NZHCS Highland News December 2011: issue 68

CALENDAR AD

2012 NZHCS AGM /Conference TAURANGA …Queens Birthday weekend

…2nd June Focus …“Building and strengthening a beef future,

for the Breed”. Venue … Hotel Armitage (Central city )

Accommodation …Early Bird rates $110 per night www.hotelarmitage.co.nz

WHATS BEEN HAPPENING - AREA REPORTS -

AUCKLAND/HAURAKI PLAINS/COROMANDEL Report by Martin McLeod Calving is well under way for many, I hope it is an “easy” year and that strong healthy calves abound. This is the time of year we are reminded why we love those small furry balls of delight so much, there is noth-ing quite like a group of calves playing in a paddock of fresh spring grass. A small group of Counties Manukau members (and a few interested “locals”) attended a field day at the Te Puna premises of Farmers Sustainable Meat Company, refer separate article from Glenda Stimp-son. Thanks to Ginni Alexander for arranging this day via a contact from the 2011 Mystery Creek field days. The club Xmas function has been announced, we hope to see good numbers for a get together and catch up. Bring along any questions, topics for discus-sion as it is a great opportunity to share experiences. The 2011 / 2012 A & P show season is under-way, come along for a look (lead a calf or a quiet “mother”), bring an animal along and give it a go – once you take that first step the second time out is a breeze. Remember to apply for your RAS passports to ensure a hassle free entry process. I would like to take this opportunity to wish all members a safe and fun filled Christmas and a Happy New Year. Martin (09 2928225 / 027 4456050)

WAIKATO, BAY OF PLENTY Report by Judy Smyth Following the Winter Council meeting in July and after consideration by council, it was decided that the 2012 NZHCS AGM would be hosted by our group and be held in Tauranga, during Queens birthday weekend. In order to begin more formal planning of this gathering, all members of the region were invited to a pot-luck lunch at the Glen Elgin Fold of Judy Lee and John Doull, on Sunday 31st July. A small core group met, ate, drank and formed a skeleton plan for the weekend. This Regional organizing committee has had a second meeting and is currently working around creating and organizing a dynamic weekend for between 80/100 breeders from across New Zealand. It is our intention to focus the weekend around a central theme of … “Building and strengthening a beef future, for the Breed”, plans are crystallizing nicely. Like many of you across the country, Breeders in this area are feeling the bite of our current financial reality, ie cattle are harder to sell and prices being achieved are not much better than works prices. Subsequently, calving numbers are less and enthusiasm for showing has diminished. So … I am very grateful to those members who are still flying the flag for Highlands at forth coming regional shows this season, in Waihi, Hamilton (Royal) and Morrinsville next March. Only one bull was due for assessment in the Oc-tober round of Bull assessment and it was agreed that this would be deferred until after the Waikato Royal show in late October, the owner has requested and ar-ranged for an independent assessor to join 2 Highland assessors, so it will be interesting for all, to compare notes and learn from each other. I loved recently, the photo of a Highland cow for sale on Trade Me, with newly born twins, yet to dry but appearing to have 1 Black calf and 1 Dunn. Such sur-prising joys and rewards are still the reality that our cat-tle bring and it’s important to remember, that politics and dollars can’t affect the intrinsic joy that our cattle give.

TARANAKI REPORT By Garth Gadsby A very busy period for farmers over the last few months, calving, weather, mating, weather, harvesting, and more weather. While the spring has been very kind so far over this way we have had our fair share of grubby stuff. 68mls in three hours one evening but typical Taranaki it runs off very quickly. Have had time to get around a few folds for visits and generally everyone is pretty happy the way the sea-son is going. It seems that we are always learning some-thing new when we have animals. One was the birth of a “monster calf”at one of our member's fold. Without going into too much detail the calf is born with some fairly gross deformities. If you want more detail just google “monster

NORTHLAND Report by Doug Sheldon We have been greatly saddened by the death of Grant Cornelius in a farm quad accident a short time ago. Our condolences go to Sarah and family and to Irene. Grant, Sarah and Irene have built up a delightful fold on their property at Dairy Flat, just north of Auck-land, with some lovely animals which Grant adored. Spring has given us all a much appreciated flush of grass. With an excellent calving almost finished, it is doubly welcome. We have had a great calving with about 70% heifers, with some lovely animals hitting the ground, including a nice smattering of black, however we have still not been able to breed the “elusive” white! With the Show season upon us, beginning this month, it is time to start planning which to attend, and to remind the cattle of the routine. In spite of the econ-omy, there is considerable interest in Highland Cattle in the north, and while prices have eased, sales are still there to be had and it is very important to maintain a healthy breeding programme.

COVER: NZ winter show prized heifer, Treena of Little-creek, in 6inches of snow taken on the 16th August in full view of Mt Egmont. Photo courtesy of Lloyd Putt

Welcome New Members

LOWER NORTH ISLAND Report by Doug Maclean Rain, sun, grass and lots more rain in the lower north means a lot of extra grooming to keep the rear ends of Highlands looking as good as the front end! No doubt we will be complaining soon about too much sun, not enough rain or grass! It has been a quiet couple of months in the lower north but with show season k icking in it’s good to see members getting involved with their A&Ps. Wairarapa A&P and Manawatu shows being two of the early ones in this area. Manawatu are certainly complying with the RAS Highland Passport rules, and while it has been a challenge for some the process looks as if it should work out OK for exhibitors and the A&P Show Secretary. Thanks to the hospitality of Alex and Paul Simpson we had a great local club day at their fold with Naya Brangenberg, neighbour and MAF Bio Security vet, giving us a presentation on her recent trip to Kenya studying Foot and Mouth symptoms and epidemiology and the role the NAIT scheme will play in helping manage such events in New Zealand. With St Andrews day on the 30th November we will be holding a local club day at Sharon and Doug’s Kellean Fold, Feilding, on Sunday 27th November. It will be a pre Christmas catch-up, a little learning but a lot more fun. Bull assessments scheduled for October should be completed in November largely because of the lack of free weekends in October.

There are still some outstanding subscriptions for 2011.  If not paid by 30‐12‐11 you will no longer be able to partake of the services offered by the Society.  If you think you have already paid please contact the treasurer with details.  If you are not sure check with the Treasurer.  

Invoices for annual subscriptions for 2012 will be sent in December.  Pay before March 30th to secure your discount.  Also check that you fill out your up‐dated privacy form that you will receive with your invoice and post to 

the Treasurer. 

calves”. Appears to be more common in dairy herds, probably because there are so many of them. Be an idea for our magazine, for readers to send in their stories on different diseases/ strange happenings around our cattle. I'm sure anyone with highlands can tell a story on their ex-periences with them and their quirky little ways. Please feel free to share with our members. Photos always wel-come...even without a story! Check out the virtual show, entries will have closed but peoples choice will be open for voting. Well over 100 entries this year from all over the world. Just follow the link on our society website. We have had our first “black” calf this year, at least following Glen Hastie's article on colour in our magazine it will turn black. At the moment it is dark red with black nose eyes and feet. Speaking of things black, weren't the All Blacks just awe-some? Apart from the odd frog in the ointment it was a dream result. I guess the next thing is Christmas! Where does the time go? All the best to everyone for a great Christmas and New Year

Bruce & Glenda Peden Kaukapakapa   Michael & Catherine Dent Rotorua   Sarah & Dean Carran Havelock North   Nick Weldon Otaki   Caroline Shearing Gore Nikki Verbeet Wyndham   

SHOW  PASSPORTS  

Apply a.s.a.p . to the Registrar with your prospective show team.  Better to be in sooner rather than later. 

Adam Cowie Animal Skin Tanning Services Ltd 177 Lorn St, Invercargill Hm: 03 2171269 Mob: 027 281 3026 e-mail [email protected] www.animalskintanningservices.co.nz

" Let me tan your Cow Hides for you!"

OTAGO SOUTHLAND AREA Report by James Brown With up and coming shows I hope everyone has the entries in. The Otago Southland club are meeting on Novem-ber 27th Sunday 11am at Brian and Rosalie Hutton’s fold. The Hutton’s vet will be speaking on BVD. Strathburn Fold has just sent four of its cows to Paradise, near Clenorchy to be in the Hobbit movie. So when it comes out be in to watch it.

4th International Gathering Update New Zealand, November 2014

That’s three years away, but time flies. Have your input – Give us your ideas. This is going to be an awesome event and opportunity to display how New Zealand deals with farming generally and Highland Cattle in particular. We need to put in lots of thought and suggestions are invited from everyone. Please contact: Doug Sheldon 09 4204065 / 021 938641 Email: [email protected],

Or: Jenny McDonald Ph: 07 332 3953 Fx: 07 332 3954 Email: [email protected]

Open Fold Day 2012   

To be held 1st April 2012.    

In order to organise and co‐ordinate advertising we need expressions of interest from  members in opening their folds to the public on that day.   

 Please advise the Registrar by 31 January 2012.

Remits for AGM and Councillor  nomination dates are:‐ 

 Remits are to be in by 1st February.   Nominations for Council by 9th March   

 Remits and nominations must be signed by the proposer and a seconder, both of whom must be the nominated voter of a current financial membership.  Nominations must also be signed by the Nominee who must be the nominated voter of a current financial  membership.   Councillors, whose turn it is to stand down by rotation at AGM 2012 are David Leslie, Cynthia Christie and Martin McLeod.    They are all eligible for re‐election but please check with them personally before sending in a nomination. 

It is with great sadness that we advise of the accidental death of Grant Cornelius (Wintershell Fold) on Monday 5 September this year. The accident occurred when Grant was boom spraying fertilizer and his quad toppled over on a slope, trapping and killing him. Grant suffered considerably with back pain, despite having surgery on it in 2009, but that didn’t stop him from working physically in devel-oping their farm and working among the animals that he loved. He was a good friend and neighbour, always keen to help others whenever he could. Grant and Sarah have lived on their 20ha farm at Dairy Flat since 1984 and have been members of the NZHCS since 2007, beginning with 7 Highland cows. They now have 26 cows and 11 young calves at foot, along with alpaca and Awapara sheep and lambs. Grant and Sarah had been married for 32 years. They have three chil-dren, Michelle, David and Nicky, and five grandchildren. Grant was a devoted husband, father and grandfather, always attending his grand-children’s sport games. He is greatly missed by his family. Our sincere condolences are extended to Sarah, Irene and family

Obituary – Grant Cornelius Wintershell Fold, Dairy Flat

REGISTRAR’S REPORT

Since the last magazine there have been:- � 148 Cattle Registrations � 69 Transfers � 6 Herd registrations � 1 meeting of RLC via e-mail The RLC considered three cases, one for a transfer from a non-member, one for incorrect information supplied and the third is requiring a visit from the local councillor to verify animals. AUDIT 2010 The 2010 audit is being conducted somewhat later than in previous years due to the delay in appointing a new auditor, Angus Ander-son. However, it is well underway and nearly all the audit animals have been seen. The final ends are being tidied up now. SHOW PASSPORTS Let me explain the process for all of you first. 1. A member applies to the Registrar for passports 2. The registrar applies to the CEO of RAS for a passport number in groups of 10 or less on a form of RAS designing. This requires the animal name, the herdbook registration number, the AHB num-ber, the “paddock” tag, the birth date and gender. 3. When this is received back from CEO with the allocated num-bers it is forwarded to the respective representatives of the other two groups NZLH and NHR. Originally this was being forwarded along with PDFs of every pedigree but the other two groups have both been using the on-line herd book so this has been discontin-ued except where it is an unregistered calf that is getting approval in which case the parents’ pedigrees are submitted. 4. The other two societies advise the registrar via the RAS form whether they approve or not of the various animals and at the same time are supposed to notify RAS. 5. When the Registrar has received notifications of approvals from both other groups a reminder is sent to the CEO of RAS just in case it has been overlooked. While they should be forthcoming automatically this is not always the case. 6. RAS e-mails the Registrar passports for each animal 7. The Registrar prints them off, crosses them off the “waiting” list, enters them in the received list and posts them to the respec-tive owners. 8. From time to time the Registrar checks the RAS list on-line to see whether the latest animals have been posted on it. There are several areas of concern with this system which every-one needs to be mindful of:- � With the best will in the world turn around time for the process starting when applications are received by NZHCS to posting the passport needs 10 days to a fortnight. It only takes one person to be away for a couple of days and it is all thrown out of kilter. Members need to be aware of this so you think sooner rather than later about applying for passports. I realise many have waited a long time from last year when the process was put on hold, but now that is up and running please bear this in mind. I have had members ringing saying they are popping their show entries in the post now, as they close in the next day or two, could they please

have passports. Some of these animals weren’t even registered yet. If you are thinking of entering any shows look at your animals and make up a team of possible animals and submit them for passports. It doesn’t matter if you later change your mind and drop some of them but you will have the necessary paperwork. And remember it doesn’t cost you anything, just a little time. � There are several areas where errors can creep in. For instance the transcribing of animal details onto the RAS form as they do not match up in the same order as they do on our register. In the earlier stages I had several animals with transcription errors but have since worked out a system that should do away with this. Other areas where errors occur are missed out numbers, dupli-cated numbers, duplicated animals, one party not letting another know what has been approved, etc � There is no rhyme or reason to the ordering of animals either seeking approval or having been approved. By that I mean when trying to locate whether an animal has been approved or applied for they are not sorted within the initial part of the process either by herd book number or animal name but by RAS number. RAS has posted the approvals on-line in alphabetical order but if the person trying to find an animal has the wrong spelling they could be doomed. � The constant checking required when animals are dribbled through a few at a time is very time consuming but as the process settles down it should become less so. A further problem is one we have had from the very beginning and that is that the NZLH herd book is not available in any form to view which has slowed down the approval process for their animals by NZHCS. I am hopeful that as time goes by this will improve as I will have sufficient copies of pedigrees on hand to be able to check out birthdates and so on. After some considerable discussion an agreement was finally reached with all parties that bull calves under 12 months old can be shown preferably with a passport which reinforces that the animal must qualify for registration. To prove this I send the pedi-grees of the parents. RAS rules state that animals under 12 months old can be shown without registration so long as they qualify for registration. There is no reason at all why heifers can’t be regis-tered before showing. What we haven’t got agreement on is bulls waiting to be assessed who will be just over the 12 months. NZHCS is the only one of the three societies that have a bull assessment scheme and, of course, the bull must be 12 months or older. After considerable discussion at the last council meeting it was agreed that a new question will be added to the bull assessment request form asking whether it is your intention to show this animal in the show sea-son. This assessment will then be carried out in time for the bull to be registered by the time the show season is due to commence. Talk to your local councillor or nearest bull assessment co-ordinator if you are not sure about this. It is also timely to remind members what was agreed between the

NOT JUST ANY BIT OF BEEF

What do Whisky, Cumberland, Toulouse, Italian, Bratwurst, Boerewors, Chorizo and Salami all have in common? They are just some of the gourmet sausages you can expect to be served at Sharon and Doug Maclean’s Kellean fold and Country Accommodation of course. But what makes these sausages even more special is the meat which comes direct from their own Highland Cattle. “The sausages are guaranteed pure highland farmhouse beef,” says Sharon.

“They’re gluten free with no preservatives and no fillers, made pro-fessionally by Feilding’s award winning gourmet butcher Edelweiss” owned and operated by Sera and Markus Hojdelewicz. The Maclean’s, who started out with four Highland cows nearly 8 years ago, now have a Fold of 50 quality stud animals. Sharon says although getting to this stage took longer than antici-pated, their priority has always been to breed high quality stock for beef. But the journey does not stop there. With Feilding housing one of New Zealand’s busiest stock yards, their next challenge was to find a stock carrier who would travel 40km return to collect just two animals. “It’s a small job, but still one with all the rules and regulations,” Sharon says. A focus on healthy Highland beef pies is now on the agenda with fellow breeder Bev Driffill, using her “Indulge” commercial kitchen for preparation. Sharon says there has been a lot of enjoyment along the way with friends, family and house guests sampling their sausages and pies, with a glass of wine never far away.

Marcus the butcher and Sharon the grower

three societies as to which animals would be approved for show-ing so that all are on an equal footing . Females must be P1 or higher and have four generations of pedigree. Males must be P2 or higher and have five generations of pedigree. That means that each side, both dam and sire must have animals recorded in the pedigree. It is not sufficient to have them all on one side and not the other. Most members have taken in the grade level, i.e. P1/P2 or higher and I have only turned down one appli-cation because the animal was an A. However, please check your animals’ pedigree carefully to make sure it is complete. Of the 300 or more pedigrees that NZHCS have submitted about 10 have had pedigrees without complete generations and they have been

turned down. Where the other two groups have submitted pedi-grees like that they have been turned down by NZHCS. As I write this for the magazine I can finally say that the backlog has been caught up with and apart from one or two tidying up measures, all applications are up-to-date. We are almost at the end of another year and I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy Christmas and all the best for a memorable New Year. Jenny McDonald, NZHCS Registrar

 For those of you who are statistically minded the following graphs have been taken from our registration database. In total we have 3200 live animals registered to our members. They show the diversity of our member-ship and the move toward higher graded animals; particularly for our bulls. It will be interesting to see the trend over the next few years. Doug Maclean

NZHCS Highlands – what have we got?

IS THE MEAT GOOD?

The “experts” have told us that the standard to grade meat is the rump steak; if you can get good quality, tasty rump, the remainder will be fine. A number from the Counties Manukau Highland Cat-tle group, and interested locals, visited the proc-essing plant of Farmers Sustainable Meat Com-pany (FSMC) at Te Puna, Tauranga on the 27th August 2011. We had an informative visit to the retail shop and found that they get $18 a kilo for sausages, the content of which is over 82% meat. Each Saturday they have sampling and the sales go up accordingly. So we sampled chicken sau-sages, Beef sausages, Beef Olives, and Meat balls. Our visit was to find out more about the processing of a carcass of beef and if there is an opportunity for Highland beef through the Farmers Sustainable Meat Company set up. We learnt that only 18% of the meat from a carcass met the ‘quality market’ and the rest goes into the collective bin. The FSMC stock are processed at a works at Ruakura. The idea is not to have the carcass too large as the steaks need to be a uniform size and price. Top restaurants and discerning customers do not require over-large steak cuts. It was fascinating to watch this young man Wayne take the side of beef and skillfully dissect it into the different cuts, eye fillet, scotch, rump, sirloin, etc and the skill of this young man as he systemati-cally dismembered each cut and explained and demonstrated topside roasts, bolar roasts, rolled roasts and those that become corned beef, then

there were the “leftovers” for mince and sausages etc. One of FSMC points of difference is that the carcass is hung for 21 days in a purpose built chiller. The products developed by these guys are impressive, from meat balls to duck fat and every-thing in between ! Not only is Wayne so clever with a knife, his delight is to paint, so one can purchase magnificent oil paintings from the shop. It was then time for lunch, we cranked up the barbe-que and sampled firstly the rump steak, which just melted in our mouth, followed by Scotch and finish-ing with Eye fillet. Lastly as we were leaving we all got given a vacuum pack of FSMC Bacon, their top seller. Next we moved onto John and Judy’s place just down the road for afternoon tea and a de-brief. Thanks for the wonderful hospitality, as usual the “ladies” did not want to go home, however there was still feeding out to be done back home, albeit now in the dark !. Our sincere thanks to Paul, Luk, and Wayne from Farmers Sustainable Meat Company, John and Judy for the “Tea”, Ginni for organizing the day, and Martin for being the designated driver.

Glenda E. Stimpson

HORNS ON HIGHLANDS

Why do we all love this magnificent breed? What attracted us to them in the first place? Is it their high quality beef, their versatility and hardiness or their extremely docile nature? I would not be stretching the truth to say that nearly all were attracted to the Highland breed by their 'look'.

This natural, majestic eye appeal is a package that is difficult to break down but surely stems form the hair and the horns for the most part. While hair is genetically controlled with its ex-pression being influenced by climate, season and gender (mature bulls having a lot less), horns have only genetic influence as to their size and shape, except for the occasional acci-dent that may cause them to be misshapen.

There are often some breeder preferences to how horns should look on a Highland cow or a bull. Both the UK Breed Stan-dard and the Australian Breed Standard describe classically what the appearance of the horns should be.

A Highland Female's Horns:

These are narrower at the base, longer and finer at the tip than those of a bull. They can take one of the two classical shapes shown but should always rise after exiting the head more or less horizontally. They suggest majesty and femininity.

A Highland Bull's Horns:

Bulls horns suggest masculinity and strength. They more or less come out from the body level with the ground and curve slightly forward. They may rise slightly towards the tip but nothing more than this.

Variations of the Classical Horn Set:

7 month old heifer

9 month old heifer

12 month old heifer

13 month old heifer

18 month old heifer

18 month old heifer

21 month old heifer

23 month old heifer

28 month old heifer

Mature cow

What Happens to Horns as the Animal Grows: An interesting progression to watch for those new to the game is how the horns grow out in younger animals. Of course all Highlands are born without horns. Most bulls & heifers will have their horns grow out from their heads more or less horizon-tally or with a slight upward inflection in some. By 18 months, a heifers horns will usually be starting to curve upwards gently and between 2-3 years old they will be taking their mature shape. After three years of age the growth continues but at a much slower rate, reaching some extreme proportions in particular animals

Damaged Horns:

Horns can be damaged when the animals are young (especially up to 7-8 months old) and this damage can change the direction of the damaged horn and make it appear crooked, or not symmetrical. It appears that some animals, and some lines, have genetically weaker horns and are more prone to injury. A perfect young heifer's horns will have a hooked tip on them until around 18 months of age. This suggests there has been no trauma and that the animal will have a lovely set of horns when mature.

Horns on Steers:

Steers are interesting because when they are not dehorned, we notice that their horns will grow quite long and usually in an upward form more characteristic of a female. It is thought that the male hormone, testosterone, keeps a bulls horns down, and the lack of that hormone allows upward growth (as in females and steers).

Some ask why we don't just dehorn all our Highlands, because they are actually a beef animal and you don't eat the horns! While we do this for all our steers, we would be breeding Angus or Galloways if we didn't want to look at the horns. The horn set is as much a part of the Highland breed as the centuries of rich history that surround these magnificent cattle.

Article courtesy of Glen and Karen Hastie, Bairnsley Fold, Sunbury, Victoria, Australia, email: [email protected]

 SAVE SOME MONEY!!!! 

LATE  FEMALE  REGISTRATION  AMNESTY  

From the receipt of this magazine to the 29th February 2012 there will be an amnesty on paying the late fee for female registrations.  (Females over 12 months old).  So be in quick, round up all 

the heifers you have forgotten to register and get them into the Registrar a.s.a.p. 

Category Description  2012     2012 

    Budget      Budget  

INCOME     EXPENSES    

ADVERTISING INCOME   $        1,000.00   ACCOUNTANTS FEES   $              600.00  

AGM & GATHERING INCOME   $      12,000.00   POSTAGE   $              800.00  

DNA   $           750.00   STATIONERY & OFFICE   $              500.00  

      TELEPHONE & TOLLS   $              750.00  

INTEREST   $        1,100.00   WEB SITE ‐ Development   $           1,500.00  

MERCHANDISE INC.   $        2,500.00   WEB SITE ‐ Hosting   $              500.00  

BULL ASSESSMENT INCOME   $        2,000.00   AGM EXPENSES   $         12,000.00  

HERD REG. INCOME   $        2,000.00   CLUB FUNDING   $           3,000.00  

REGISTRATIONS INCOME   $      15,000.00   COMMITTEE EXPENSES   $         11,000.00  

TRANSFER INCOME  $        8,000.00   INSURANCE   $           1,500.00  

SHOW INCOME   $           200.00   LAWYERS FEES   $              500.00  

ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP   $        1,500.00   MEMBERSHIP PACKS   $           1,200.00  

FULL MEMBERSHIP  $      28,000.00   NEWSLETTER EXPENSES   $           6,500.00  

JUNIOR MEMBERSHIP   $           150.00   HERD REGISTER EXPENSES   $           1,500.00  

    MERCHANDISE EXPENSE   $              350.00  

      MERCHANDISE CALENDARS   $           1,300.00  

      NEWSLETTER CONTRACT   $           2,750.00  

      PUBLICITY EXPENSES   $           6,000.00  

      BULL ASSESSMENT EXPS   $           2,000.00  

      REGISTRATION EXPENSES   $           1,000.00  

      REGISTRAR CONTRACT   $         13,000.00  

      ROYAL SOCIETY FEES ‐ Subs   $           1,100.00  

      ROYAL SOCIETY FEES ‐ Exps   $           1,200.00  

      SECRETARY CONTRACT   $           1,500.00  

      SHOW/VIRTUAL SHOW EXPENSES   $              500.00  

      AUDIT   $              500.00  

      DNA ON‐CHARGE   $              750.00  

TOTAL INCOME   $   74,200.00   TOTAL EXPENSES   $     73,800.00  

Excess income/expenditure    $           400.00  

2011 Budget Surplus   $     400.00    

BUDGET 2012

The Council would like to hear from members who have an interest, time and energy to help them develop the Society. These roles would be on an unpaid, voluntary, basis and would report to the

Council via the respective sub-committee of the Council.

Archivist

Although a relatively young organisation we have already amassed a significant amount of his-torical material that needs careful preserving. The Archivist will:

Manage the indexing and storage of the physical and electronic records and docu‐ments of the Society 

Actively research and seek out material that may be useful to have archived Develop articles of member interest for our magazine and web site that build on 

the archived information 

Merchandise Sales

Over recent years our merchandise range has lost a bit of its glamour and relevance to members. As the person responsible for merchandise sales you will:

Identify and source merchandise that is of interest and saleable to our members Put in place the advertising and promotions and sales processes needed to 

achieve the budgeted level of sales Manage stock levels and gross margins to equal or exceed the Society’s financial 

budget for merchandise. 

Advertising Sales

NZHCS has excellent opportunities to maximise the use of our magazine, web site and other electronic newsletters to meet the advertising needs of our members and our suppliers. Looking after our advertising sales you would:

Develop a cohesive advertising strategy (including pricing) across all our media. Develop and exceed the Society’s annual sales target. Work with Noelene, the editor of our magazine, and with the web site administra‐

tor to ensure advertising quality and deadlines are maintained 

Web Site

Administrator

Under Michelle Urquhart’s guidance our web site has developed significantly. The Council wish to make sure it continues to meet the needs of members. As Web site administrator you will:

Actively manage web site content to ensure it is current and relevant. Work closely with the editor of the magazine to ensure content is consistent 

across the media Monitor site usage and member/prospective member feedback on what they 

would like included on the site Working with Michelle you will Identify opportunities for greater use of on‐line 

forms, payment, electronic newsletters etc. and manage the relationship with our web developers and hosting provider 

If any of these roles sound appealing give Doug Maclean a call on 021 982 696, 06 328 8778 or email at [email protected].

ENTHUSIASM WANTED!

REMIT 3 UPDATE

Please note that whilst the Council is working with the wording of this remit, it is not a Council remit; it is a member’s remit as pre-sented at the 2011 AGM. An outline of a reworded remit was presented to council at its November meeting. Wording improvements will continue to be made by the subcom-mittee tasked with completing it but council feels that a well worded remit to remove conflict with other clauses can be achieved. This will be simpler than changing individual wording of all af-fected clauses. Ultimately better defining “breeder” and “owner” will resolve almost all conflicts. The wording being developed will effectively mean that- In the event of a sale of an in calf cow the purchaser of the cow will be recorded as the owner of the calf. However the member

COUNCIL CORNER

Council met on Nov 8th in Rotorua. The finance committee has been busy putting together the budget for the 2012 financial year and there has been some significant reductions in both income and expenses due to the downward trend of registration numbers. Their recom-mendations were accepted by council and we are all charged with keeping a very close watch on all spending going for-ward. The number of unpaid memberships is of concern to council. A plea to members is to pay on time – a $10 discount applies for early payment. We rely on membership fees to provide many member services such as the magazine and website. A subcommittee was formed to investigate improvements to the bull assessment system – this committee will be looking to set some goals for breed improvement and then look to a system of bull assessment to aid achievement of these goals. All options mooted to date have advantages and disadvan-tages and no doubt there will be some robust discussion. They will also review the Vet Check test which is awaiting completion in the North Island. As agreed, council is working on wording to enable remit 3 to be re presented at the 2012 AGM. A basic concept was out-lined but there does need to be more work on it. The aim is to ensure that all other affected clauses are taken into account with this remit and that the constitution remains functional as a result. Show passport progress was discussed at length – we have put through a significant number of animals but there are

many yet to be completed and progress is exceedingly slow. NZLHS are right up to date with all submitted animals having been processed. At the time of writing NHR are well behind but are working through the backlog very slowly. This has meant we have struggled to get passports completed for spring shows. Council has decided that applications made by our members for animals that clearly do not have verifiable 4 or 5 genera-tion pedigrees will not be submitted in to the process. Any such animals submitted to date have been turned down by the other Highland Societies and generally we would have to agree with this. In most cases no documentation is available to prove the required number of generations. The organisation for the 2012 AGM in Tauranga is well under-way – Judy Smyth and her team are planning a great event for us. There has been little progress on the International Gathering Event – however Doug Sheldon and his team will be ramping up efforts over the coming months – if you have an idea or wish to contribute in any way please make contact with Doug or your local councillor. Calendars have been printed and look good they are the one stop source for important dates and reminders. It is time to update member information – the requests will be with your 2012 membership invoices. Cynthia Christie President

who owned the cow at mating would be recorded as the breeder and the calf's name would be “xyz of breeders fold name”. As per the wishes of the original proposer of the remit the onus would be placed on the owner for identification, naming registration and all costs associated with that. Also to meet the reasoning as explained by the proposer of Remit 3 wording will be included to indicate that the breeder may place re-strictions around the registration of the calf in a separate document lodged with the society. The conflict the original remit posed with the breeder status of ET calves will be resolved by a clear statement. The wording proposal to date has been forwarded to the original pro-poser of remit 3 for further input and comment and as we have previ-ously advised will be presented to members for their voting at the 2012 AGM NZHCS Council

PRESIDENTS REPORT

Spring has been kind to most of us this season with no severe weather events as occurred last spring. Feed is abundant and stock should all be in excellent condition enabling cows to milk well and young stock to grow quickly. I held a rather disturbing conversation with a member a week or so ago. They had purchased a cow from another breeder which turned out to be a very aggressive and angry animal. They feared for the safety of themselves and their chil-dren as it took a run at anything that approached the paddock it was in. It couldn't be handled, was dangerous in the yards not only to people but itself as well. The TB tester simply re-fused to come to the property. This experience has of course put them off - “Highlanders have been advertised as cute and cuddly, friendly .............” So where do our responsibilities lie as owners of live-stock? This animal quite clearly had a poor temperament. Temperament good or bad is inherited and when selecting animals to go in to the herd good temperament must be at the top of the priority list as a selection criteria. Be tough and do not retain any animals that show signs of poor temperament within the herd. If something happens during an animals life and it turns “bad”– send it to the works. In my opinion there is absolutely no room for animals that have behavioural problems within the greater Highland herd (or any herd) and there is only one place for an animal that is not docile – the freezing works ASAP. Most members will have observed that the market for Highlanders has been quite depressed of late – almost impos-sible to sell and at very poor prices. However it is also notice-able that good quality stock is selling and for acceptable prices. While the recession can be blamed for some of this I believe it is timely to reflect on what other underlying reasons there may be that are affecting our breed so badly when other breeds are achieving good prices in the sale yards and at the processors. Reflection, however, is not going to put the dollars in the bank so what are we – Highland breeders – going to do to change things? The solutions may not be that easy to achieve and may be ultimately unpalatable to some. I believe that the future of the breed is at a cross roads and it is important that the right choices are made. The Society has an important role to play but the ultimate decisions and responsibility that goes with breed improvement belong to the individual breeder. With our spring lambs (mostly twins) cracking growth rates of 450g/day since birth, thus enabling a quick turnaround and capturing the excellent prices on offer, one has to wonder what chance many Highland breeders have of moving their stock to market when some growth rates as observed via the bull assessment scheme are not much more than that of the above lambs. This in a time when they have to compete with other breeds who have made very visible and profitable gains through years of tough selection policy based on objective measurements. The beef finisher doesn't have a choice they have to buy the steer or heifer that is going to grow well within the shortest time frame possible – their business will not survive otherwise. I refer you back to Sue Cole's article in this maga-zine a year or so ago – she was absolutely spot on with her comments. Beef farmers get their returns from efficiency of weight gain – that is as many kilos of meat as possible in the shortest time possible. Kilos pay and any attempt to sell animals that don't meet the market will result in poor prices and ultimately

perpetuating the concept amongst the beef industry that Highlanders are a poor buy. So why do we find ourselves in this place? Is it the amount and quality of feed on offer or more seriously is it no selection for growth or productive efficiency that is almost sending our breed into the lamb growth rate range rather than the beef category? As breeders do you select animals for entry in to the herd book using any criteria at all – e.g. growth, tempera-ment? Do you as breeders provide enough high quality feed for growth? Growing good feed in sufficient quantities is a con-scious decision that takes hard work and money. Little se-lection and feed = poor returns from Highlands = little in-vestment in feed and selection = poor growth = poor returns = even less investment = poorer returns = disillusionment with the breed – the pattern is clear. In contrast those that have set goals for herd im-provement and put the investment in to feeding as well as breeding will see the results – they will say that it does re-quire effort and planning and time. But – they are then caught by the poor reputation perpetuated in the market. This is disheartening and something we must work towards changing. Within the greater Highland herd there are animals that grow quickly and have meat in all the right places – these are the ones we should be identifying and using to improve the overall capability of the herd. So what action do we take? Last February your council advocated (via the maga-zine) that breeders should be recording growth rates. 200 day weight (weaning) was identified as a time that was most convenient as stock is in the yards. It would be good to get some feedback from those who made the effort – send in your numbers for the database. We can then collate and publish some statistics about the state of the national High-land herd from a productivity perspective. Once there is a benchmark to work from the Society can aid breeders to improve their productivity and also the lift the Highland breed to the place in the beef industry that it does deserve. Change will not be immediate and the longer we delay the longer it will be before Highland Cattle become accepted in the market. There is a lot of good information on feeding and pastures available and these topics are often the subject of discussion at regional field days. Farmers are usually willing to share concepts and information – get along to field days in your district or talk to your neighbours. Even a few small management changes on you property could make a huge difference. By the time of publication the show season will be well underway around the country – The Royal Show held in Waikato, the Canterbury Show in Christchurch as well as many smaller shows out in the regions. I wish all exhibitors success and I also thank those who contribute their time as judges, stewards and show organisers. If you haven't attended a regional activity – please make the time to go to the next one in your area. Its a great way to meet other breeders, swap ideas and get questions answered and most importantly have some fun. Merry Christmas Cynthia Christie, President

Allister McLagan Stewart

REMITS

With the ongoing effort to improve process and avoid some of the issues arising from the 2011 AGM some pointers on how to write and present a remit are timely. Remits seek to change a rule or regulation or may in-troduce a new rule or regulation in to the constitution.

Remits may be put forward by any full member of the NZHCS.

A remit must be signed by the proposer and a sec-onder. Both must be the nominated voter of a membership.

(If you wish to put forward or second a remit and can-not remember if you are the nominated voter for your membership – call the secretary. She will be able to provide that information from the database.) Remits:

1. Must always begin with ‘That’ 2. Must only deal with one issue 3. Must be succinct/concise/clear 4. Must be researched to insure that it doesn’t con-

tradict/or is contradicted by another area of the consti-tution

5.If a new clause is to be created the remit must say so, and also say what it should be called, and make sure that there is no other cause it can be confused with.

The proposer must provide an explanation of and rea-soning for the remit. Voting members will make their decision “yes or no” based on the quality of the infor-mation that is provided. Be concise and clear and ac-curate. When received by the society remits are perused by Council. Council may seek further information from the

proposer, they may also suggest wording changes or improvements to the proposer who then can opt to make changes prior to the final acceptance date for remits. Council also may provide further information or a recommendation to members regarding a remit. Remits will be available for discussion by regional groups and members well before the AGM so that they can be well considered by members. This will be after the formal closing date for remits. Anyone who proposes a remit should attend the AGM. Voting: The new constitution allows several forms of voting to be utilised, including electronic once systems are in place. In 2012 voting will be by formal postal vote or by show of hands at the AGM. Postal votes are sent directly to the returning officer who checks their valid-ity and provides a certified list of results to the Society.

At the AGM: The proposer of a remit is invited to speak to their re-mit and the seconder is also allowed to speak.

The remit is then opened up for discussion from the floor.

Followed by ‘right of reply’ by the proposer The chair will then call for a vote by a show of hands – only nominated voters can vote. Postal votes and personal votes are then tallied and the result announced.

Amendments to remits No amendments to a remit can be made at the AGM.

Withdrawal of a remit

It is with much sadness that we advise the passing of Allister at his home at Mortlake, Australia on the 1st of November 2011.

Allister will be remembered by the Australian and New Zealand Highland Cattle Societies for his love of, and dedication to the Highland breed. He was a formation founder of the Australian Highland Cattle Society. Through his interest in the breed he touched many within the breed and helped many breeders start off on the road of a Highland Cattle Fold owner.   Allister was also an integral part of the formation of NZHCS.  He was instrumental in creating our Society by dedicating his time and assessing the original animals that joined the NZHCS.  

He was able to tend his beloved cows before he went to sleep for the last time.   

We pass on our sincere condolences to Davina and family. 

Magazine Extra Copies

Available $3.50

Contact:secretary

Pay directly to the New Zealand Highland Cattle

Society bank account number 15 3953 0511620 00.

Please ensure your name and service ie, transfer, registration, etc appears as reference

Back copies of Herd Regis-ters available for $25.00

Contact: Registrar

NZHCS Council 2011 President Cynthia Christie 03 302 2656 [email protected] Vice Presidents Doug Sheldon 09 420 4065 09 420 4085 [email protected] Doug Maclean 06 328 8778 [email protected] Councillors Martin McLeod 09 292 8225 [email protected] Judy Smyth 07 543 0925 [email protected] James Brown 03 2258014 [email protected] Gary Campbell 03 3273600 [email protected]   Garth Gadsby 06 756 6495 [email protected] David Leslie 03 693 7499 [email protected] NZHCS Registrar/Secretary/Treasurer NZHCS Magazine Jenny McDonald Noelene Gallagher 220B Oturoa Road, PO Box 136 RD2, Rotorua, 3072 Drury, 2247 Ph: 07 332 3953 Ph: 09 292 7923 Fx: 07 332 3954 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

Year Letter 1 Jun'11-30 May'12

Advertising (including GST) 1/8 page (b &w) $30.00 (colour) $60.00 ¼ page (b&w) $60.00 (colour) $120.00 ½ page (b&w) $120.00 (colour) $240.00 Full (b&w) $250.00 (colour) $350.00

Full membership $100 If paid before 31st March $90 Associate/Junior $55 If paid before 31st March $50 Herd registration $60 Bull assessment - home $60 Bull assessment – away $170 Bull assessment – out of season $565

AI assessment $115 Registration – female $35 Registration – male $135 Registration – late female only —over 12 months $70 Transfers $40 Transfer from a non-member - application fee $80

Fees (inclusive of GST)

Sub Committee Members Policy: Doug Maclean (Chair) , Garth Gadsby, Cynthia Christie

Finance: Martin McLeod (Chair), Doug MacLean, Jenny McDonald

Breed Management (covering aspects of herdbook management, bull assessment and beef): Cynthia Christie (Chair), Doug Sheldon, Doug MacLean, James Brown, Judy Smyth, Jenny McDonald, David Leslie

Bull Assessment co-ordinators: Martin McLeod and Doug Maclean—North Island co-ordinators. James Brown and David Leslie—South Island co-ordinators

Promotions, Magazine and Marketing: Doug Sheldon (Chair), Gary Campbell, Garth Gadsby,

International Gathering: Doug Sheldon (Chair), Michelle Urquhart, Judy Smyth, Martin McLeod

PLEASE NOTE The New Zealand Highland Cattle Society animal registration certificates, member lists and herd registers are the intellectual property of the Society and are therefore copyright. Paper or electronic copies of our herd register should only be shared with Society members. The specific animal information contained on the registration certificates remains the property of the breeders who have supplied that information. At your discretion a copy may be provided to others provided the copyright of the certificate to the Society is noted. When you transfer an animal to a New Zealand Highland Cattle Society member they will be issued with a new certificate. For members’ privacy (as required under the Privacy Act) paper or electronic copies of member lists should not be handed over to anyone other than New Zealand Highland Cattle Society members.

Articles for newsletter to: Noelene Gallagher

PO Box 136 DRURY 2247

[email protected] Phone 021 211 9456

Deadlines—1st of each month: 1st February

1st April 1st July

1st November

NZHCS caps $20.00 each (one size)

NZHCS shirts Blue shirts available in various sizes Mens short sleeve $52.00 Mens long sleeve $52.00 and Womens 3/4 sleeve $52.00

Umbrella $22.50 White and blue with Society logo on two panels

Members Kit $15.00 Updated members kits in leather like folder with gold embossing with easy reference tab dividers

If you wish to purchase any of these products contact the secretary on [email protected]

or 07 3323303

If you are a member pay directly to the New Zealand Highland Cattle Society bank account

number 15 3953 0511620 00. Please ensure your name and product ie, shirt, cap etc appears as reference

Polar fleece vest $40.00 Various mens and womens sizes—great for chilly days in the show ring

Sets of 6 Cards $16.00 incl postage 2 different sets of landscape blank cards with Highland Cattle on the front

Shower proof outer, fleece lined long sleeved Jacket Size: xs/s/m/l/xl/xxl Colour: Black/Blue $115.00 including postage

All prices include GST. Postage extra unless indicated.

Glass Paperweight, approx 10cm diameter, with a black felt bottom, comes in a presenta-tion box, $25 plus postage.

Novice and training class for newcomers, contact Grant Watts 034811775 for assistance

Schedules can be obtained from www.northotagoshow.co.nz

Raffle tickets available Nationwide from your Councillor, or contact Secretary Katrina Kelly 034346422, email [email protected] for a four draw raffle comprising a Highland Bull china ornament (made in Scotland), a Highland cattle painting on canvas, a bottle of Tobermory 15 year old single malt Whiskey, matured on the Isle of Mull and a set of whiskey tumblers etched with a Highland head. The funds from this raffle are to be used to encourage newcomers into

showing and to assist and support exhibitors during the 2014 Gathering.

Sponsorship for prizes for this show exceed $2,000 in value

A big thanks to major sponsors - Whiskey Galore, CRT, Scottish Shop, Langside Fold

A NZHCS 'trophad' (come along) Gathering

Saturday 25th February,

starting 9am Oamaru A & P Showgrounds,

Oamaru (in con-junction with North Otago A & P Show)

Trophies - Excell Breeding Services Trophy - Supreme

NZHCS Senior Bull trophy Hamish of Cruachan Trophy - yearling bull

MacRose Trophy - bull calf NZHCS Senior Cow trophy

E & N Clark trophy - Yearling heifer Pottidoon trophy - heifer calf

2012 South Island Highland Cattle Show