Alberta Age Verification Incentive Program Milestone

This morning we hit a milestone. The Angus Association has given away over $300,000 worth of free tags under the Government of Alberta’s Age Verification Incentive Program. That equates to producers receiving 102,908 free Angus tags. This phase of the program began in July 2010 and will continue until December 31, 2012.

Any Alberta producers who paid full price for their tags or who have not yet returned their signed 2011 AVIP application form to the office, need to do so as soon as possible. Those forms must be processed by us before the end of the year to qualify for this year’s incentive. Please fax them to (403) 571-3599 or email them to chazenberg@cdnangus.ca if you have any questions about this program please feel free to contact me anytime.

We offer free third-party age verification services to Angus tag customers. We can only accept information that is sent by fax, mail or e-mail. Be sure to include the tags used and first day of calving season or individual birthdates (including year) cross referenced to tag numbers. We require a few days to complete the work before your calves are sold. Please forward the information as early as possible. Birth certificates will be returned by mail unless otherwise instructed.

Posted by Cheryl Hazenberger
Feedback: chazenberg@cdnangus.ca

2011 Canadian Angus Rancher Endorsed Sale at Mankota

What an event! Everyone in the Angus business should have the opportunity to attend an outstanding sale like this one. There were 3,500 head on offer, all of them were Angus-tagged and age-verified black Angus steers and heifers. There is no sale like this anywhere else in the world.

The sale attracted buyers from all over Canada, including Harry and Ed Dalke who recently won our Western Canada Feedlot of the Year Award. They were so impressed with the cattle on offer that between them, they bought about one-third of the cattle.

Prices were as high as any we've seen across Canada this fall. The quality and uniformity of the cattle are so good that they barely have to be sorted. The sorts were into groups of over 200 for tri-axle loading.

If you missed this sale, there are still lots of Canadian Angus Rancher Endorsed sales left. Look at our Events Calendar or Fall Sale Listing to find a sale near you. Make sure you watch for our field reps and say hello.

I look forward to seeing you at a sale soon.

Posted by Brian Good
Feedback: cdnangus@cdnangus.ca

We're still shipping Angus tags

We want to reassure you that accommodations are being made to deliver Angus tags while the Canada Post labour dispute continues. Tags are being shipped from Kane Veterinary Supplies via Purolator or bus at no additional charge to the customer. Or if you prefer, tags can be picked up at the Canadian Angus Association office in north east Calgary or at Kane in west Edmonton. Other arrangements can also be made; call us and we will accommodate you the best we can.

Order your tags online or phone 1-888-571-3580/(403) 571-3580 ext 238. Faxed order forms are also accepted at (403) 571-3599. Please remember to include a street address for Purolator deliveries.

Age Verification information can also be faxed or emailed to the office and birth certificates can be returned the same way. This information cannot be taken over the phone, however, we are happy to accommodate written requests all year long. Avoid the fall rush and have your animals age verified any time.

Posted by Cheryl Hazenberg
Feedback: chazenberg@cdnangus.ca

The First Canadian Angus Rancher Endorsed Commercial Replacement Open Heifer Sale

I put a lot of miles on my truck at this time of year travelling to bull sales to represent the Canadian Angus Association and the members. I've spent the past week in snowy Saskatchewan attending some very good sales. I got to take a break from bull sales to attend the first Canadian Angus Rancher Endorsed Commercial Replacement Open Heifer Sale.

The sale was hosted by Duckworth Ranch and was held at the Assiniboia Livestock Auction. Gerry Duckworth had 433 commercial black heifers with an average weight of 700 lbs on offer. Every single heifer had an Angus tag and was age verified. Every animal sold. The sale average was $1,040. The high selling group averaged 749 lbs and sold for $1,450 to Oklahoma. This was a great sale and it was a privilege to attend. I hope other Angus breeders will follow Gerry's lead and that we can have more of these sales in the future.

In closing, the market continues to stay high and people are happy. There is lots of optimism for the cattle industry for the next few years.

Posted by Brian Good
Feedback: cdnangus@cdnangus.ca

You’ve Tagged them as Angus, Now Sell them as Angus!

The 2010 Angus feature sale dates are set! This year we are pleased to have the support of 67 auction markets across Canada who will be hosting 157 sales for Angus tagged cattle. Click here for the complete list of sales.

You'll notice that we have changed the name of the sale program this year: Canadian Angus Certification Program Sales are now Canadian Angus Rancher Endorsed Sales. All the cattle being sold at these 157 sales that are tagged with the exclusive Angus RFID tag qualify for Canadian Angus Rancher Endorsed beef programs. Buyers from our licensed participants will be on hand at sales to source cattle with guaranteed Angus genetics for their Angus beef programs.

The sales are also listed on our online events calendar. Times and dates may change subject to weather conditions and we recommend that you confirm details with the auction(s) of your choice.

It's not too late to qualify your cattle for Canadian Angus Rancher Endorsed Sales! Please contact Cheryl (cheryl1@cdnangus.ca or 1-888-571-3580) if your Angus calves need tags. For information on the program, visit our website.

To ensure that your age verification will be ready by the date you want to sell, please ensure that you get your age verification requests submitted early. Remember that this service is provided free of charge when you purchase Angus tags.

Our field staff look forward to visiting with you at Angus feature sales starting in September.


Posted by Tina Zakowsky
Feedback: tina1@cdnangus.ca

2010 International Livestock Identification Association Conference

Calgary hosted the annual International Livestock Identification Association (ILIA) conference this past week. I had the opportunity to represent the Canadian Angus Association along with Doug Fee. We, along with participants from Australia, Canada, the United States and Mexico discussed topics around the theme of livestock traceability in North America. Over the two days at Spruce Meadows, focus was specifically on animal health, the economics of traceability, how consumer demand affects traceability and the deployment of such systems. The conference concluded Wednesday with a tour of Western Feedlots and the Highwood Auction Market in High River.

Canada was recognized repeatedly as a world leader during these discussions along with Australia, Brazil, Uruguay and New Zealand. Consumer trust was also repeatedly discussed as it is vital to maintain and grow domestic meat markets. Traceability is a method by which this can be achieved. It also allows for a quick and easy investigation when an animal health concern which threatens our export markets arises. By developing these systems the opportunities for market re-entry after a closure are enhanced as we can prove the safety of our product.

All in all an educational and informative few days. I encourage all producers to continue age verifying their animals and invest some time to learn what CCIA and the governments are doing to assist and move Canadian traceability forward.

Posted by Cheryl Hazenberg
Feedback: cheryl1@cdnangus.ca