Chief Executive

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Very few people will leave this world having owned the period in which they lived in the way our Queen has done. Elizabeth II reigned with dignity, humility and a hidden sense of determination that drew admiration on a global scale. It is with great pride and admiration that our nation celebrates her life and achievements.

She was a mother, grandmother and great grandmother, to her own family and to all her countrymen and women, a figure who represented stability, constancy and tradition. She was a lover of the countryside, and a farmer in her own right, and her loss will be deeply felt by our community.

As we consider our individual memories of her exceptional service and dedication, our thoughts are with King Charles III and her immediate family at this difficult time.

Political Merry Go Round

The political merry-go-round has now concluded, and a fairly dramatic game of musical chairs has ceased with a new team in DEFRA once again.

We have a new Secretary of State in Ranil Jayawardena, and a new farming minister in Mark Spencer. I welcome the changes; although I always found Victoria Prentis approachable, considered and aware of the challenges we faced, she always appeared limited by Mr Eustice on what could be implemented or even discussed. However, I think the biggest change in the past two days has been the change of rhetoric and language coming from the top at DEFRA, and also from the new Prime Minister.

In his first two public statements, Ranil Jayawardena has emphasised the need for food production, food security and the correct use of farm land. The environment is also mentioned, but there is a pointed difference on the emphasis and its priority. I’m certainly not saying we should forget about the environment, but a complete reset on the way we achieve net zero along with food production was necessary and overdue. We have seen years of stewardship schemes

aimed at improving the wildlife population in our majestic countryside, but we have failed to deal with the biggest predator of ground nesting birds - the badger - who will consume any eggs in their farmingfree camouflaged spaces as their hungry population grows uncontrollably. We will take full advantage of the changes within Government to continue to lobby for the correct support for efficient food production and lowering environmental impact of the same.

The early days of Autumn have been wet, everyone of them so far- but there is a great amount of heat still in the ground along with a fair amount of fertiliser that may remain due to the lack of moisture over the summer. An extended grazing season may be a possibility, and would be most welcome - the saving on winter costs would be measurable.

At the time of writing, the farm-gate price is heading upwards again as cattle numbers are tight. The new PM has just announced a cap on energy bills, which may have a massive impact on inflation and the household ability to spend.

New EBVs to improve maternal efficiency and productivity

With farmers facing ongoing uncertainties including changes to basic payments and increased pressure to reduce carbon emissions, many suckler farmers are investigating ways to improve the efficiency of their cattle enterprises. Could AHDB’s new maternal breed evaluations be the answer? Dr Alex Brown, AHDB’s Senior Beef Breeding & Genetics Manager, explains more.

In the past, much of the interest in improving efficiencies has been focused on terminal traits including growth rate and carcase quality. However, with 70% of the cost from suckler beef production, plus emission levels both originating from the suckler cow, farmers are starting to turn their attention to maternal efficiency.

For the past year, AHDB have been working to promote the production of heifers that are efficient, profitable, and fit for the future,

under the Maternal Matters campaign. Alongside appropriate management and nutrition, choosing the right genetics for breeding heifer replacements is a key long-term investment, as the benefits are cumulative and permanent.

In 2018, AHDB launched their National Beef Evaluations providing estimated breeding values (EBVs) for five commercial carcase traits in beef cattle, using national data from processors, breed societies

and the British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS). Thanks to further research and analysis in conjunction with Scotland’s Rural College, it has been possible to leverage further value from routinely recorded BCMS data, and release three new maternal EBVs through the National Beef Evaluation database. These are:

1. Age at first calving

2. Productive lifespan

3. Calf survival

Understanding the new maternal trait EBVs

This set of EBVs is derived directly from commercial data and should therefore be of high interest to commercial producers as well as the pedigree sector. So, as well as being useful when making your own breeding decisions, these EBVs could also be used as a marketing tool when selling stock bulls. These new EBVs provide an opportunity to have a cumulative and permanent impact on suckler herd performance by improving your herd genetics, and they link tightly to key maternal performance indicators (KPIs).

Age at first calving

Definition: An EBV predicting the age at which a heifer has her first calf. Selecting for this EBV will produce animals more likely to hold service at a younger age.

Calculated from: Birth and calving dates from BCMS

Unit of measurement: Days

Interpretation: Wedderlie Ebsolvent has an age at first calving EBV of 24.25 days. On average, he will produce progeny who calve 12 days earlier than progeny from a bull with an age at first calving EBV of 0.

KPI: Age at first calving.

Productive lifespan

Definition: An EBV predicting how long females will stay in the breeding herd. Calculated from: Birth, calving and death dates from BCMS

Unit of measurement: Parities (number of calvings)

Interpretation: Wedderlie Ebsolvent has a productive lifespan EBV of 0.55. Based on a herd of 100 cows, a herd sired by Wedderlie Ebsolvent will have an average of 25 more calvings between them before being replaced, than a herd sired by a bull with a productive lifespan EBV of 0.

KPI: Herd replacement rate

Calf survival

Definition: An EBV predicting the likelihood of tagged calves surviving to 10 months of age.

Calculated from: Birth and death dates from BCMS

Unit of measurement: %

Interpretation: Wedderlie Ebsolvent has a calf survival EBV of 6%. On average, he will produce progeny who are 3% more likely to survive to 10 months of age than progeny from a bull with a calf survival EBV of 0.

KPI: Calves weaned, as a % of females put to the bull.

Remember: The EBV relates to the bull’s genetic merit. He contributes 50% of his genetics to his progeny, therefore the average progeny performance is 50% of the EBV value.

What this means for your business

We see high variation for these three traits in all breeds, and as usual the variation within breeds is higher than the variation we see across breeds. The heritability of these new maternal EBVs ranges from 4% (calf survival), to 11% (age at first calving). Although the genetic influence on these traits is fairly low, there is still good progress to be made using genetic improvement because these traits have such a high economic value.

Developments have also been made to the National Beef Evaluation website, including details of trait definitions, release dates, and both across and within-breed benchmarking tables, as well as a handy reference page listing the pedigree evaluation service providers for each beef breed. Further improvements in the pipeline include a comprehensive FAQ page and an EBV search function.

Driving the data forward through sire recording

The production of these EBVs relies on sire details being recorded on passports to be able to identify genetic links between bulls and recorded progeny. In the latest genetic evaluation (August 2022), there were over 3 million records that could not be used in the National Beef Evaluation analysis because the sire was not recorded in BCMS, so genetic links could not be made. We are urging farmers to make sure they record known sires when registering animals with BCMS as this is the best way to improve the range and accuracy of these EBVs. As well as recording all known sires for your own herd, please encourage buyers of stock bulls to do the same. Increasing the level of sire recording will allow us to identify genetic links between cattle and improve the accuracy of the results.

However, we recommend looking at our EBVs alongside the relevant pedigree breed evaluation, as the two sets of information are complementary to each other.

How to access the data

The new EBVs are hosted alongside EBVs for carcase traits on the AHDB National Beef Evaluations website at www.ahdbbeef. egenes.co.uk, and you can search by pedigree name or ear tag number. You can also access them directly from the animal record page on Breedplan or Signet, depending on your breed of interest.

For more information on national breed evaluations and beef breeding genetics please visit ahdb.org.uk/national-beef-evaluations

AHDB Beef & Lamb have produced a Suckler Breeding Plan to help farmers record sires used on groups of animals if you don’t have computer software. This can be found at ahdb.org.uk/knowledge-library/ suckler-breeding-plan-for-better-returns Interested in improving the efficiency of your breeding herd? Find out more about AHDB’s Maternal Matters campaign at ahdb.org.uk/maternal-matters

All the EBVs available on the National Beef Evaluations database are available to compare across breeds, which is not possible via breed society evaluations.

WINTER FEEDING CONSIDERATIONS FOR IN-CALF BEEF HEIFERS

Getting winter feeding right for in-calf beef heifers is crucial to future herd performance and profitability. Over winter, feeding can be a challenge depending on facilities and feed availability, but it is an area that should not be ignored as both fertility and calf health depend on getting it right. In support of AHDB’s Maternal Matters campaign, Debby Brown, Veterinary Technical Manager at Dugdale Nutrition, explains more.

In-calf heifers have many demands as they continue to grow, approximately 0.5kg/ day, as well as develop the calf, prepare for lactation and be ready to get back in calf for the following year. When feeding these animals, we need to meet their requirements over the winter with the aim of optimising body condition score at calving and producing a healthy live calf.

Body condition

In-calf beef heifers ideally want to be of body condition score 2.75-3 at calving, weigh 85% of mature cow bodyweight and do not want to be changing a body condition score more than 0.5 over the winter-feeding period.

If heifers are too thin at housing and more feed is required to improve condition, there is the risk that this just encourages a bigger calf size which may cause calving difficulties.

If heifers are too fat at housing and feed is restricted over the winter, this can have an impact on growth of the heifer and calf development. Minimising the change in condition is the most ideal situation.

Getting the body condition score right for calving will reduce the risk of calving difficulties, will give the best chance for optimal colostrum quality and milk production, and will reduce the interval to oestrus and therefore improve her ability to get back in calf for a 365-day calving interval.

In the last month prior to calving the focus should be made towards feeding for colostrum and milk production. Feed in this period will be naturally diverted into udder development.

Feed requirement

For most of the winter

growth:

Maintenance

5MJ

If average 500kg heifer,

per day.

During mid-pregnancy

11% but this ideally wants

in-calf beef heifers

Example diets:

Silage

Straw 85% DM,

4%

protein

the diet is

Housing

Housing and management of in-calf beef heifers is as important as the feed itself. Minimising stress throughout the winterfeeding period and pre-calving will reduce the risk of abortions, health issues around calving as well as optimising growth and calf development.

Feed space should be at least 750mm per head to allow the group to all access feed easily together. These heifers can be housing in cubicles or loose housing ensuring enough space. Ideally, stock cubicles at 90% occupancy and move to loose housing either two weeks before or at the point of calving. Loose housing area will be dependent on weight of the heifers but approximately 3.5-4m2 bedded area per head, total area 5-6m2 per head.

In-calf heifers should ideally be housed separately from mature cows to allow targeted feeding and reduce the risk of any bullying behaviour.

Winter rations for in-calf beef heifers will be predominantly forage based. In most cases in the UK this will be silage or haylage based, although wholecrop, maize or straw may also be utilised. The forage available on farm should be analysed to give an indication of protein and energy available. The diet being fed can then be designed to meet the heifer requirements over winter and pre-calving.

Importance of protein

A protein supplement will be useful close to calving to support the colostrum and milk production. Reducing the straw and increasing the silage closer to calving will also help increase the energy density of the diet and the overall protein level to support the heifer through the calving process and get her ready for lactation and preparation for service a few weeks later.

Mineral supplementation will also need to be considered; this may be provided if a compound feed is used rather than a straight protein supplement. Important elements at this time are calcium, magnesium, selenium, and iodine.

Implications inadequate nutrition

If we don’t get the nutrition right over the winter, and particularly at calving, there can be several consequences. As indicated earlier over or under nutrition during the winter can lead to calving difficulties with over-sized calves, or weakly calves being born.

Inadequate nutrition closer to calving will have a negative effect on colostrum quality and milk production which will impact on calf health and growth rates. It will also impact on the following year’s fertility and therefore longevity of the heifer in the herd.

If there is a mineral imbalance or extra stress around calving, especially with calcium and magnesium, there is a risk of hypocalcaemia, although this is usually more of a challenge in older cows. If hypocalcaemia (milk fever) occurs, even if sub-clinical, this can slow the progress of calving, increase the risk of retained foetal membranes, increase the risk of metritis, and lower the immunity of the heifer at calving. All these factors can reduce the viability of the calf being born and have a negative impact on fertility for the following service period.

Poor colostrum quality and quantity will affect the ability of the calf to develop immunity by reducing the protection the calf receives from the colostrum. This can increase the risk of scour and pneumonia issues in calves in the first few weeks of life as well as potentially reducing growth rates through to weaning.

Overall, it is important to ensure the heifer is managed and fed to minimise stress and changes, whilst ensuring her requirements are met. Concentrating on this important period in these important animals will provide longevity to the herd as well as improving performance and therefore profitability longer term.

During this period ensuring an adequate level of effective rumen degradable protein is essential to drive microbial protein production which is required for milk and colostrum. Ensuring colostrum quality and quantity at calving is the driver

calf health and development through to weaning.

REHYDRATION A KEY PART OF CALF PROTOCOLS

Cheryl began rearing calves in 2017 starting with 400 calves a year steadily building a successful business. Calves are sourced from six farms with the furthest being 40 miles away. Cheryl says it is essential to have a good relationship with her suppliers, maintaining that buying direct gives more control than going through a market.

“I collect calves in batches of 20 usually collecting from four suppliers at a time. I always do the collections myself, so I keep the relationship with the suppliers.”

She buys calves at three weeks old with a mix of breeds including Herefords, Aberdeen Angus and British Blues. She pays a set price with a higher price for bull calves so the supplier knows the price they will receive.

Calves must be settled on feed and taking milk via a teat. They will be consuming an 18% dry feed with a similar specification to the feed used by Cheryl. Calves will not have been vaccinated so Cheryl can adopt a standard vaccination routine across all calves she buys.

On arrival a batch goes into one pen. Calves are trained onto an automatic milk feeder and are fed six litres of milk replacer per day. This is initially split across three feeds but after two weeks calves are fed two feeds of three litres. Calves are weaned at 10 weeks with a 21-day step down weaning approach. Collars are used to allow intakes to be measured.

Calves are bedded on straw and pens are cleaned and disinfected between batches.

Maximising early growth is crucial to exploit the calves’ superior early growth potential and Cheryl intervenes at the earliest signs of scours or dehydration. Following discussions with Hannah Braithwaite, Calf and Youngstock Specialist at Wynnstay, she uses Osmofit, an Oral Rehydration Solution from Trouw Nutrition to ensure calves rehydrate quickly.

OsmoFit is an oral rehydration solution designed for use alongside continued feeding of milk or milk replacer. A hypotonic solution containing carefully formulated levels of sodium and glucose, it helps stabilise the water and electrolyte balance. It can be used during periods of, and recovery, from diarrhoea.

“Any calves that go off their feed, show signs of loose faeces or dehydration are dosed with OsmoFit, 2-3 hours after a milk feed,” Cheryl comments. “It is important that we keep feeding milk alongside the rehydration solution as this is what gives calves the energy they need. We usually administer OsmoFit for two days but calves are usually showing signs of picking up within a day. In any batch we may have to use OsmoFit on 10% of calves. If calves don’t pick up then we will medicate with anti-inflammatories.”

By focussing on calf health and adopting strict protocols, mortality is running at below 4%.

Around 75% of calves are sold at 4-5 months old with the majority sold privately. Cheryl says some is repeat business while there are always new buyers. She says she encourages buyers to come and see the setup and how calves are managed.

The remaining animals are reared to 14-18 months old and sold as stores.

Alongside the calving rearing business, Cheryl is passionate about education children and your people about agriculture, setting up a business called Agri-Cation.

“Pre-pandemic the BBC slated meat production so I decided I would do something to promote the industry positively. We now host parties of school children who learn about what happens on a farm, the processes and where their food comes from. We have built a specialist classroom and are aiming for three school visits per week.”

“I want to understand their business and how they rear calves. I am looking for beef crosses that have been treated the same as dairy replacements.

Attention to detail is fundamental to Cheryl Reeves who rears 1000 dairy cross beef calves per year on a family unit near Bangor-on-Dee in Clwyd.

Cheryl Reeves

Guest Vet

Associate director for Torch Farm Vets in North Devon, which is an independent practice and part of the XL Vets Group. Rebecca is also on the BCVA Board.

With weather proving a challenge for all (life in waterproofs has not been fun!) we are likely to see repercussions from feeding winter feed early to buffer stock. Identifying what you have in terms of forage supplies for the winter and planning a ration to get the most from what you have will be key to getting to spring. Whilst presenting extra hurdles extreme heat and what comes with it is likely to become more of a norm and therefore utilising what we have to it’s full potential and looking for efficiencies in what we do will help weather the storm.

animal for potentially one year less whilst also having one more calf on the ground.

This might mean management changes to ensure that our bulling heifers hit target bulling weights and are cycling well. With a target calving age between 22 and 26 months nutritional and genetic elements will need to be on point.

Regularly reviewing weights to ensure that heifers are growing sufficiently to allow them to hit 60% of mature body weight by 13-15 months of age. Growth EBVs will help select heifers that are likely to hit these targets more easily with good 200 and 400 day growth rates key to success.

Some will worry about pelvis size at calving but this can be measured in bulling heifers using a pelvimeter with targets for different breeds at different ages to make sure that once calving is reached pelvis size will not be a limiting factor.

Next: the cow. How tight is your calving block? We would aim to calve 65% of the herd within the first three weeks and up to 90% in the first six weeks. This means that cows need to be carefully managed as dry cows to ensure that they calve easily, without other problems and are cycling again by the beginning of the service period.

What is your trace element or mineral status like? Blood sampling can help to identify if boluses or minerals are needed before down cows or stillborn calves are seen.

What are you feeding? Have you analysed your forage? Knowing what is in your ration and how much to feed will ensure that target body condition scores are hit. Pregnancy diagnosis is also important, pding at weaning ensures that empty cows can be sold rather than continuing to eat forage.

We can start with the heifer. What age do you calve your heifers in? Why do you choose that age? Replacements tend to account for 8.5% of cost of production and calving earlier will mean feeding that

Measure, monitor and manage are three m’s we regularly refer to and can be used to proactively assess and minimise risks. Body condition scoring cattle at calving, service and weaning can help identify problems. Skinny cattle can be weaned earlier to have more time to recover pre-calving. Fat cattle at weaning can be kept a little tighter.

Get ahead of the curve and test your bull before he goes in to ensure that cows can catch from day 1. Bull breeding examinations involve a physical exam, semen collection and examination which can identify infertility and subfertility.

Fertility within the suckler herd is a key area where efficiencies and costs can be improved. There are animals that can be considered ‘passengers’ who may be having an easier ride than others and adding to our costs rather than adding to our margins.

And finally the all important man of the hour. Are your bulls working? Whilst watching for bulling and scanning cows can help identify barren cows there is little more soul destroying than pding a herd and finding a lot of empty cows.

Rebecca Cavill

AFTER THE ONE-TWO PUNCH OF PI REMOVAL AND BIOSECURITY, YOU’LL WANT TO KEEP YOUR GUARD UP AGAINST BVD.

OFFICIAL MAGAZINE

Use of magnet in feed mixer prevents hardware disease

Each year, an estimated 12,000 cows are injured by ingesting litter that has entered their feed. Another four thousand cows die as a result of hardware disease. Wageningen University and Research Centre (NL) looked into the effects of litter, concluding that hardware disease costs farmers approximately EUR 14 million each year in medical treatment, death and reduced milk production. However, there is a solution many farmers are not aware of: magnets in the diet feeder.

UK Farmer Graham Lloyd knows first hand that magnets can prevent a great deal of injury. Three years ago he started using a SM2 3200 ZKX-T feed mixer with auger magnet for his 400 beef cattle. He was not aware of this product until his dealer explained he could place magnets on the augers. It was a purchase he definitely does not regret. He shows his ‘harvest’ on the kitchen table, picking out the most striking objects. His collection includes nails, barbed wire and screws along with other, sometime undefinable metal objects. It is clear that these objects could most

certainly injure a cow. “Within a month we collected around thirty objects”, explains Graham Lloyd. “Every day we find sharp metal objects on the magnet. We were so impressed that we immediately installed a magnet on the second auger.”

didn’t know what the results would be. But I cannot imagine that other farmers are able to filter out all the sharp objects when preparing silage. After all, you can’t know what you don’t see.

As far as I am concerned, this should be a standard feature on every feed mixer. It would save a great deal of animal suffering, and the advantages significantly outweigh the amount spent.”

The advantages outweigh the amount spent

Graham believes farmers who claim not to have any issues with metal objects in the ration may be somewhat naive. “I also

REGIONAL COUNCIL CONTACTS

NORTHERN

William Walton - Chairman

Northumberland, NE47

Email: fay.penpeugh@hotmail.com

SOUTH WEST

Robert Venner - Chairman

Email: robert.venner@gth.net

Phoebe Hart - Secretary

Tel: 07309 666895

Email: phoebe.hart@ molevalleyfarmers.com

WALES

Contact Head Office

Tel: 01434 601005

NORTHERN IRELAND

Stephen Heenan - Chairman

County Down, BT30 8RT

Tel: 07889 159496

Email: stephenheenan63@yahoo.co.uk

SCOTLAND

Paul Ross - Chairman

Email: paul@lenahowe.co.uk

Neil Wilson - Vice Chairman

Email: neil@sabadvisory.co.uk

Tel: 07734812704

NOT ALREADY A MEMBER? JOIN THE

BEEF

NBA Regional Round-ups

Scottish Beef Association

The most recent AGM of the Scottish Beef Association was held on 8th June at the Murrayshall Hotel, Perth. Paul Ross of Lenahowe, Sandwick, Orkney was appointed as the new Chair of the Scottish Beef Association with immediate past Chair, David Barron, stepping to Vice Chair. Everyone at the SBA would like to thank David for his commitment and leadership of the SBA over the years of his tenure, especially during the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic.

Neil Wilson, Executive Director of IAAS, farmer and consultant was appointed as our other Vice Chair at the subsequent committee meeting.

Paul is looking forward to chairing the SBA and is very keen to hear more from members about what they want from their Association in Scotland. The SBA does work hard on matters directly affecting the Scottish beef sector and it is clear that members do not always know about the SBA’s involvement in different areas.

Over recent months we have had members involved in developing the Beef Sector Strategy 2030, sitting as part of the ARIOB, working on Welfare in Transport regulation and responding to consultations such as the recent one on TB.

We are also working with fellow stakeholders on the Red Meat Resilience Group organised by QMS where the red meat sector across the supply chain can speak with one voice. This group has responded to consultations and

has defended the red meat sector on various occasions with government, local authorities and educational establishments.

With that in mind we are also looking forward to Scotland’s Beef Event that is scheduled for 7th June 2023 at Dalswinton Estate, Dalswinton in Dumfries and Galloway hosted by the Landale family. This is a top class and expansive farm business that demonstrates how strong the bond is between beef cattle farming and environmental sustainability. It promises to be a top class event on a wonderful unit.

There is an excellent and experienced organising committee in place and we are looking forward to a great event on a fantastic farm. This will be the first opportunity for a Scottish beef sector gettogether since 2018 and with so much change in those intervening years the event will be a great chance to catch up with

Committee members and office bearers continue to work hard on your behalf and welcome the engagement and thoughts of members across Scotland.

industry progression as well as catching up with friends and acquaintances.

We are certainly hopeful that by the time we get together in Dumfriesshire that our agricultural policy will have moved on in Scotland. Despite the efforts of industry representatives on the Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board (ARIOB) progress and information sharing has been glacial. The lack of pace demonstrated by Scottish Government at a time of low industry confidence allied with rampant cost inflation has been surprising and extremely disappointing.

As I write this on the 29th August, Scottish Government have just released their ‘Delivering our Vision for Scottish Agriculture’ proposal document. Whilst more in depth reading will be required the initial scan through suggests that there is very little detail exhibited in the 57 pages of waffle. It is difficult to see where the influence of the ARIOB has come in to play here and just what the Scottish Government is trying to achieve.

In 2021 the industry was asked to respond to a consultation called ‘Agricultural Transition – First Steps towards our National Policy’ with a closing date of 17th

November 2021. The analysis of those 314 consultation responses was only published on Friday 26th August 2022. A remarkable 282 days we have waited to see the outputs of the ‘First Steps’, so let’s not get too excited about the progress that this new consultation pretends to offer, given we are asked to submit responses to the consultation by 21st November 2022 .

The spectre of a cow reduction policy continues to loom large despite the Cabinet Secretary’s ongoing denials, however the admission by a senior civil servant that he would not let officials ‘sign up’ to the 2030 Beef Sector Strategy due to a desire to maintain suckler cow numbers at 2021 levels demonstrates that division continues to exist in Government circles.

However, this is our future and it is vital that as many members as possible submit a robust response. The SBA will be submitting their own response and will seek members feedback before doing so, but do not underestimate the power of submitting your own individual response at the same time.

The SBA will continue to work with other stakeholders and impress on the Government the importance of ongoing and

We will be strengthening our defence of our beef sector as well as offering solutions that will support beef farmers across Scotland and we need your support to make it happen.

The British Cattle Breeders Club (BCBC) has announced plans for its next conference which will be held in Telford from Monday 23rd to Wednesday 25th January 2023.

The theme of the conference is ‘Challenging Traditions’ with a programme designed to challenge thinking and promote discussion around how the industry can compete in the global marketplace. The event will also showcase how genetics and breeding practices can drive sustainability with sessions covering dairy and beef specialisms.

The 2023 conference marks a return to the in-person format following two successful virtual events and will be held at Telford Hotel and Golf Resort, Shropshire.

To celebrate the Club’s 75th anniversary there will be a champagne reception, black-tie dinner and charity auction to raise funds for Farming Community Network.

“We are so excited to welcome people back to the conference, face to face, and for the club’s 75th anniversary. The theme is exactly what is says on the tin and there’s sure to be some lively and thought-provoking discussion,” said BCBC chair Amy Hughes. “There’s no doubt that our industry is going to have to adapt and change, and our line-up of progressive and innovative speakers will be there to guide the way.”

Confirmed speakers so far include Lucianne Allen of Aubrey Allen butchers, Aled Evans Farmers Weekly Beef Farmer of the Year 2021, Rainer Roehe of SRUC, Phil Garnsworthy of Nottingham University, John Giles of Promar and Ben Nottage of Lely. A farmer panel is also planned to stimulate discussion of how science can be put into practice on farm. Full details of the conference, speakers and how to book a place will be available in the Autumn via the BCBC website www.cattlebreeders.org.uk and social media channels.

Chair Amy Hughes

Breed

Herefords bolster

sustainability credentials

Against a backdrop of sustainability discussions surrounding red meat, Hereford Cattle Society has been working to collect information to back-up the breed’s credentials.

Hereford Cattle Society has become the first cattle society to work to prove its breed’s sustainable merits to the wider beef industry, retailers, food industry and the consumer, in a project connected to the UK Cattle Sustainability Platform and the European Roundtable for Sustainable Beef.

Hereford cattle are known for their ability to grow and finish off grass. With the environment becoming increasingly important for every stage of the beef supply chain, the society is seeking to cement some of the benefits of the breed.

Working with Dr Liz Genever, beef and sheep specialist, members are recording the efficiency of their breeding females and therefore environmental impact to confirm the benefits of Herefords when compared to industry averages. Cows have been assessed for cow fertility, calf survival and growth rates to weaning.

In addition, carbon audits have been carried out to gauge the carbon footprint across its membership and commercial systems utilising the breed. Soil organic matter levels are also being taken into account, and therefore carbon storage.

A review of genetic trends is being conducted with the aim of providing guidance for members who are performance recording on areas of focus to ensure the Hereford dam becomes even more suited to future beef production.

Phil Allman, chairman of Hereford Cattle Society, said: “The society’s council is acutely aware of the shift in perception of eating beef and the environmental connotations which are now attached to red meat.

“In any sector, whether food or other, if a brand is not addressing its sustainability credentials in some way, it will be left

behind as consumers’ priorities change.

As a society, we are not willing for that to happen to Hereford Beef and are pleased to be able to work with Dr Liz Genever to put some hard-and-fast facts behind what we have known about the Hereford breed for decades.”

He continued: “Sustainability is all about the planet but also profit and people. If we can prove Herefords and Hereford crosses are a more profitable animal due to an increased margin, this will give many producers the confidence they need to further invest in the breed. When it comes to people, the docile temperament of Herefords is undisputed, providing a safer working environment for stockmen and abattoirs. With the largest section of the herd book being for the poll strain, this also brings an added benefit in terms of health and safety, along with animal welfare, with dehorning not required.

“The Hereford is both prolific and efficient at turning forage into a high-quality source of protein, therefore bringing human health benefits due to a higher level of omega-3 than cattle fed on concentrates.

As a natural grazing animal, the Hereford can also play an important role in carbon sequestration by utilising a mainly grassbased diet, helping to build soil fertility, capture CO2 and encourage wildlife.”

Working on the project, Dr Liz Genever explains sustainable production requires social responsibility, economic viability and environmentally sound practices and urges producers to view sustainability as more than solely carbon footprint.

She explains: “Thinking wider than the UK, beef production is being associated

with deforestation in South America to graze cattle or grow crops for cattle, feedlots, high water use, antibiotic growth promoters, methane belching and is thought to be one of the major causes of climate change. Alongside this is the highly publicised concerns about red meat consumption and health. The beef industry is being challenged by many people and organisations.”

“Within the UK, Hereford cattle are the most used breed within pasture-only systems and will play an important role in grazing systems that help damaged and depleted soils. This will sit alongside the need to reduce inputs, such as feed, fertiliser and fuel, to help systems be financially viable especially as the UK subsidy system evolves.

“These inputs are the biggest contributors to beef producers’ carbon footprints, particularly from methane from the animal itself, so their reduction needs to be the focus of future animal systems. Hereford cattle have a strong track record in these low input, high output systems and this needs to be highlighted to more people.

“The Hereford breed is in a very strong position to be a key part of sustainable beef production, with animals that can thrive on grass and forage systems that help to increase the carbon and water stored in soils. They can cope in systems with reduced inputs, which helps to make more financially viable businesses with improved wellbeing.”

Breed Society

Red Ruby Devons

Our National Show at The Three Counties was a great success with a large number of exhibitors attending. We had a ‘scorcher’ of a day and we had entries from as far afield as Cornwall, Cumbria and Cambridgeshire. Dira Halcyon EX93 owned by John May, clinched the Male Champion honours and Stonegrove Forget Me Knot 10th, owned by Stonegrove Livestock was overall Breed Champion with Treballywyn Plum 12th as Reserve Champion, owned by T Wilton. The judging was followed by a reception at our trade stand where a large crowd gathered to enjoy the hospitality of the Society.

The Devon County Show followed with M & D Cowell having a tremendous day winning both Male and Female championships with their 2 yr old heifer Eastyard Camellia crowned Breed Champion.

Our annual herd competition is in full swing with the results due towards the end of September and an Open Day at the winning farm to follow. A showcase of our Devons and a great opportunity for anyone interested in learning more about the breed. There will be many members present and an ideal chance to chat with them. Please check our website www.redrubydevon.co.uk for more information on the winner and open day details.

Our website is also a good place to find information on stock for sale, future events, and membership details.

Most of our members have now finished harvesting and several members are in full swing with Autumn calving. We are all thankful for the much-needed rain.

Female Champion Stonegrove Forget Me Knot 10th

Male Champion Dira Halcyon EX93

Societies, do you have any news you would like us to publish?

BRITISH SIMMENTAL PEDIGREE REGISTRATIONS & NOTIFICATIONS SURGE TO AN INCREASE OF

A strong year of performance for British Simmental has seen pedigree registrations and birth notifications surge with an increase of 15% in the year to an overall total of 7,388, up by 960. The figures released by the British Simmental Cattle Society are for the pedigree registration year of 1st July 2021 to 30th June 2022.

Sitting alongside these figures is a similarly strong performance at the point of both commercial and pedigree sales and which has seen Official Society Pedigree Sales in the same period nudge through the £2Million mark to gross £2,003,927. In the course of the year the Simmental breed enjoyed some record sale averages and clearances, most notably at Stirling in February when 89 pedigree bulls sold to a new breed record average mark of £6,835. In a new sale fixture introduced to ‘grow the reach of the breed’, the Next Generation Sale of Females & Weaned Calves at Carlisle in December saw a top price of 16,000gns, with heifer averages of £4,396, and bull calf averages of £6,174.

In the year, pedigree registrations increased by 13.5%, with birth notifications enjoying a 19.8% increase and this overall surge for the Simmental breed was warmly welcomed by the Society’s President Stewart Stronach, Maisley, Keith, Banffshire, who said: “Simmental females are naturally efficient, healthy, easy to manage, and just full of milk. Adding value to any cross, they are

maternal mainstays of the commercial suckler herd, can calve at two years old, and can wean calves at 50% of their bodyweight at 200 days.”

“In 2021 AHDB confirmed Simmental as being the leading continental beef breed for age at slaughter, and this couples with Simmental sired progeny being fast growing, with terrific weight for age and leaving a high yielding, profitable carcase. These are the natural attributes and efficiencies of the modern British Simmental that are driving demand, forging a profitable commercial future in an industry with a higher cost base, and meeting the ‘green’ challenges of reducing beef productions carbon footprint.”

The next pedigree sale under the Society’s auspices will be the much-anticipated Dispersal Sale of the noted Annick Simmental Herd, Holehouse Farm, Irvine, held on behalf of the late Lachlan Quarm, at United Auctions Stirling on Saturday 10th September.

“We welcome these improved registration and sale figures, and collectively our focus will be to continue to work hard and provide commercial beef producers with future fit, profitable dual purpose Simmental genetics.”

Stewart Stronach

SOUTH DEVONS LAUNCH NEW GENOMIC EBVS

Working in close collaboration with ABRI in Australia and Neogen Europe the South Devon Society has been quietly moving towards the imminent launch of Breedplan Single Step EBVs since DNA data was first captured on an on-going basis nearly 14 years ago.

Comprehensive SNP data, now using the 100k Neogen chip, has been added to the Society’s database from which ABRI have extracted a sufficient base population to be able to offer Single Step BREEDPLAN EBVs to its members.

The first such evaluation is currently being run and members will see the new EBVs very shortly.

The big difference to more widely used EBVs in the UK is the incorporation of precision genetics from the South Devon population which will add a third dimension to the existing elements of pedigree and performance records. Hence a significant increase in accuracy which often is the flaw in the interpretation of EBVs because accuracy percentage levels are not always high enough to properly validate the Estimated Breeding Value.

Single Step Breedplan will play a highly significant role in the selection procedure carried out by any breeder who wishes to properly assess his own stock and any potential purchases. This has particular relevance for young unproven bulls joining

the herd, and buyers will now be able to place much more confidence in the accompanying figures.

“We are really excited to see this project come to fruition, a thorough process which has involved a lot of time and commitment from our members,” Breed Secretary Caroline Poultney said. “Our Council took the decision some years back to set aside a specific amount of resources to adopt this new technology, and we know that it places our breed some way ahead as the first UK Society to use it across all our recorded traits.”

This news comes on the back of another successful Performance Championships held

by the South Devon Society at Beef Expo in Darlington, a show which promotes the use of performance recording.

BREED RECORDS SMASHED AT LUMBYLAW DISPERSAL

The dispersal of the main portion of the Lumbylaw herd of over 200 South Devons was a flying success for the breed and the breeder. After 50 years of breeding pedigree South Devons Robert & Sally Lee took the decision to retire and commissioned Kivells at Exeter to conduct the dispersal of the herd.

A total of 54 buyers from across the country had their pick from a tremendous presentation of quality cattle, auctioneer Mark Bromell commenting that it was one of the best, if not the best herds of South Devons he has had the privilege to sell. The quality was exceptionally high throughout with great depth of breeding, and clever use of DNA testing and performance recording.

The breed records for dispersal sales were set at a new high for cows, yearling heifers, and bulls, and overall averages

were strong. All three record breakers were from the same family.

Robert Lee’s favourite cow, an 11 year old by Welland Valley Hanbury 10 and from the Snowdrop family – Lumbylaw Snowdrop 135 with pedigree heifer calf at foot – led the way at 7,000 gns to Mr A T Threlkeld from Satterthwaite, Cumbria, and they go to join his pedigree Bowkerstead herd.

Next highest were two cows with calves selling to M A & C Sandbach & Son from Wadebridge in Cornwall, at 5,800 gns for Lumbylaw Snowdrop 193 and 5,500 gns for Lumbylaw Mary 57. Another family line offered Z Lumbylaw Mermaid 23 at 5,000 gns to Highgate Farm Partnership from Lostwithiel, Cornwall.

Top of the heifer trade and another dispersal record was the April 2021 born daughter of the top priced cow, Lumbylaw Snowdrop

219, selling at 4,600 gns to Laity Farms, Hayle Cornwall.

Three senior bulls were presented for sale, with another dispersal record being broken at 8,000 guineas to The Tully Partnership, Waddeton, Brixham, Devon. This bull, Z Lumbylaw Quintus 8, a polled son of Z Colcharton Brutus 2, was the champion at the breed’s Performance Championships this year held at Beef Expo in Darlington at the end of May, and out of the top priced cow.

Averages: 61 cows with calves £3,405; 11 dry cows due to calve August £2,243; 23 dry cows running with bull £2,166; 15 in calf heifers due to calve August £2,275; 7 heifers running with bull £2,093; 30 yearling heifers £1,759; 3 senior bulls £5,460; 3 yearling bulls £2,835

Auctioneers: Kivells

Winner of the Performance Championships, Beef Expo 2022, Z Lumbylaw Quintus 8 who recently sold for 8,000 gns at Mr A R Lee’s dispersal sale of the Lumbylaw herd

L to R: Mark Thomas (judge), Margaret Plain (President), Robert Lee (champion), David Irving (reserve champion), Sharon Watkinson (Neogen Europe)

The Wagyu Breeders

involved in commercial Wagyu

Warrendale Wagyu

rearing

H&H’s Borderway Agri-Expo

WORLD WAGYU COUNCIL WEBSITE GOES LIVE

We are pleased to announce the launch of the World Wagyu Council website. In 2021, the WBA became a founding member of the World Wagyu Council whose mission is to enhance the Wagyu brand internationally. The World Wagyu Council is comprised of Wagyu breed associations and societies from countries around the world dedicated to cooperative efforts and initiatives for members to promote and develop the integrity of the Wagyu breed and brand internationally. Please see www.worldwagyucouncil.com

WYNDFORD BULL IS WORLD LEADER

Congratulations to WBA Members Wyndford Wagyu on having the World’s Number One Marble Score Bull.

This accolade goes to their homebred sire Wyndford Itoguni 308H who has achieved the world-leading mark of +3.9 Marble Score. www.britishwagyu.co.uk • info@britishwagyu.co.uk

PASTURE INTO MORE BEEF

Advantage Feeders 3-Way Restriction System gives you the most control over the intake of your cattle.

When set in the restricted position, cattle use the saliva on their tongue to access the supplement out of the feed area.

After 5-10 minutes of licking, their tongue becomes dry, and they can no longer access the feed. So they graze for a period before returning.

Advantage Feeders can restrict supplements from 2kg/day10kg/day. It is this restriction capability, paired with regular pasture intake, that supports rapid growth rates and high pasture conversion.

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