RUMINATING REMINDERS
JANUARY
• Subscriptions due: Doug Maclean, The Treasurer. Treasurer@highlandcattle.org.nz
• Order Society and NAIT tags for Autumn calves
• Consider nominations for Council
• Send items/notices for web alerts and news to: websupport@highlandcattle.org.nz
FEBRUARY
• Bull Assessments April Round applications due. Contact Registrar to request a Bull Assessment Form or download from the website. Cost $60. Send to The Registrar: Cynthia Christie, 145 Somerton Rd, RD2, Ashburton 7772. registrar@highlandcattle.org.nz. Last day 1 March 2022.
• Last day for acceptance of remits – 18 February 2022. Send to: Secretary@highlandcattle.org.nz
• Send items/notices for web alerts and news to: websupport@highlandcattle.org.nz
MARCH
• Return Bull Assessment Requests with payment by 1 March
• Fill out your Registration Forms for Spring/Summer calves and send to The Registrar: Cynthia Christie, 145 Somerton Rd, RD2, Ashburton 7772. P: 03 302 2656. E: registrar@highlandcattle.org.nz.
• Send items/notices for web alerts and news to: websupport@highlandcattle.org.nz
• Remember to take photo’s suitable for Calendar submissions and the Newsletter Photo Competitions and send to: editor@highlandcattle.org.nz
COUNCIL CORNER - ROSALIE HUTTON, PRESIDENT
Wow 2022 has arrived! With a new year, comes new strengths, thoughts and planning. The Spring Calves are here, the Autumn ones are yet to come so plan your numbers for the year, assess your feed requirements and make sure all records are up to date. Whoops, I have just been inspected by Silver Fern meat works and I had not kept any of my vet dockets, as I had not read the back of my sheet properly so I am busy tracking down receipts as he is coming back this month to check! And my pour on was out of date..... Naughty me! I have 21 stock and last year my vet did, a great trade out of me: one bull with laryngitis, a summer pneumonia, and a six month old calf died of pulpy kidney (the vet did not come for that, but we ended up vaccinating the rest of the herd ourselves). Not a normal year for me, but that’s farming!
It is wonderful to see so many new members, please get in touch with any that come up in your area. They will no doubt appreciate the support and camaraderie.
We have a great Council who meet monthly via the wonders of technology (Teams), with sub committees that meet more often
NAIT TAGGING OBLIGATIONS
There is a NZHCS rule which outlines how all cattle should be tag. The primary tag is the NAIT tag, with the secondary tag containing the NZHCS information.
The NAIT tag will have visual information including your NAIT number and unique animal ID and have the unique 15-digit
The secondary (management) tag will display the following: your herd code, the year letter and unique animal number. So, calf born, ARCJ22-2 for the second calf born etc.
If selling cattle to non members of the Society please remind them to not remove the secondary tag from their cattle. This ear tag needs to remain in for the life span of the cattle. Equally if your cattle have lost their secondary ear tag, please re-tag them and notify the Registrar of the new details. It is imperative that both ear tags are present and current.
If the tagging is not correct, the Registrar is unable to complete the registration. You will be contacted with a request to rectify any issues.
NAIT AND TBFREE – OUR RESPONSIBILITIES AS CATTLE OWNERS
A recent communication has been received from OSPRI, the organisation that manages the Livestock tracing scheme NAIT and the management of TB in New Zealand. OSPRI will be focusing on lifestyle and small block holders to ensure that they are aware of their obligations. Their intention is to begin with an education programme and then to follow up with action to ensure compliance with both the NAIT and TBFree schemes.
As a result of the M. bovis infection a review of the NAIT scheme was undertaken and a number of changes made to the process. You may have seen some recent court cases
complying with NAIT. This has occurred because OSPRI is being much more proactive in ensuring farmers meet their obligations, after the M. bovis outbreak highlighted that many farms were not using NAIT correctly. The penalties the review.
Some things have not changed:
• the requirement to have both a TBFree (AHB number) and a NAIT number
• registering your property
• rules around tagging, registering and recording animal movements.
New requirements that may affect you:
• You must now declare to NAIT once a year (31 July) if you own other animals that can get Foot and Mouth disease i.e. goats, sheep, llamas, alpacas or pigs.
• You cannot take your NAIT number with you to a new property, you must register a new location.
• You cannot use tags registered to your current location at another location.
• When you complete an ASD form to accompany an animal movement you are now required to declare that all animals have their NAIT tags.
The NZHCS Council would like to ensure that all NZHCS members are compliant and are being proactive in managing their compliance records and we are ready to help anyone who needs assistance. Below is an extract from the OSPRI website (www.ospri.co.nz ) which provides good guidance and we recommend that all members review their NAIT and TBFree status. If you are not sure or need help please contact your local Councillor or the Registrar as they will be happy to assist. If you have not previously supplied a TBFree or AHB number to the Registrar please take a moment to do so.
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From the OSPRI website:
Lifestyle farmers and pet owners: If you own cattle or deer, even if it’s a pet cow and not a whole herd, you must register with NAIT and TBfree so we can trace your animals if there’s a disease outbreak.
What you need to do:
Register yourself, your location and your animals. Whether you have a whole herd of cattle or deer, or just 1 animal on your lifestyle block, you need to register as a Person in Charge of Animals (PICA) and the location where your animals are kept.
All the cattle and deer at your property must have a NAIT ear tag and be registered in your NAIT account. You must tag and register cattle and deer within 180 days of their
unregistered animals off your property. You must register animals in your NAIT account within 7 days of tagging
TBFree Programme: You need to sign up for TB
everything from: a large herd of deer or cattle, to a single cow or deer — for example, on your lifestyle block. (The TB Free Number is the new name for the AHB or Animal Health Board Number. If you have an AHB number you are compliant). Registering for TB management means that you’ll be set up as part of our TB testing programme. You’ll get a TBfree herd number that’s separate to your NAIT
location number, and TB testing contractors will contact you to organise TB testing at your property. How often your animals are tested will depend on which area in the country you live in and what the risk of TB is in that area. You can check this on our disease control area map.
After you’ve registered yourself, your location and your animals, you need to keep your NAIT account up to date by:
• recording any animal movements to or from your location within 48 hours of sending or receiving the animals Moving animals
• ensuring your contact details are correct
• entering any new information about your animals
If you move with your animals to another property and you’re still their PICA, you need to:
• assign the NAIT location number of the new property to your animals, or
• register a new NAIT number for the new property and record a movement from the old NAIT number to the new one.
out how to deactivate your account. If you register cattle or deer in NAIT, once a year you also need to declare other farm animals that can spread diseases such as Foot and Mouth. This includes pigs, goats, llamas, alpacas and sheep.
Something different this month! Rather than submitting a photo to us, instead submit your wittiest caption for what is going on in the above photo. The winning caption as voted on by our independent judges will win a $100 Farmlands Voucher.
Send your entry to: editor@highlandcattle.org.nz
PHOTO COMPETITION – CAPTION THE BELOW PHOTO! www.highlandcattle.org.nz 3
OBITUARY - ROBERT MCMILLAN
It is with much sadness that we acknowledge the passing of Robert McMillan on the 20th September 2021. Robert was a long-standing member of The Society, and previous Council member.
Robert was born in Rothesay on the Isle of Bute, Scotland on the 18th of January 1936. When he left school, he remained on the Island for a year before realising he had a calling for the sea. Robert was a cadet with the Anchor Line sailing out of Glasgow to New York. When the time came to ‘do his tickets’ he studied at the James Watt College in Greenock, Scotland. After completing his apprenticeship, he joined the Shell Oil Company to gain experience with tankers and would spend up to 12 months at a time at sea. He enjoyed the opportunities he had sailing worldwide and had many tales to tell.
Robert later joined the Scottish Co. Ben Line and College for three months to complete his Master Ticket and on the 13th December 1963 passed his ticket, forever claiming that the 13th was a lucky number for him!
At Hogmanay the same year, Robert met a young Australian girl named Betty who was in Rothesay visiting relatives. From there their future was determined!
Robert applied to USSCo. Of New Zealand for a position and supervised the completion of the Wahine
Robert was appointed Master of the ship in 1969. Robert enjoyed his time with the company, and ten years before his retirement ventured out to the deep sea, travelling the world for eight months at a time visiting many countries of interest, his beloved Betty by his side for up to three months of each contract.
In 2000, Robert swallowed the Anchor and retired to 10 acres in Koputaroa to breed Highland Cattle. He enjoyed his cattle very much and was instrumental in forming The South of the North Club where friendships were formed and many great social events have gone down in Society history! Slange Var!
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Captain Robert McMillan on the Bridge
MACCA FOLD
– TIRAU
In the heart of the mighty Waikato sits Macca Fold. Julie and Jim McMurray are in their thirteenth year of owning Highland Cattle. They discovered Highland Cattle as a result of leasing paddocks to Shirley and Ian Blanchard for their ‘hairy little critters’ and ended up becoming good friends. Soon after they started purchasing their own cattle and the Macca breeding programme began. Jim and Julie have 8 cows, 1 heifer, 1 bull and a rising bull calf, at least one of each colour, and all full blood.
Jim says that one of the many highlights of having Highland Cattle is the bond you form with the animals. Right from day one they each have their own personality and with a little time they become your best mate.
“When we joined the NZHCS in 2009, the registrations were just coming off the peak and we saw them drop to an all-time low in 2018 with only 27 animals being registered, but with some good hard work by NZHCS Council & breeders we have seen in the last 4 or 5 years the numbers grow steadily, the breed is gaining back a lot of its popularity & is in good space going forward” says Jim.
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HAVE YOU GOT THE OLDEST COW OR BULL IN THE SOCIETY?
Happy Belated Birthday to Sweet’s of Stoney Oaks who recently turned 20! Have you got a Cow or Bull older than Sweets? Send a picture through with their age and they will be recognised in the next newsletter!
CATTLE FOR SALE – ON WEBSITE
The following cattle are listed for sale on the website: Red R3 Bull, Dark Red R3 Bull, Yellow R3 Bull, See the Cattle for Sale page for further details.
AGM – 28 AND 29 MAY 2022
The Society AGM will be held on the 28th and 29th of May 2022 in Palmerston North. Planning is well underway and more details will be revealed in the April Newsletter and AGM pack nearer the time. If booking your accommodation early, consider using a company such as Booking.Com and selecting the ‘free cancellation’ option to give you some security in these unsure COVID times.
Saturday the 28th will be the AGM, then an afternoon activity prior to a Formal Dinner that Evening. Sunday the 29th will consist of two Fold Visits with a casual lunch in between.
ADVERTISING
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Half page, colour $100 (inc GST) Quarter page, colour $50 (inc GST)
Email: editor@highlandcattle.org.nz for more details!
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