Friday, August 27, 2010

New Canadian Angus Performance Program Deadline: October 10, 2010

The deadline to submit all performance data for the Spring 2011 National Cattle Evaluation has been changed to October 10, 2010. In order to have your performance data included in the November NCE, all data must be in the office by October 10; data can be submitted online or by mail.

However, most pastures are very green this year and many Canadian Angus Performance Program members were planning on leaving their cattle out as long as possible. If you do not submit your data by October 10th, you should still submit it as soon as possible. Data that gets submitted after the deadline will be used to calculate Interim EPDs (P+) for members until it is used in the next NCE in June 2011. Interim EPDs consist of Parental Averages (P) and the trait information that is submitted.

If your Herd Inventory and Application for Registration has been processed and you received an RFI (Request for Information) sheet from us, please provide your corrections or changes in writing and return it to the office by fax or mail. To ensure accuracy, we cannot accept revisions by telephone. The registration fee for an animal on which an RFI has been issued will be held for 90 days, but we strongly recommend that you respond to an RFI as soon as possible. If you have received a Missing Data-Herd Inventory sheet, please update it and return it to us as soon as possible. Once your inventory is complete, 205-day worksheets will be generated for you.

We realize that deadlines are sometimes difficult to meet when so much of our business is dependent on variables like the weather, however, data that is submitted shortly after it is taken is much more accurate and leaves more time to complete everything.

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions at all.

Regards,
Kajal Devani
Feedback: kajal1@cdnangus.ca

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Dick Turner Memorial Scholarship Fund

The recent loss of Angus legend Dick Turner and the creation of a memorial scholarship fund in his name has brought the Canadian Angus Foundation to people's minds and conversations. We have received a number of donations in Dick's memory, and the Canadian Angus Foundation is grateful for your support.

Some people have asked if they can make a donation without using the donation envelopes that were distributed earlier this year. The answer is yes, of course. You can send a cheque made payable to the Canadian Angus Foundation and write "Dick Turner Memorial Scholarship" on the memo line. You can also contact us in writing with your Visa or Mastercard number if you prefer to pay with your credit card. We also accept credit cards by phone; please call our toll-free line at 1-888-571-3580 and ask for me or Michael Latimer.

There is no deadline for contributions to the Dick Turner Memorial Scholarship Fund. Donations can be made at any time. Donations can also be made in memory of any deceased Angus breeder to the Canadian Angus Foundation Memorial Scholarship Fund established earlier this year. All donations, whether for scholarships, research, archives, education, youth development or a special project of your choosing, are welcome at any time. Donations over $20 are eligible for a tax receipt and are graciously acknowledged on our website and in our annual report.

To learn more about what the Canadian Angus Foundation does, please visit the website. The Canadian Angus Foundation thanks you for your support.


Posted by Tina Zakowsky
Feedback: tina1@cdnangus.ca

Friday, August 13, 2010

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

Friday, August 6, 2010

Help an international visitor learn

Canada has a special visitor for the next several months. Jessica Denning, the Senior Aberdeen-Angus Ambassador from the Aberdeen Angus Cattle Society in Scotland, is visiting Canada until the end of November. Jessica plans to work her way across Canada learning about Angus production practices in Canada.

Jessica arrived in Canada just in time for Showdown. After a few days of extreme heat and humidity, she arrived in Calgary just in time for unseasonably cold temperatures and rain and hail. Our weather extremes have not scared her away, although she is seeking more agreeable weather conditions and the opportunity to visit more areas of Canada.

If you would like to show Jessica some Canadian hospitality and could use an extra set of hands helping out over the next few months, please contact the Canadian Angus Association office.

Posted by Michael Latimer
Feedback: michael1@cdnangus.ca

Friday, July 30, 2010

Updating our member handbook

Staff at the Canadian Angus Association are working on updates to the member handbook. We have received some feedback from members since the handbook was distributed in 2006 and are working to incorporate suggestions for improvement. So now is a good time to ask if there are ideas that haven't made it to us.

Do you have any suggestions for improving your handbook? Is there anything that you think is missing or that could be better explained? What do you most often use your handbook for? How can we make it more useful for you?

Please send your comments and suggestions to tina1@cdnangus.ca.

Posted by Tina Zakowsky

Friday, July 23, 2010

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

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Showdown 2010

The Canadian Junior Angus Association's Showdown 2010 was held in Saint Hyacinthe, Quebec, from July 8 to 11. This was an excellent event in which the Juniors were able to participate in a wide range of events including Print Marketing, Sales Talk, Showmanship, Judging, Team Judging, Team Grooming, Photography, Literature, Art, Scrapbook, Graphic Design, Public Speaking, Cook-off, Herdsman, Spirit of Youth and even showing cattle.

The Friday barbecue was held at Ranch Angus Noiseux which is owned by Guy Noiseux. At the recent Canadian Angus Association annual general meeting, Guy's brother Luc was presented with an honourary president pin. Ranch Angus Noiseux was also the site of the cook-off.

The conformation show was held Saturday with a good turnout of cattle. Although the cattle were primarily from Quebec and Ontario, 65 Juniors from across Canada attended the event.

At the Saturday evening awards banquet, Belinda Wagner and Laurie Noiseux were greeted with a standing ovation for their tremendous efforts in organizing Showdown.

Two international competitors also participated in Showdown this year: Jess Denning, the Aberdeen Angus Senior Ambassador from the UK, and Tennessee's Montgomery Dempsey who is part of an exchange program with the Red Angus Association of America.

Congratulations to all the competitors who attended Showdown. And kudos to all who helped the event run smoothly. This is a phenomenal event that all members should be proud of.

Posted by Michael Latimer
Feedback: cdnangus@cdnangus.ca

Friday, July 9, 2010

Deadlines and Reminders

It seems like it's always a busy time of year for Angus breeders, and for almost anyone involved in agriculture. We would like to remind you of some upcoming deadlines to ensure they aren't forgotten:

If you are an authorized user and register your animals online, July 15 is the deadline to register your Spring 2010-born calves online for $15 regardless of age. If you are not yet an authorized user but want to take advantage of these savings, you need to contact us (registry@cdnangus.ca) very soon to be set up as an authorized user.

If you are on the Canadian Angus Performance Program, your 2010 spring born calf records should be submitted to us by July 15 to allow us adequate time to process your 205 day worksheets.

Showdown is currently underway and the first Gold Show is only a couple weeks away. Please submit your show animal registrations as soon as possible and mark them rush. We will do our best to work with you to accommodate your deadlines but please keep in mind the possibility of parentage spot tests, genetic defect testing requirements, and possible missing information. All animals entered in Canadian Angus Association sponsored Gold Shows must be registered before the show. Don't wait for the last minute to register your animals and risk not being able to participate.

We'll have an update from Showdown for you next week.

Posted by Tina Zakowsky
Feedback: tina1@cdnangus.ca