Newsletter December 2003 WEBSITE LAUNCH
We are delighted to announce the launch of our first website:- www.orkneylivestock.co.uk
It has many features including BVD testing and rules, a news section and a sales section. The sales section will be useful before OLA sales at Orkney Auction Mart, as you will be able to download catalogues. It also lists the bulls available on the OLA bull bank, and other BVD known status cattle that are available to purchase privately. We are planning to get a digital .camera so that we can photograph cattle that will be available for sale at OLA sales. If you have cattle for sale, you may photograph your cattle yourself and give the photos to Karen, or you can arrange for us to come and take the snaps for you!
We hope our website will attract more interest from south, and that it will prove useful locally too.
WELL DONE FLOTTA
Congratulations to the four farms in Flotta for becoming the first island
to be BVD Accredited.
Alan Rosie, Isobel Smith, Martin Robertson and Daniel Bamett are a great example of what can be achieved when working together. We were delighted to mark their success with a visit last week with Ken Amer of "Orkney Today".
BVD ACCREDITATION
When you have had two clear consecutive screen tests, you can apply
for BVD Accreditation. All you need to do is contact your vet and request
a "Level 1" visit.
The Level 1 visit entails an inspection of your farm, and the vet will also make sure you have a quarantine facility for bought-in animals. Your movement book should also be checked. The vet will draw up a Herd Health Plan with you.
Please note that any OLA member can have a Level 1 visit from their vet to draw up a Herd Health Plan before they have reached the stage of becoming BVD Accredited.
QMS HERD HEALTH PLAN
You may already be aware that you will need to draw up a Herd Health
Plan with your vet to meet new QMS requirements.
We are pleased to inform you that our Herd Health Plan that is drawn up with your vet during the Level 1 visit is more than suitable for QMS (SQBLA). You DO NOT need to have another one done.
If you have had a herd health plan drawn up by your vet, all you have to do is present it to the QMS inspector when you are having your farm inspection.
If you have both cattle and sheep on your farm, the sheep section of the health plan will be added in the near future.
If you would like further information, please contact Karen. She can send you a blank "Herd Health Plan" for you to look at. Then you will be ready for the questions you will be asked by your vet.
NEW HI HEALTH CHAIRMAN
Orkney Livestock Association is the largest of the groups that are part
of the HI Health Scheme that is based in Inverness.
HI Health and OLA's Vice-Chairman, Michael Cursiter, was voted in as Chairman of HI Health at a meeting held in Inverness last week.
We congratulate him for this achievement, and he will undoubtedly continue to promote your success here in Orkney to the rest of the country.
VISIT FROM CLAIRE POWELL
We were lucky enough to be blessed with a visit from Claire Powell who
is a freelance journalist based in Perthshire. She is probably best known
for her work on "Landward" and "Scotlands Larder", and she is also a past
secretary of the Limousin society.
She has been to Orkney a few times before, and is always inspired by the enthusiastic and positive atmosphere here.
Karen met Claire at the Perth Bull Sales last year and she was keen to report on OLA. She won a sponsorship from Merial Animal Health Company to compile reports on the control and eradication of BVD, so she headed here to Orkney for two weeks and focused most of this study on OLA's BVD eradication programme. She is also planning to do features for (her quote) "any publication that will take them"!
She is as keen as we are to encourage buyers here, especially for the sales of known BVD status breeding stock.
She visited a few farms while she was here, one of which was a visit with Karen to George Wylie of Swartland in Sandwick for a report on his past experiences with BVD infection, and the benefits he has seen in his herd's health now that he is clear. As George is also a "Limousin" man, Claire jumped at the chance to take numerous photographs of his stock for a feature in the next Limousin society magazine.
They also visited Marcus and Karen Wood of Berriedale in South Ronaldsay, for a wonderful lunch and to frnd out how the BVD eradication scheme worked for the dairy farms in Orkney.
Marcus reported that less dairy animals are being imported into Orkney, and nearly all now were "empty" - cows and heifers that have newly calved, or heifers for bulling. This eliminates not knowing the status of the calf in the womb, should the imported animal be "green".
Both Marcus and George concluded that healthy cattle saved time and money.
Thank you to all members who spared time to speak to Claire about the scheme. She hopes to return to Orkney in the spring to see how the scheme is progressing and to follow up ideas for more features on Orkney's agricultural industry. She is amazed that every time she comes here she opens doors to many interesting stories - her visit to Berriedale inspired a possible future report on the new creamery!
COUNCIL FUNDING
All OLA members are entitled to Orkney Islands Council funding towards BVD
eradication until their cattle are turned out to grass next year.
OIC pay the lab fees on blood samples from whole herd tests. This is a saving of approximately 75%. The council has a direct agreement with the lab, so all that you pay for is your vet to take the blood samples.
OLA FOSTERED CALF SHOW & SALE
Thank you to all that supported the first show and sale of fostered
calves of a known BVD status in the United Kingdom, and to Richard Taylor
of Brencherhouse in Birsay for judging.
The overall champion was a tremendous Charolais sired steer calf, that was shown and bred by Johnny Thomson of Cogle & Co, Newbigging, South Ronaldsay. When sold he scaled 325kgs and realised £800 (246.2p).
The reserve champion was a pure bred Limousin steer calf called "Leary Upstart". He was shown and bred by Gary and Clare Flett of Leary in Birsay. When sold he scaled 295kgs and realised £569 (192.9p).
Steers rose in price by an average of over £48 per head from the OLA sale of fostered calves last year, and heifers were up by almost £17.
2002 - Steers average £461.66,156.9p
2003 - Steers average £509.84,162.8p
2002 - Heifers average £324.44,106.8p
2003 - Heifers average £341.23,117.1p
OLA SALES 2004
It has been agreed with Orkney Auction Mart that OLA will be having
a sale of grazing cattle of a known BVD status on Monday 26 April 2004.
We would be grateful if you would let us know as soon as possible how many you may have for sale.
We will also be having sales of breeding stock. These are arranged as and when required. Again, please inform Karen as soon as possible if you are planning to sell breeding stock so that she can arrange a suitable date with Orkney Auction Mart, and of course advertise them on our new website!
RULES FOR OLA SALES
Orkney Livestock Association recently had a meeting with Rob Crichton,
manager of Orkney Auction Mart to discuss OLA sales.
Concern was voiced from both Rob and OLA Board Members about the number of unvaccinated "white" animals being sold - especially when pregnant.
It was pointed out that "white" animals being moved from a holding should, according to OLA rules, be vaccinated. This rule was optional for OLA sales as all cattle are of a known status, but after discussion it was decided that ALL "WHITE" BREEDING ANIMALS FORWARD FOR OLA SALES MUST BE VACCINATED.
This includes bulling heifers and bulls.
This should ideally be done before your cows or heifers go to the bull. If they have not been vaccinated at this point, you will need to vaccinate them before the sale. This vaccination rule does not apply to fostered calves or store animals. Total BVD eradication is now within our grasp, so it has also ruled that breeding cattle from herds that have only had one clear screen are not eligible for OLA sales, unless they had a whole herd test carried out previous to this.
If you plan to sell cows or heifers, and you have only had one clear screen, you will need to individually test the animals you want to sell.
BVD VACCINATION
BVD vaccination requires two doses given three weeks apart for the first
year. A single booster should be given once a year after that.
If you know that the sale will be at the end of January, you would need to give your first dose of vaccine at the start of January at the latest, so that you have time to administer the second dose before the animal leaves the farm for sale.
PERTH BULL SALES
Karen was present at the Perth bull sales in October and was pleased
to report that the breeders are taking notice of Orkney's health status
requirements, and all that Karen spoke to thought is was a positive way
forward for their herd's health and for selling their stock.
Many of them tested for BVD and Johnes before OLA began, but did not display notices as some thought that this may have given buyers the idea that they had problems with these diseases. Thankfully, that notion has been quashed, and over half of the bulls forward for sale had some form of health declaration. Some had SAC certificates and others had their own notices.
They also now realise that screening must be done annually, and/or the bulls must be individually sampled. Karen spoke to one farmer at the sales last year who said that he had tested for BVD and he was clear. When she asked him when he had carried out his test, he replied "Oh, about five years ago"! She told him that the results of a BVD test carried out that long ago meant that the status of the bulls he had for sale now was unknown!
She also met the chief vet for Scotland Mr Charles Milne, and he was very impressed with how Orkney farmers have influenced the breeders. He has been actively promoting an improvement of herd health throughout Scotland, by encouraging farmers to join health schemes.
His quote in the Press and Journal on Tuesday 21 October 2003 was:-
"You only have to look at the success of the Orkney Islands and their scheme on BVD to see what can be achieved by farmers working together".
FESTIVE CHEER!As it all seems to be doom and gloom following the CAP reform meetings, Karen thought she would attempt to cheer you up!
THE FOUL MOUTHED PARROT
A young man named John received a parrot as a gift. The parrot had a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary. Every word out of the bird's mouth was rude and obnoxious.
John tried and tried to change the bird's attitude by consistently saying only polite words and playing soft music. Finally, John was fed up and he yelled at the parrot, and it yelled back. John shook it, but the parrot got angrier and EVEN ruder.
In desperation, John threw the parrot into the freezer to "cool him down". For a few minutes the parrot squawked, kicked and screamed. Then, suddenly, there was total quiet.
Fearing that he'd hurt the parrot, John opened the door. The parrot calmly stepped out and said "I believe I may have offended you with my rude language. I'm sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate behaviour".
John was stunned at the change in the Parrot. As he was about to ask the parrot about what had made such a dramatic change in his behaviour, the bird continued, "May I ask what the turkey did?"