June 2018 NZHCS Newsletter

New Zealand Highland Cattle Society Winter Newsletter AGM ... MYCOPLASMA BOVIS www.highlandcattle.org.nz June 2018

Council Corner Introducing our newest Councillor, Jim McMurray. Jim and his

wife, Julie, live in the Waikato on 15 acres where they have run 15-20 cattle.

They have been members of NZHCS for some 10 years. Besides being the local postie and doing screen printing from home, Jim is a competitive road cyclist, with a multitude of national and world titles to his name. Welcome to Council, Jim. We know you will bring your energy to the Society.

Office Holders and Council. Doug Sheldon has been elected as President for the third year. He has two able Vice-Presidents in Martin McLeod and Rosalie Hutton. Council members are Alison Wilson, Ginni Alexander, Cheryl Evans and Jim McMurray, with Claire Yeoman as Secretary, Doug Maclean as Treasurer and Cynthia Christie as Registrar.

AGM in Methven The 2018 NZHCS AGM was held in Methven on Saturday 26 May, with a field day at Willie and Cynthia Christie’s farm on Sunday 27 May. Methven turned on its most beautiful face, with newly fallen snow glinting in the sunlight on the alps. The Ski Time Restaurant Lodge was an excellent venue with warmth both in the Lodge and from the staff. The meals were superb and the facilities all we could wish for. There were 20 attendees, which made a cosy grouping for easy interaction at both the formal AGM and social events.

At a very relaxed and friendly AGM weekend, the formal AGM took place. Four remits were passed at the AGM (details on the NZHCS website), and discussion ranged around Mycoplasma Bovis and practical on-farm bio-security.

Ideas for investing finances in promoting and growing the Society were considered at some length, with further input invited from all members, for Council to further investigate.

Please contact Claire Yeoman—secretary@highlandcattle.co.nz—if you have any ideas you would like to have considered by Council.

Mycoplasma Bovis has now been discovered in beef cattle in the South Island. Bio security needs to be taken very seriously.

See article on inside page. www.highlandcattle.org.nz

Year Letter

F

2018 - 19

PROTECT YOUR FARM FROM MYCOPLASMA BOVIS Check the frequent updates on

https://mpi.govt.nz/

Mycoplasma bovis has been discovered of a small number of farms in Southland, North Otago, North and South Canterbury and the Hawke’s Bay. This bacterial disease affects cattle. It poses no food safety or human health risk. It is not a threat to trade.

The main way it spreads is through close and prolonged contact between animals.

SIGNS TO LOOK FOR ARE: In dairy and beef cows: • untreatable mastitis; • abortions, swollen joints, and lameness (severe arthritis/synovitis) in all ages of cattle.

In calves: • severe pneumonia, starting as a hacking cough; • ear infections, the first sign typically being one droopy ear, progressing to ear discharges and in some cases a head tilt; • conjunctivitis.

If you have any concerns about your animals, contact your vet as soon as possible or call MPI on 0800 80 99 66.

ON FARM BIOSECURITY PROTECTION MEASURES • Nose to nose contact with your neighbours’ stock should be prevented. This can be achieved by creating boundary fence buffer zones using electric outrigger fencing or a separate electric fence two metres back from the boundary.

• Thorough farm hygiene can reduce the risk of the disease entering your farm. Make sure that footwear, protective clothing and equipment that has been in contact with animals on other farms is not used on your farm or is properly cleaned and disinfected before use.

• Vehicles coming on and off your farm should be confined to the tanker track or main access track. Use your own vehicles to transport visitors around your farm.

• Keep tanker tracks as clean zones by not moving stock across the tanker track, or allowing stock to graze the tanker track area.

CLEANING AND DISINFECTION • This is a two-step process. Disinfectants won’t work through dirt, so it important to remove all visible dirt and dung from gear and vehicles that have been in contact with stock.

• Once items are clean, use a disinfectant. It’s best to leave disinfectant on items for a few minutes – ten minutes is best.

On New Zealand Highland Cattle Society

LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS (Courtesy of FMG Insurance) Escaped Livestock • If your animals escape you could be liable for any damage they cause, e.g. stock escaping and causing road accidents or eating a neighbour’s garden / crops.

• Ensure fences, cattle stops and gates are secure and prevent animals escaping.

Liability Insurance There is often a misconception that liability insurance is not required for lifestyle block owners, but our experience (Farmers Mutual Insurance) says otherwise. One quick example is a client who removed pest plants, replacing them with

natives. Although they felt they had engaged with local councils, they were charged under the Resource Management Act 1991 for not having the required resource consent. Legal costs came to $129,000 .

It is important to ask what you would do if something went wrong and you were sued by a third party (e.g. a neighbour), a government agency or local authority. How would you pay for this? General liability and Statutory Liability insurance can assist.

• General liability insurance covers your liability for accidental loss to others’ property or accidental bodily injury to others, e.g. A tree falling on a neighbour’s can cost you even if you’re not liable. (Editor’s comment: some members have not had a positive experience, with such losses being called an “act of God” and therefore the claim has not been accepted.)

• Statutory liability insurance covers fines or penalties imposed by a government agency or local authority when you are prosecuted under various Acts including the Animal Welfare Act 1999, Resource Management Act 1991 and Building Act 2004. Statutory Liability insurance does not cover fines for health and safety breaches.

• Both covers include legal defence costs and exclude cover for reckless and intentional conduct. This is only a summary of these conditions.

For more information, contact your insurer or FMG 0800 366466.

FIELD DAY AT SKEOCH FOLD The field day at Willie and Cynthia Christie’s Skeoch Fold was held in sunny, chilly weather. Bio-security, which had been discussed at the AGM, was to the fore with all visitors using the boot/shoe disinfectant containers.

In a good set of yards, three rising yearlings were displayed.

Willie pointed out various aspects and their history while everyone else had a good close view from the outside the yards.

A moment of humour was shared when Martin frightened the calves with his Highland hat.

There were calves, heifers, cows and a handsome bull to be inspected, along with a plantain crop. Thank you, Cynthia, for a very informative talk regarding the plantain and weed control.

Leon Daly from Motovated Design & Analysis, spoke of his concept of selling beef cattle as butchered meat by internet auction, all meat to be killed at certified works and put through a registered butcher. Photos of the animal and a background for them would be included in the auction.

This would begin in the Canterbury area and hopefully spread to other parts of New Zealand.

There was considerable dialogue on possibilities that continued through a welcome and tasty lunch.

www.highlandcattle.org.nz

REMITS PASSED AT THE AGM Full details on our website

The following remits were passed at our 2018 AGM, held in Methven.

Remit 1 Appointment of Auditor

Carried

Remit 2 Review of Animal Identification in the Herd Book Rules & Regulations

Carried

Remit 3 Herd Book Rules & Regulations 5. Grading of Cattle

Carried

Remit 4 Remit to allow Treasurer and/or Secretary to not be a Member of the Society To add the clause that the Council has the power to appoint or dismiss the either of the officers in the position of Treasurer or Secretary.

Carried

Looking for a little extra cash?

There are two NZHCS roles vacant.

The first is to compile the newsletter to be produced three times per annum, with fixed deadlines. Suggestions and articles would be sent to the editor, who would also need to source further articles and photos.

When ready, the newsletter would be sent for printing and posting after proof-reading.

Good yards are a necessity both for showing off stock at close quarters and for safe handling by the farmers.

We are also looking for someone to produce the NZHCS calendar each year. This entails collating and choosing a variety of photos sent in by members, ensuring the checklist on the side of the calendar and in the calendar itself are correct, and updating the latest A & P show dates. Again, the calendar will be printed for proof reading and then printed.

Interested? For more information, contact Claire Yeoman—secretary@highlandcattle.co.nz

2019 CALENDAR

PHOTOS WANTED Closes 31 August High resolution digital, please

Remember all past newsletters and magazines are now on our website.

Email to jenny@eadon.co.nz No more than 10 pics per person

www.highlandcattle.org.nz