Royal Highland

Strathisla Sorrel (pictured below), the eight year old Everest sired bull out of Cadence secured Supreme Champion at the Highland Show last week.

Breeder and owner Alison Watt from Keith, Banffshire, was delighted having shown last year and taking reserve champion to her Strathisla Venus, Strathisla Sorrel took the eye of judge Ivan McElroy, who owns the Ivaniskey herd in Northern Ireland.

Numbers were high and the standard of cattle was excellent.

John Langhorn and Tamara Atkinson were delighted to take a string of honours with Dalton Dolly and Dalton Dappa. Dalton Dappa won the Semex cup for the young bull class born between 1st January 2008 and 31 st May 2008. Dalton Dolly winning Junior female and reserve Junior champion also scooped the reserve overall champion award.

***STOCK JUDGING WEEKEND***

I can confirm that the Scottish Stock Judging Weekend will go ahead as planned

There are still places available if you would like to go.
Please ring Sheena Kennedy 07969 936796 or Margaret Frame 01899 850241 to confirm your place.

**************************

Correspondence from Pfizer Animal Health

It has come to our attention that some of your members are concerned about the broad spectrum cover offered by Rispoval 4. This vaccine will elicit an antibody response to Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR) and this can have implications on trade and bull eligibility for stud.

The reason for this letter is to inform you and your members of the other options we have available in our respiratory disease vaccination portfolio. We would not want people to be deterred form vaccinating against this highly important disease due to this fact.

We are more than happy to discuss this with you further to enable you to inform your members and are more than happy to meet with you or your members to communicate the importance of respiratory disease and control methods we have available.

Thanks again for your time and please don’t hesitate to contact us if you require any more assistance.

regards
Matthew Williams BVetMed MRCVS
Pfizer Animal Health
Livestock Area Veterinary Manager - Central
07817780919

BRITISH BLONDE

NATIONAL CROSS-BRED HERD

COMPETITION 2009

 CONDITIONS OF ENTRY

There is no entry fee.

The competition is open to any producer using a registered British Blonde Bull, with exception to the National Overall Winner from the National Cross-Bred Herd Competition in 2007 (who is not permitted to enter).

Calves must be cross-bred and sired by a registered British Blonde Bull.

• Only the calves, suckling on dams, will be judged.

• The whole herd must be available for viewing.

• There must be a minimum of 20 blonde cross calves for inspection.

• Regional rounds to be judged by 17 July 2009.

• Finals to be judged in August 2009.

• National First Prize is £1,000. Second prize is £500.

Additional prizes may be awarded at regional level by the Blonde Clubs.

The Society reserves the right to DNA test any animal.

Closing for entries is 31 st May 2009.

Please contact the office for an entry form.
024 76419058

WANTED
by Dunbia
CULL COWS - 270P per kilo for U Grades
Please call Adrian Fell on 07920 839687

Change for more weight to meet customer demand.

 It was a nice spring afternoon when I was introduced to Mervyn Thomas who was happy and proud to
show and talk me round his herd of Blonde cross commercial cattle.

Five years ago Mervyn Thomas from Haywood Farm, Callow Nr Hereford was selling lambs at Ross market when he “wondered round the corner” and saw British Blue cross Holstein heifers for sale that he decided there and then that he was going to buy them and build himself a suckler herd.

This all sounds a little bit rash, but these were the thoughts of a very successful business man who farms 1000 acres of arable land with his brother Bryan and now has a herd of 90 breeding females and is happy to share the pleasure that the stock have bought him.

He started off using a bull from another continental breed but found the progeny were fit at 550kgs before going fat. With customer demand looking for heavier weights, he wanted an easy calving breed with exceptional growth,
therefore turned to the British Blonde which will grow a tremendous carcass to between 600 and
650kg which is what the customer is looking for.

Romance aside Mervyn took his wife to the national British Blonde society sale in Carlisle on their wedding anniversary and purchased their first British Blonde bull, Kinaston Viscount, otherwise known by his stable mates as “Roy”. This was a two year old bull which had shown successfully at the Royal Show by breeder Roy Kinnish who owns the Kinaston herd from Aston Botterell, Nr Bridgenorth, Shropshire.

Every year as Mervyn culled ewes he replaced them with another twenty heifers to build his herd and reduce his flock which stands at 255 Suffolk cross ewes crossed to Charolais rams which he lambs in January. “We ran 900 ewes at one time, but I love the cattle” says Mervyn.

Generally spring calving works best for the Thomas’ however a small percentage of females calve in the autumn.

Once calved they remain housed until turn out for the summer, bull and heifer calves are separated. Bull calves have creep feed through the summer and are weaned in the autumn where they then have a home-grown cereal mix adlib. Whereas heifers summer out at grass and then are fed adlib silage and home mix, selling at twenty four months finished. We find the Blonde cross bulls kill out up to 65% which is excellent grading Es and Us.

At twelve months old the bulls are weighing approximately 550 - 600kg. Over a thirty seven day period in February/March they had a weight gain of an average of 2.1kg per day.

Calves are dosed with Ivomectin when they come in for the autumn. The heifers and cows are vaccinated for BVD, Lepto, Rotavirus and BT.

The 1000 acres of arable produces grain to sell, as well as corn to mix with rape and beans, producing their own finishing mix for the cattle.

Mervyn is delighted with his Blonde cross cattle, they not only give a fantastic killing out percentage with excellent grades but the temperament of these animals is great. This is understandable from the hand that feeds them but proof was there when as I was talking to Mervyn he invited me to join him in the cattle pens as we walked amongst these mighty strong stock, they were not at all phased as I snapped away with the camera. Mervyn says his grandfather kept pedigree cattle years ago and it’s good to have cattle back on farm.

The pride for the cattle shows as Mervyn guides me round the cattle yards and introduces me to his second bull Kinaston Arnold, otherwise known as Frank. Throwing slightly smaller calves he is perfect on the heifers and he is equally as placid as Roy.

As we head back to the house for a cup of tea we check the cow Mervyn is expecting to calve. As we enter the large pen with ten other ladies in waiting she calves, a bull calf, happily licking her offspring and appearing to be very content.
The calf looks alert, Mervyn is pleased and the whole cycle starts all over again.

Record Breaking Price!!!

L Laird & Sons of the Lochhead Herd sold his Bull "Freefield Upaggie" for a record breaking £10,000 at a private sale at the Royal Highland Show 2008. Congratulations to him and the new owner.

Woolsery Show

Mrs Sue Williams 01409 261288 Hon Secretary for Woolsery Show, announces special classes for British Blonde cattle at this years show, Monday 27th July at Clovelly Court, Clovelly, Devon. This friendly show is suitable for both seasoned and novice competitors.

Do you have commercial, suckler bred young bulls for sale?

We have had a request for commercial suckler bred young bulls. Good prices are offered. If you are interested please ring John Williams 0770356 3791.

National Herd Competition 2008
It is with great pleasure that we can announce the results for the 2008 National Herd Competition

Overall Winner
David Knight – The Doncombe Herd
Overall Reserve
Mr James Weightman – The Hallfield Herd

Large Herd
Winner
David Knight – The Doncombe HerdReserve
James Weightman – The Hallfield Herd

Small Herd
Winner
Ian Calderbank – The Blackwater Herd
Reserve
Ivan McElroy – The Ivaniskey Herd

Best Heifer
Winner
Roy Kinnish – The Kinaston Herd
Reserve
Ivan McElroy – The Ivaniskey Herd

Best Stock Bull
Winner
Elizabeth Don – The Freefield Herd
Reserve
David Knight – The Doncombe Herd

The British Blonde Society wishes to thank judges David Grant and Rhydian Davies. Their time and committment to this mammoth task is very much appreciated.

FINISHED CATTLE REQUIRED

We have been informed of a new opportunity that has arisen, ABP are looking for cattle to slaughter and export to Greece.

They are looking particularly for Blonde cross Belgian Blue Bulls. However they are also very interested in pure Blonde bulls and Heifers.

They will be offering up to 301ppkg on E,s and U+, fat level 1 and 2, 300-360kg and under 12 months old.

Quantities are not an issue, they are interested in any numbers you have to sell.

If you are interested, please give me a ring on 02476 419058 or 07725 052527, whereby I can give you further information if you need it.
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