NBA Autumn Magazine 2023

Autumn 2023 | ISSUE 28
Regional Round Ups
Guest Writers
News & Industry
Health
Breed Societies
WIN!
A COMPLETE
BEEF MANAGEMENT
BUNDLE WORTH
£1025
NO CASH ALTERNATIVE
SEE PAGE 05
OFFICIAL MAGAZINE
FOR EVERYONE WITH AN INTEREST IN THE BEEF INDUSTRY

Contents
Autumn 2023
ISSUE 28
30
EDITOR
Julie Holmes
National Beef Association
Concorde House
24 Warwick New Road
Leamington Spa
Warwickshire
CV32 5JG
01434 601005
julie@nationalbeefassociation.com
34
DEPUTY EDITOR
Neil Shand
ceo@nationalbeefassociation.com
CHAIRMAN
Robert Venner
ADVERTISING
Julie Holmes
01434 601005
julie@nationalbeefassociation.com
DESIGN, PRINT & PUBLISHING
Ghost Design Consultants
A National Beef Association Publication
A specialist organisation open to
everyone with an interest in the UK
beef industry.
Company No. 3678612
12
14
NATIONAL BEEF ASSOCIATION MAGAZINE
AUTUMN 2023: Issue 28
NEXT ISSUE: WINTER 2023
NBA give notice that no part of this
publication may be reproduced, stored
in a retrieval system, or transmitted in
any form or by any means electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or
otherwise, without prior consent of the
publishers. Every care is taken when
compiling editorial and advertisements
and the publishers can accept no
responsibility for errors or omissions
arising from publication. Views
expressed and information contained
in The National Beef Association
Magazine are not necessarily those
of the Editor or of the National Beef
Association who cannot therefore be
held responsible for any reason arising
therefrom. Neither the Association, the
Publisher nor the Editors endorses any
services or products advertised in this
Magazine.
18
Regulars
Chairmans report 4
CEO Report 6
Regional Round Ups 20-21
Parasite Watch 24
Breed Society Focus - Charolais 34-35
Breed Society News 36-39
Features
TB Advisory Service event boasts expert line-up
and collaborative approach to a TB free future 8
AHDB’s We Eat Balanced campaign
champions ‘British’ meat and dairy 10
Reaching out to the next generation
of livestock auctioneers 12
Antibiotic use recording proves what
a good job the UK ruminant sector does 13
Guest Auctioneer - Iain Soutar, Director -
Southern Counties Auctioneers 14
KiwiKit Roxan soon known as Datamars Livestock 16
What does a regenerative system
mean for cattle health and welfare? 18-19
Energy Efficiency in Beef 28
Scottish suckler herd overhauls
calving and health management 30-31
Genomics set to unlock beef potential 32
AUTUMN 2023 | The National Beef Association Magazine 03

Chairman’s Welcome
Welcome to the Autumn
edition of Beef magazine
Robert Venner
In the Spring edition of this magazine
I wished for a grassy year after last
year’s drought and thankfully we’ve
got one but it’s not been all plain
sailing. A really late cold wet Spring in
these parts meant farmers had to turnout
having exhausted their silage stocks.
One Saturday at market everyone was
saying every bullock has five mouths,
as they trod in more than they ate. Then
it came really dry really quickly and
two Saturday’s later one or two started
saying “We could do with some rain you
know”, which seemed ridiculous. The
dry period continued so many early dairy
first cuts were light and then just as the
beef and sheep men started to think
about a cut, it started to rain again. And
it has rained pretty much every day since
until today (16 th August) when we’ve had
two nice days in a row. As both my sons
are currently corn carting in the East, I
sympathise with the corn boys. I’m now
wishing for an Indian Summer so the
plentiful grass can be utilised and the
corn and straw gathered.
Like the weather, trade has also been
very “volatile”. From an all time high beef
price of over £5/kg, we are now around
£4.50. I’ve heard several explanations.
The temporary closure of Scotch Beef’s
Bridge of Allen plant and the closure
of the wholesaler Kesbury Limited in
Somerset have not helped. Mention of
the plentiful availability of Polish cow
beef and trim on the wholesale market
has dampened demand. The much
talked about “cost of living crisis” is
stated as mostly to blame, not only
domestically but also world wide as
the world price of beef is lower. Latest
AHDB reports state domestic demand
is down below 2022 due to the cost of
living. Ironically Food service is positive
but those gains are outweighed by the
decline in retail.
A concern is the Irish cattle price. The
latest EU price data available is for the
week ending 30 th July and Irish cattle
prices have continued to fall. That week
the Irish R3 steer price averaged an
equivalent £4.12/kg. A price which would
not be welcomed over here.
Encouragingly however for pricing, UK
prime cattle slaughter stats for July
show a 4% reduction on June and a
2% reduction on July 2022. July cow
slaughter was 3% down on June and 4%
down on July 22. This should at least
stop the price falls and we have certainly
seen a firmer trade the last two weeks
through the fat and store rings. It will
be interesting to see the overseas trade
figures for June to gauge import levels
because if increased imports are being
used to continue to drive down prices,
many feeders who bought stores this
Spring will not be happy.
The “cost of living crisis” although acute
for some is a matter of priorities for
others. Everyone is entitled to spend
their disposable income as they like but
you can’t eat mobile phones, Netflix,
Niki trainers or Greek holidays. The cost
of production and absence of profit has
been a crisis in farming for many years.
Today’s consumers have grown up in a
time of cheap food. We have seen some
shelves devoid of certain products this
Spring and that could become a more
common sight. As the Single Farm
Payment reduces, which was part of a
policy to encourage the production of
cheap food, farmers will look at their
profit margins more closely and if there’s
no money in it, they won’t produce it. We
are already experiencing a rush of dairy
herd sales due to the low milk price.
Suckler cow sales have been higher in
number this Summer than expected.
Consumers are going to have to learn to
value their food again. I heard a lady on
Radio 4 recently argue that an overseas
holiday is an essential, primarily on the
basis of metal well being. I’m all for
mental wellbeing but a holiday is not
an essential. Food is and when monies
are tight consumers are going to have
to realign their priorities to what is truly
essential. Physical well being and the
avoidance of hunger leading to mental
well being, more so than a week on the
beach.
Politically it was good to see Robert
Goodwill, the chairman of EFRA urge
the Government to commit to a “sea
change” in its attitude towards food
self-sufficiency, which now stands at
54%. This reinforces the very point
Neil has been raising in the press and
at every opportunity he has had when
he meets a Minister or Government
official, that food security is paramount.
This message went right to the heart of
Government when Neil sent his open
letter to Rishi Sunak on this very point.
Future empty shelves would no doubt
activate Government to encourage
domestic production but lets hope they
listen to Neil before that happens.
The show season is underway and it has
been good to see many members out
promoting British Beef by showing their
stock. I had the pleasure of judging my
first Interbreed at Okehampton Show last
week, which was made really enjoyable
by the fantastic quality of the breed
champions in the final line up. I have no
doubt with the quality of cattle on show
and the enthusiasm amongst exhibitors
that the beef industry in Britain has a
great future.
We at the NBA just need to keep pushing
to ensure it is fair and that British
producers have a future.
04 The National Beef Association Magazine | AUTUMN 2023

NBA
i t
i o n
C omp e t
i v e
l u s
WIN
A COMPLETE BEEF
MANAGEMENT
BUNDLE
E x c
Imagine feeling in complete control of your entire herd - knowing your best
performers and underperformers, understanding your true production costs
and having all your compliance data neatly in one place.
With SUM-IT's Total Beef (starting at just £345), you have a complete herd
management tool accessed from your PC, phone or tablet, even with no
internet. Gain complete peace of mind and identify where you can grow profits.
SUM-IT are giving away a complete beef management bundle worth £1,025:
'Total Beef' premium level cattle software (lifetime ownership)
Livestock app (12 month license)
Rugged 7” tablet with case
12 months Gold support
FREE Entry: Simply point your phone camera at the QR code
or visit www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/SUM-IT
We use the Total Beef herd app and
can not live life with out it!
www.sum-it.co.uk
Mixed Farm, Ashbourne, Derby

Chief Executive’s Report
Neil Shand
Chief Executive
The last three years have seen
some remarkable variations
in price for the beef trade,
mostly – although certainly not
all – positive. Price stability throughout
production is something that our
industry desperately needs. Beef is not
an instant product, and for an industry
where profitability can hinge on the
British weather, we need as much
external consistency as we can get!
When Covid hit in March 2020,
farmgate price was around £3.40/kilo.
This spring, prices peaked at £5.20
a level of change that nobody could
have predicted in just three years.
Of course, there have been many
outside forces at work lifting prices
upwards; the pandemic saw British beef
favoured at the expense of imported
beef as some trade routes were closed
and food service outlets - the main
consumers of imported product - were
forced to close. The weather in early
lockdown cried out for barbecues, and
with the majority either working from
home or being paid to stay at home,
sales soared, and demand drove price
upwards. Post pandemic, just as some
stability was returning, Putin marched
into Ukraine, causing an increase in
input costs that - initially at least - blew
all profits from the price increase out
of the water. For the first six to twelve
months post-invasion, timing played a
massive role in profitability. For those
who had pre-purchased fertiliser, were
self-sufficient in feed, and were a
breeder finisher, good returns were still
achievable. Unfortunately, for those
who sold weaned calves in the autumn
and didn’t have fertiliser or feed already
bought in, the losses were potentially
massive. In the last 3 months, we
have seen a price drop of an average
60p/kilo- that’s £240 on a 400 kilo
carcase. These staggering variances are
unsustainable, especially when suckler
cow numbers are in decline. There is
only so much beef that can come from
the dairy herd - dairy cow numbers are
dropping too, as are the prevalence
of dairy bull calves. The dairy farmer
will, quite rightly, look to his own
profits first, and the increasing use of
sexed semen means less beef entering
the food chain. With the changes in
agricultural funding post-Brexit, it is
imperative that we develop an industry
that is less volatile in terms of price
fluctuation, and one which actively
encourages investment in suckler cows,
in particular from young farmers and
new entrants.
So, what can be done? Farming
Minister Mark Spencer has
indicated there will be a deep dive
by Government into fairness in
the supply chain and beef pricing,
similar to that currently underway
with milk contracts.
This will initiate
transparency, and we
should welcome this when
it arrives. The review
will also be expected to
highlight the ludicrous
differences in agricultural
support across the
devolved UK. In terms
of food production,
self-sufficiency, and in
particular food security,
devolution simply doesn’t
work. I do hope this is
realised before it’s too
late.
The question to ask is what can we
do to help ourselves? Looking around
mainland Europe, they use the ‘strength
in numbers’ cards extremely well,
using buying cooperatives to purchase
feed and fertiliser, and using the same
methods in terms of selling produce.
Those with bigger numbers to play with
hold the power. Why can’t we succeed
in the UK with these? We should learn
from this; perhaps de-fragment the
industry and become more ambitious
in terms of buying groups and cooperatives.
At the time of writing,
the base price for beef is £4.60. The
producer who has large numbers of
in-spec cattle can expect a selling price
of as much as £4.85 - the difference is
£100 per head on a 400-kilo carcase.
It’s robbery for the smaller producer,
who is arguably just as important in
the bigger picture. Several months
ago, via the newsletter, I reached out
to find farmers who are interested in
creating a marketing group for finished
cattle; I received one response. Why?
Because trade was good enough?
Apathy? It seems to me that it would
be a much more attractive proposition
for processors to be able to purchase
higher numbers of cattle from one
source rather than seeking 200 head
from 12 different producers. Their costs
would be lower, which would enable
them to offer a better price. It makes
sense to create these groups while the
trade is strong, rather than waiting until
the market is challenged. So how about
it? Is there demand for a marketing
group out there? If you are interested
in hearing more, please contact info@
nationalbeefassociation.com Let’s start
to mould our own future.
06 The National Beef Association Magazine | AUTUMN 2023

“ Hydration of calves with
OsmoFit is easy and key
to maintaining health,
performance and growth.”
Dr. Laura Tennant
Young Animal Feed
Technical Adviser
Trouw Nutrition GB
For more details about
OsmoFit contact Laura at
trouwnutrition.co.uk/osmofit

Industry News
TB Advisory Service event boasts
expert line-up and collaborative
approach to a TB free future
Representatives from across the
livestock sector are being invited
to attend a TB Advisory Service
(TBAS) conference, to hear a panel
of experts reflect on the past 10 years of the
TB Eradication Scheme for England and look
forward to what the next 15 years may bring.
The conference, entitled ‘A collaborative
approach towards a TB free future’ is taking
place on 29 November, at Sixways Stadium in
Worcester. The conference will be supported
by Defra, the bTB Partnership and the main
sponsor IDEXX.
Sarah Tomlinson, technical director at TBAS -
which offers livestock farmers in England free
biosecurity advice to protect their animals
from bovine tuberculosis - is delighted to
share news of the event.
“This is a unique
opportunity to bring
together all those involved
in TB control, working
towards a collaborative
approach.”
“Our aim for the conference is to discuss the
question ‘Is TB freedom really a possibility by
2038?’ through a series of discussion panels
as well as Q & A sessions,” she says.
Guest speakers include Lord Benyon, Defra
Minister of State, and Jude McCann from
the Farming Community Network (FCN)
who is undertaking research to understand
the impact of TB on UK farmers’ health and
wellbeing.
Panel sessions will also be held with
stakeholders including representatives from
the bTB Partnership, Defra, BCVA and NFU
as well as vets, dairy farmers and TBAS
advisers.
Sarah Tomlinson
“Because TBAS is a trusted brand, giving
bespoke TB advice to farmers, we feel we
open up honest conversation about how we
can all help to produce the TB free future we
all want,” explains Mrs Tomlinson.
“We’re trying to reduce the risk of TB
breakdowns on farm by helping implement
certain measures, but we need everyone
connected to farming to work together to be
able to put an end to TB outbreaks.”
NBA members
can enjoy a 25%
discount.
Enter code
NBATB25 when
purchasing your
tickets.
What is TBAS?
TBAS is in its sixth year and is a Defra funded
project that offers free, bespoke, practical,
and cost-effective advice to all eligible
farmers in England, helping reduce the risks
associated with TB.
TBAS is delivered by Farmcare Solutions
Limited, a joint venture between VetPartners
Limited, Obligace Limited, Independent
Vetcare Limited (IVC) and UK Farmcare
Limited.
The project represents over 488 veterinary
practices, 6,500 veterinary surgeons and 42
veterinary technicians in England, providing
farm animal veterinary services to 60% of all
cattle holdings in England.
Project management and practical delivery
of the service is provided by Kingshay, part of
the VetPartners group, and UK Farmcare Ltd.
To date, TBAS has trained over 300 advisers
across the country to deliver on farm advice
to farmers. Over 1,200 farms have benefitted
from the service within the current project
term.
For further information, to find out about
opportunities to lead sessions or sponsor the
event, please contact the Kingshay office on
01458 851555 or email: admin@tbas.org.uk
08 The National Beef Association Magazine | AUTUMN 2023

With you every
breath of the way.
LIFELONG
PROTECTION *
The Rispoval vaccine range from Zoetis offers immunity against the
major causes of respiratory disease in beef and dairy cattle. So breathe
easy, knowing you are helping your herd to be healthy and productive
all the way to the finish line.
Find out more
Rispoval® RS+PI3 IntraNasal contains modified live Bovine PI3 virus, ts strain RLB103 and modified live BRSV, strain 375. POM-V • Rispoval® 2 contains attenuated BRSV strain 375 and PI3V ts strain RLB103
with an adjuvanted liquid fraction. POM-V • Rispoval® 3 contains modified live PI3 virus, strain RLB103 and BRSV strain 375 with inactivated adjuvanted BVDV type 1, strains 5960 (cytopathic) and 6309
(non-cytopathic). POM-V • Rispoval® 4 contains attenuated BRSV strain 375 and PI3V ts strain RLB103 with inactivated, adjuvanted IBR strain Cooper and BVDv Type 1 viruses cytopathic strain 5960 and
non-cytopathic strain 6309 minimum. POM-V • Rispoval® IBR-Marker Inactivated contains inactivated gE negative BHV-1 strain Difivac. POM-V • Rispoval® IBR-Marker Live contains attenuated gE negative
BHV-1 strain Difivac. POM-V • Rispoval® Pasteurella contains Pasteurella haemolytica biotype A, serotype 1 strain NL1009, together with an oil-in-water adjuvant. POM-V
For further information please see the products’ SPC or contact Zoetis UK Ltd, First Floor, Birchwood Building, Springfield Dr, Leatherhead, KT22 7LP • www.zoetis.co.uk
Customer Support: 0345 300 8034 or customersupportUK@zoetis.com • Use medicines responsibly (www.noah.co.uk/responsible). Date of preparation: August 2023. MM-27108
*The Rispoval range contains products for all life stages
AUTUMN 2023 | The National Beef Association Magazine 09

Industry News
AHDB’s We Eat Balanced
campaign champions ‘British’
meat and dairy
The term ‘British’ has been included in an Agriculture and Horticulture Development
Board (AHDB) marketing campaign for the first time, through the latest burst of We
Eat Balanced.
The highly acclaimed campaign
returned on 8 September to
reinforce the importance of British
Meat and Dairy in helping to form
part of a healthy and sustainable diet.
AHDB had previously been restricted from
using ‘British’ as the primary message
because of EU State Aid Rules. However,
earlier this year guidance on the new UK
rules, as part of The Subsidy Control Act,
was published, opening the way for this
change.
Running from 8 September until 22
October, the campaign is aimed at
promoting consumer awareness and
fostering long-term positive attitudes
towards naturally produced British red
meat and dairy.
Both the World Trade Organisation subsidy
rules and the new UK Subsidy Control Act
do not prevent AHDB from utilising ‘British’
and the ‘Union Flag’ in its marketing
campaigns, provided it does not disrupt
international trade. This allows AHDB to
better showcase its support to levy payers
and levy spend on promotional activities.
The change to the rules also allows AHDB
stands to more prominently feature the
Union Flag at future export events.
Like previous bursts of We Eat Balanced,
consumers will be informed about
the numerous nutritional benefits of
incorporating lean red meat and dairy to
their diet. These benefits include vitamin
B12, an essential nutrient not naturally
present in foods of plant origin.
The campaign advert will again feature
on social media, in newspapers, video on
demand and in the stores of eight major
supermarkets, where on-pack stickers will
include links to direct shoppers to healthy
meat and dairy recipes.
AHDB’s director of marketing, Liam Byrne,
said: “We’re incredibly proud that we’ve
raised the bar yet again with our industry
leading We Eat Balanced campaign.
“By incorporating the ‘British’ message,
that we know is important to consumers,
our aim is to highlight the exceptional
taste and quality of our home-grown meat
and dairy, while advocating its role in a
nutritionally balanced and sustainable diet.
“We believe that through these efforts,
we can foster a strong and enduring
connection between consumers and our
British farmers, who are so passionate
about providing quality and sustainable
food at every step of its journey, from field
to fork.”
The We Eat Balanced campaign forms
part of AHDB’s work in promoting and
defending the reputation of red meat and
dairy.
Reputation and marketing were highlighted
by Beef and Lamb and Dairy levy payers
as key areas of AHDB’s work, following the
organisation’s Shape the Future results.
This enabled levy payers for the first time to
be able to have their say on what work they
wanted AHDB to do on their behalf.
We Eat Balanced forms a key part of
this work and the latest phase of the
campaign builds on the success it has
already established, including reaching a
staggering 43 million adults, when it last
ran in Autumn 2022 and January 2023.
During that period of the campaign, nine
out of 10 consumers who saw the TV advert
agreed it successfully communicated meat
and dairy form part of a balanced diet.
More than 90 per cent of consumers who
saw the campaign on social platforms –
targeted at 18 to 25-year-olds – said they
felt reassured that British meat and dairy is
sustainable.
In addition, an AHDB PR campaign in
August 2022, reinforcing the role of
consumption of animal protein coincided
with World Iron Awareness Week. This was
subsequently selected as a finalist for the
PR Moment’s Public Sector Campaign
of the Year award and shortlisted for the
Creative Moments Awards and Dairy
Innovation Awards.
Mr Byrne added: “We Eat Balanced
celebrates the positive role meat and dairy
can play within a healthy, sustainable diet
and dispels negative myths. Over the last
three years the campaign has established
itself in providing consumers with facts
about a healthy, sustainable diet.
“The latest part of the
campaign builds on
this success, equipping
consumers with important
information about the
positive role red meat and
dairy can play in a balanced
diet.”
Levy payers and farming influencers are
encouraged to engage with the campaign
through its resources, assets and
merchandise. For more information, please
visit our website: weeatbalanced.co.uk, or
go to our Instagram and Facebook social
media channels.
10 The National Beef Association Magazine | AUTUMN 2023

The earliest and fastest
protection from BRSV and Pi3.
The broadest M. haemolytica
prevention. 1
Concurrent use of
Bovilis ® IBR Marker Live
and Bovilis ® Bovipast ® RSP.
Unique lungworm protection.
Contact us to find out how we can help protect the long-term
productivity of your herd or visit www.msd-animal-health-hub.co.uk
Reference: 1. Donachie W (2002) The development of vaccines containing iron-regulated proteins (IRPs) of Mannheimia (Pasteurella) haemolytica for the control of pasteurellosis in cattle. XXII World
Buiatrics Congress. Hanover.
Bovilis ® Bovipast ® RSP contains inactivated BRSV (strain EV908), Pi3 virus (strain SF-4-Reisinger) and inactivated Mannheimia (Pasteurella) haemolytica (serotype A1). POM-V. Bovilis ® Huskvac contains
viable Dictyocaulus viviparus 3rd stage irradiated larvae. POM-V. Bovilis ® IBR Marker Live contains live bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BHV-1), strain GK/D (gE¯)*: 10 5.7 - 10 7.3 TCID 50
**. *gE¯: glycoprotein E
negative. **TCID 50
: tissue culture infective doses 50%. POM-V. Bovilis ® INtranasal RSP Live contains live BRSV and Pi3. POM-V. Further information
is available from the respective SPC, datasheet or package leaflets. MSD Animal Health UK Limited. Registered office Walton Manor, Walton, Milton
Keynes MK7 7AJ, UK. Registered in England & Wales no. 946942. Advice should be sought from the medicine prescriber.
Use Medicines Responsibly.
© 2021 MSD Animal Health UK Limited.
UK-BOV-210500004

Industry News
Reaching out to the next
generation of livestock
auctioneers
A
call to inspire, enthuse and
support young people interested
in following a career in livestock
auctioneering was one of the key
messages coming out of this year’s AGM
of the Livestock Auctioneers’ Association
(LAA) Next Generation Group, in Darlington,
on Tuesday, 13 June.
In a new format event involving open forum
debates, some 20 Next Generation Group
members, representing young auctioneers
under the age of 40 from across England
and Wales, convened at Darlington
Farmers Auction Mart to address key topics
concerning the future of the industry.
“A common theme coming out of individual
debates was the lack of careers guidance
in schools for young people in education,
who may be interested in a career in
auctioneering, or the associated roles our
industry supports,” says Zanna Dennis, LAA
development officer.
“Through our open forums, and by sharing
personal experiences, we discussed
initiatives individual markets have instigated
to help bridge that gap, targeting primary
education right up to school-leavers and
college students,” she continues.
“There are so many opportunities in this
exciting industry. We want to encourage
the next generation of auctioneers, market
managers, drovers and administrators,”
adds Ms Dennis.
Having introduced the highly successful
Livestock Market: Operations and
Management course at Harper Adams
University, in conjunction with the Institute
of Auctioneers and Appraisers Scotland, the
LAA continues to work with its members to
develop further guidance and opportunities
for young people.
Re-elections
In the formal proceedings of the AGM,
LAA Next Generation Group chair Greg
Christopher of Hereford Livestock Market
and vice chair Will Alexander of Bentham
Auction Mart were re-elected for a second
term in their respective roles, continuing to
help drive future initiatives and feed into the
national LAA council.
Farm Visit
Prior to the AGM, the delegates visited
the impressive beef finishing operation at
Bracken House in Melsonby, farmed by the
Richardson’s since 1916. The farm finishes
between six and seven hundred head per
year, split between bulls and steers, with
finished bulls sold at Darlington Market.
Only the second farm in the UK to build a
roundhouse in 2004, Bracken House added
a further round building in 2019, holding a
total of 390-head, with integrated handling
systems. The hosts gave an in-depth
presentation and tour of the efficiencies
of the system, to great interest from the
delegation.
Productive meeting
As the newly re-elected chair of the LAA
Next Generation Group, Mr Christopher was
delighted with the day’s proceedings.
“It was another well attended event, and
our new open forum format, splitting into
three groups to discuss topics and feedback
into the main group, encouraged great
interaction and generated important points.
In turn we will put these views across to the
LAA national council,” he says.
“The farm tour was
excellent and informative,
from our very hospitable
hosts. The roundhouse
livestock buildings were
met with great interest.
I would also like to thank
Scott Ferrie and his team at
Darlington Farmers Auction
Mart for hosting the more
formal proceedings of the
AGM.”
Commenting on the next steps, LAA
executive secretary Chris Dodds adds,
“It is essential that we have a direct
line of communication throughout our
membership.
“The feedback from the LAA Next
Generation Group AGM strengthens our
resolve to inspire and hopefully welcome
young individuals interested in pursuing a
career in our industry, by helping to provide
the additional guidance and support they
need.”
12 The National Beef Association Magazine | AUTUMN 2023

Industry News
Antibiotic use recording proves
what a good job the UK ruminant
sector does
Medicine Hub is an industry-driven initiative supported by industry
representative organisations, milk and meat buyers, food processors,
retailers and the veterinary profession.
The Hub was developed by AHDB
at the request of industry and will
provide evidence of the ruminant’s
sector’s responsible approach to the
use of antibiotics.
“Antibiotics have a role in
managing the health of
animals and must be used
appropriately. But without
a national database to
measure use, it’s impossible
to provide evidence of what
is happening at a national or
individual farm level,” says
Neil Shand, NBA CEO.
“Without this, how can we effectively protect
the reputation of the UK ruminant sector?
Too many out there worry about the overuse
of antibiotics and what this may mean for
human medicine but, we know the sector has
a responsible approach. Sharing data with
Medicine Hub will allow us to demonstrate
this,” adds Mr Shand.
Now, with the addition of a recommendation
to upload data to Medicine Hub or an
equivalent in the new Red Tractor standards,
the speed at which a national picture is
developed should gather pace.
“Red Tractor has added this
recommendation in response to demand
from throughout industry – from retailers
to processors and veterinary organisations
to those representing farmers,” Neil Shand
explains.
Eager not to add to already heavy workloads
and to avoid the need to dual report, the
team behind Medicine Hub has been
working with practice management and
farm management software providers to
streamline the process.
“The majority of data so far, has got on to
Medicine Hub via vet practice software
as the primary source of veterinary sales
information. Involving the farm vet is often
the easiest route to put data on the Hub,’’
explains vet Mandy Nevel from Medicine
Hub. “The data will always belong to and be
under the control of the farmer. All you need
to do is grant full access permissions to your
practice and they can access the account in
the same way that you can.”
National data providing evidence for the
UK ruminant sector’s responsible use of
antibiotics will be an advantage in trading
negotiations with both EU and global
customers.
For an individual farmer tracking use over
time, benchmarking against other similar
farm types, and taking input from their vet
can be helpful in managing animal health and
responsible antibiotic use.
“Whether you are a low or average user or
periodically have had to use more antibiotics
than usual due to an unforeseen event,
the information is hugely valuable for our
industry,” adds Dr Nevel.
“In the first instance, farmers need to talk to
their vet. The vet practice holds information
on what has been prescribed and will be able
to register a farm or enterprise and upload
that data om the farmer’s behalf,” Mr Shand
explains.
“Accelerating the rate of data upload with
the addition of the recommendation that
Red Tractor members do so, will help the UK
get to a position where the ruminant sector
can provide proof of its high standards of
health management and responsible use of
antibiotics,” concludes Neil Shand.
To find out more, visit www.medicinehub.org.
uk .
AUTUMN 2023 | The National Beef Association Magazine 13

Guest Auctioneer | Iain Soutar
Guest
Auctioneer
Iain Soutar
Director - Southern Counties Auctioneers
‘Livestock Markets Remain Essential to
Smaller Scale Beef Producers’
I
have just received the latest NBA
newsletter by email, reminding
me that I had been invited
to write a few words as guest
auctioneer for this edition, so here
we go.
I sell the finished beef cattle and
cull cows at Salisbury Livestock
Market and have done this for
about 30 years in the case of the
finished cattle picking up the cows
post BSE. When we opened our
‘new’ market here in January 1996
we started with over 250 cull cows
and over 100 finished cattle but
this was stopped within 10 weeks
by BSE which completely changed
the beef industry and the character
of livestock markets with many
of the traditional cow purchasing
buyers and abattoirs disappearing.
The foot and mouth crisis of 2001
then closed the markets for a year
and whilst we attempted to sell as
much as possible privately this was
a period when many finished cattle
producers took their cattle direct to
the abattoir for the first time, and
never came back.
Now that the trade in over thirty
month beef has got back into the
mainstream it is hard to believe all
the different schemes and values
that we went through. When the
Older Cattle Disposal Scheme ended
in 2008 we were down to a value
of about £230 for those older cows
so I don’t suppose at that time we
would have believed that we would
be selling the same product for
over £2,000 fifteen years later. It is
great that value has returned for this
product which can be an important
part of a beef or dairy farmer’s
income and that the number of
wholesalers and abattoirs procuring
older beef has increased to produce
a competitive trade, I can remember
in the early days after sales were
allowed again having only one bidder
at ringside on occasions !
The problem for markets now
is not trade but getting enough
throughput, not only for their own
cashflow, but also for buyers to
be able to come and buy sensible
numbers. Looking at my latest
edition of the Farmer’s Guardian
according to their figures we sold 40
finished cattle and 21 cows in the
week, these low numbers were still
more than over 40 other markets
listed who either sold less or none
at all. However we still remain very
important to our customers, with
many markets having closed through
those dark years we now draw
our cull cows from eight different
counties and last year had 142
different vendors.
What has allowed us to continue
to provide this service at Salisbury
has been the big rise in the number
of store cattle coming through the
ring, in the year July 22 to June 23
we averaged over 350 cattle every
week with an average price of £840
producing the revenue to pay the
massive and every increasing bills
for rent, labour, water, effluent
and power. New markets are being
mooted but will they ever be built ?
What we do know is that we cannot
afford to lose any more, so in a
world where everybody seems to
be against beef farmers, the meat
industry and livestock markets in
particular it is very nice to have
bodies who support us like the
National Beef Association and we
are very pleased to support them.
One of the articles in the NBA
magazine was about the wonderful
‘Len’s Light Tractor Relay’ with one
of the things which it highlighted
being the importance of livestock
markets as social hubs helping
with mental health in the rural
community, I wonder if any of the
major retailers will ever be brave
enough to recognise this, start
using the markets, and use this for
positive promotion of their brand,
it could certainly be a game changer.
14 The National Beef Association Magazine | AUTUMN 2023

Find out more
FREE
REPLACEMENT
CATTLE & SHEEP TAGS
FOR LIFE - EVEN WHEN SOLD
T&Cs apply - Full details online
Working to help the livestock farmer
Coming Soon!
My FarmWorks
We are excited to
announce that we will
shortly be launching
a new version of our
popular software,
FarmWorks.
My FarmWorks is a
user friendly App. With
a refreshed look and
flexible layout, you can
tailor your needs and
it offers real value for
money.
Call or go online to
find out more!
TST Tags
Flag or Button
DNA tags also available
Pair of Tags & Test
(TST & another tag
& BVD test), from
£5.78
Single tag
£2.37
BVD Test
£2.88
MET Tag
Shearwell electronic
secondary cattle tag
£2.60
ShearWeigh Weigh Head
£544.50
ShearWeigh Load Bars - Heavy duty
4 tonne capacity Pair SW1000 £1,430
Prices correct June 2023 and exclude VAT and delivery.
Ip67
Call 01643 841611
Full range online www.shearwell.co.uk

Industry News
KiwiKit Roxan soon known as
Datamars Livestock
At KiwiKit Roxan soon known
as Datamars Livestock,
we aim to transform the
livestock industry with
our state-of-the-art data-driven
solutions. Empowering farmers
with technology to drive efficiency,
improve profitability, and promote
sustainable practices. Together we
want to unlock the full potential of
your livestock operation.
We also recognise the importance
of empowering future generations
with tools that prioritise animal
welfare and sustainability. Our
solutions enable you to implement
effective traceability measures and
ensure the highest standards of
animal care. You can rest assured
knowing that your livestock are
healthy, well-cared for, and meet the
stringent demands of consumers and
regulatory bodies.
Choose some cattle tags that
really do stay in and trust in Z Tag
including FREE REPLACEMENTS
Z Tags are the ultimate solution for
managing your livestock. Tagging
your calves should not be seen as a
necessary evil because you have to,
make them work for you too.
Unparalleled Application - The Z
Tag Z2 offers intuitive and efficient
tagging.
Superior Retention - Say goodbye to
lost or damaged tags. The Z2 range
is engineered for consistent, longlasting
performance in all conditions.
Trust in a legacy of
excellence - The Z Tag Z2
continues the tradition
of delivering top-notch
reliability, backed by
years of experience.
• Use a secondary colour other
than yellow to help distinguish
sex, sire or batch of calves
• If you are BVD testing or
thinking about it, opt of the Z
tag tissue sampling options
• Consider EID before it becomes
compulsory for quicker, easier
and safer identification
• Tagging calves correctly really
helps with retention, and a No
Tear Z tag applicator helps
the process and tag safe in
the knowledge that our range
includes free Replacements
Contact:
Selkirk Office – 01750 724110
Craven Arms Office – 01584 879959
Crymych Office – 01239 213120
16 The National Beef Association Magazine | AUTUMN 2023

MEET THE
Z2 TAG FAMILY
TISSUE
SAMPLING
FLAGS &
BUTTONS
COLOUR
& PRINT OPTIONS
EID
OFFICIAL CATTLE TAGS FROM AS LOW AS £1.75 / PAIR - INCLUDING FREE REPLACEMENTS!
Click the button below to get your
ticket to a successful season with
our Calving Take-Off Guide!
What’s included:
Q’s of colostrum
Vaccination
Reducing Illness
and much more!
Check out our full range of products
for efficient livestock management!
Download eBook
VISIT KIWIKITROXAN.CO.UK
PHONE 01750 724 110
IS NOW

Industry News
What does a regenerative
system mean for cattle
health and welfare?
Credit - FAI Farms
By helping to restore and regenerate a farm’s natural ecosystem, a
regenerative grazing strategy has the power to successively improve livestock
health and welfare.
Implementing an adaptive multi-paddock
(AMP) grazing system at FAI Farms
in Wytham, Oxfordshire, has not only
built soil health and improved pasture
productivity, but also achieved higher herd
health and welfare for our 77-head native
breed suckler herd.
The AMP system incorporates elements of
rotational grazing, such as short, intensive
grazing periods, but differs in terms of the
extended rest periods and higher grass
residuals. The aim is to mimic nature to
support and improve soil health.
At FAI, cattle graze cells of varying sizes for
1-3 days, depending on the time of year,
and required grazing impact. Many fields
contain highly diverse swards of over 100
different plant varieties, which regular stock
movements allow to grow long.
This approach has enabled outwintering,
which has massively saved on farm costs
and optimised herd health and welfare all
Laura Higham
year round – in turn, this has benefitted
business profit margins.
Opportunities to improve herd health and
welfare
By focusing on regenerating the farmland
ecosystem within grazing plans, farmers can
achieve multiple health and welfare benefits
for their cattle.
These include:
1. Improved parasite management
Planning regular moves with long rest
periods for each paddock means the cattle
don’t graze so closely to the ground, which
reduces the risk of them consuming worm
larvae that could be present in the pasture.
Shorter grazing periods also prevent
parasites from completing their life cycle in
the time the livestock are present on each
cell, curtailing their opportunity to infect
more cattle.
The result is improved parasite management
and reduced need for antiparasitics.
At the same time, dung beetles are given the
opportunity to get to work and thrive on the
pasture.
18 The National Beef Association Magazine | AUTUMN 2023

By breaking down the manure and
integrating nutrients back into the soil, the
dung beetles help create healthier, more
productive soils and encourage greater
nutrient cycling.
2. Avoidance of health issues linked to
winter housing
Outwintering not only supports healthy dung
beetle populations on-farm, offering them
a food source all year round, but crucially
it also helps prevent cattle health issues
associated with winter housing.
The housing period is the peak season
for respiratory issues, such as infectious
bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) and pneumonia
outbreaks.
These have the potential to be fatal,
or severely impact an animal’s lifelong
productivity.
Treating these cases is also dependent on
using antibiotics, which the industry is trying
hard to collectively reduce.
Outwintering can help you avoid these, and
the associated treatment costs, however
farmers will still need to be vigilant to
seasonal health risks.
Moving stock regularly in a cell-based
grazing system gives you the perfect
opportunity to keep a close eye on the herd
and act quickly on any concerns.
3. Benefit from low input breeds
When implementing a regenerative grazing
strategy, careful breed selection is important
for helping farmers achieve the best results.
If you’re pursuing a lower input system, you
need a lower input breed – ideally, more
robust animals that are easy-calving, suited
to outwintering, and can be sustained on
year-round forage.
This is the approach we’re taking at FAI;
a Saler foundation is crossed with an
Aberdeen-Angus to produce a maternal line,
and Stabiliser genetics used for terminal
lines.
In turn, you can reap the welfare benefits; a
low input breed is less likely to need calving
intervention, which helps minimise the
associated problems for the dam and her
calf.
4. Happier, more productive cattle
By mimicking natural grassland ecosystems,
a regenerative grazing approach encourages
more natural cattle behaviour.
Longer and more diverse swards, as well
as regular movements onto fresh pasture,
offer cattle more choice and interest when
grazing, and allow cattle to self-select which
plants they naturally need for optimal health
and welfare
Encouraging livestock to graze means your
stock is more likely to be satiated – rather
than scrabbling around, looking for forage on
a very short pasture.
This is incredibly important when your
system’s dependent on forage intake.
By grazing cattle in fixed groups, you’re also
helping to keep social groups more stable
and you’re not disrupting the groups by
mixing them up or upsetting the hierarchy.
Regular grazing moves also help to get your
stock used to people, reducing the stress of
interaction, and facilitating calmer situations
for both the cattle and your farm team.
5. An improved field environment
Many farmers embark on planting trees
and establishing hedgerows to enhance
biodiversity, which is key within a
regenerative system.
This can also benefit cattle health and
welfare by providing more shelter, shade
and improved field drainage – which is only
going to become more important with the
uplift in extreme weather conditions.
Better drainage can also help with improving
foot health and reducing the incidence of
fluke, which often comes with more boggy
pasture – this is another improvement we’ve
seen at FAI.
These effects can help immediately curtail
medicine usage and bring long-term herd
health improvements.
Sharing regenerative grazing success at
FAI Farms
The sustainability experts at FAI Farms are
supporting 11 UK beef farmers to make the
most of these benefits within a regenerative
grazing network launched by McDonalds
UK&I, in partnership with OSI and Dunbia.
Over three years, FAI Farms has successfully
transitioned from a set stocking system to
adaptive multi-paddock (AMP) grazing on
its 557ha organic beef farm in Wytham,
Oxfordshire.
The FAI team is now sharing practical
learnings, and providing advice and support
to fellow farmers to help them implement
their own regenerative grazing plans.
Results at FAI so far:
Industry News
• The herd has become entirely pasture-fed
and outwintered
• Average daily live weight gains and time to
slaughter have improved
• Grass growth was sustained throughout the
2022 summer drought, meaning no feed was
bought in for the suckler herd
FAI Farms offers an in-depth online course
for farmers keen to get started with
regenerative grazing. Find out more here:
https://fai.academy/regenerative-farming/
Regen sward
Multispecies diversity
AUTUMN 2023 | The National Beef Association Magazine 19

NBA Regional Round-ups
REGIONAL
COUNCIL CONTACTS
NORTHERN
William Walton - Chairman
Northumberland, NE47
Email: fay.penpeugh@hotmail.com
SOUTH WEST
Robert Venner - Chairman
Email: robert.venner@gth.net
Phoebe Hart - Secretary
Tel: 07309 666895
Email: phoebe.hart@
molevalleyfarmers.com
WALES
Contact Head Office
Tel: 01434 601005
NORTHERN IRELAND
Stephen Heenan - Chairman
County Down, BT30 8RT
Tel: 07889 159496
Email: stephenheenan63@yahoo.co.uk
SCOTLAND
Paul Ross - Chairman
Email: paul@lenahowe.co.uk
NBA Regional
Round-ups
Northern Ireland
This year,to date, has been challenging for NI Farmers. February was dry then March and
April very wet,thus leaving ground conditions problematic and spring barley sown late. May
and June were very dry months, leaving first cut silage light. July has been the wettest on
record with some western parts of the country receiving up to 250% of the month’s average.
Harvesting has been difficult due to the ‘start stop’ nature with straw being chopped thus
leaving it in short supply.
Stock,at times, has had to be rehoused due to wet ground conditions.
Prices for finished beef animals have reduced drastically during the last month with
fertiliser,feed and fuel costs rising.
BPS payments will now be issued by DAERA from the first week of September onwards. With
cash flow tight on most farms,this news will be gladly received by all.
Neil Wilson - Vice Chairman
Email: neil@sabadvisory.co.uk
Tel: 07734812704
NOT ALREADY A
MEMBER? JOIN THE
NATIONAL BEEF
ASSOCIATION TODAY
SEE THE LAST PAGE FOR
MORE INFORMATION AND
A MEMBERSHIP FORM.
STUDENT MEMBERSHIP
ONLY £40
20 The National Beef Association Magazine | AUTUMN 2023

Scottish Beef Association
It has been a busy few months at the Scottish Beef
Association.
Scotland’s Beef Event was held at the tremendous
Dalswinton Estate, Dumfries in fantastic weather in early
June. This well attended event focussed on the future of
profitable, sustainable and carbon efficient beef farming
in Scotland.
We had a number of excellent speakers in the seminar
sessions and at Speakers Corner who offered their own
views and experiences on production, performance and
measure they had taken to reduce and manage their
emissions.
The event was opened by the former Cabinet Secretary
for Rural Affairs, Fergus Ewing MSP, after the current
Cabinet Secretary cancelled late in the day. He was,
once again, in fine form as he underlined his love for the
farming industry whilst warning our industry as well as
his own political colleagues of the failings of the Bute
House Agreement and the threat our industry faces due
to the SNP alliance with the Greens in Scotland. This
continues to be an area that the SBA raise concerns
with at Government level.
We would like to extend our thanks to the Landale family
and their hard working team for hosting us alongside
all of the standholders and visitors who made the event
such a success. Roll on 2025 for the next one!
Beyond the Beef Event, Paul Ross, SBA Chair has been
involved in discussions around how future support might
NBA Regional Round-ups
be structured for the beef sector, especially around the
Calf Payment. Scottish Government have suggested
that they want to bring extra conditionality to the Calf
Payment by using calving interval as a measure of
efficiency.
Unfortunately its also seems as though Scottish
Government hasn’t looked at alternatives with modelling
only having been done on calving interval. Whilst this is
disappointing it does seem as though we will be forced
down this route and the SBA will continue to make
representations on the working group to ensure the rules
are as sensible and workable as possible for all suckler
beef farmers, regardless of location or limiting factors.
There is little else to report in terms of progress on
policy apart from our expectation that an Agriculture
Bill will be laid before Scottish Parliament in the next
few weeks. This is likely to lack any detail and will
focus on giving Government and officials the power to
form future policy, likely without the need to return to
Parliament for formal approval – a scary thought indeed
given the recent Government track record of failed
communication and collaboration with the sector.
Despite constant reassurance Government continue to
fail to properly engage and communicate with the wider
farming industry in Scotland preferring, it seems, to
engage with environmental bodies ahead of those who
produce our food and protect our nations food security.
A sad state of affairs that the SBA continue to fight to
improve.
Beef fit for the future
“We wanted a cow that would look after herself,
calf unassisted but also produce high-quality
animals for today’s market.”
- Harry and George Gilbert, Harewood Angus, Herefordshire
www.aberdeen-angus.co.uk T: 01738 622477
AUTUMN 2023 | The National Beef Association Magazine 21

WAGYU BREEDERS ASSOCIATION APPROVED
BEEF UP
YOUR COMPANY
IMAGE
INDUSTRY SPECIALISTS IN AGRICULTURE
FOR OVER 20 YEARS, DESIGN AGENCY TO:
• NATIONAL BEEF ASSOCIATION
• BRITISH SIMMENTAL
• BRITISH LIMOUSIN
• BEEF SHORTHORN
• BRITISH WAGYU
CALL US TODAY TO SEE HOW WE CAN
HELP YOUR BUSINESS GROW.
GHOST
DESIGN
01926 887171
www.ghostds.com
BRITISH WAGYU
BREEDERS ASSOCIATION
• Premium British Wagyu Beef
• MIJ Carcase Camera Technology
• Quality Assurance Scheme
• British Wagyu Branded Tags
• DNA & Genomic Testing
FULLY WBA ASSURED
• Crossbred Marketing Opportunities
• Fullblood Registration Facility
• BRAND IDENTITY • WEB DESIGN
• DESIGN FOR PRINT • DISPLAY GRAPHICS
• PACKAGING • ADVERTISING • VEHICLE GRAPHICS
www.britishwagyu.co.uk
The National Beef Association
British Wagyu NBA Advert_90x134mm_06_22.indd 1 22/06/2022 11:51
THE ONLY ORGANISATION FIGHTING TO
PROTECT THE BEEF INDUSTRY.
Join the NBA for just £75 per year.
PROMOTING CATTLE
HEALTH & WELFARE
AWARENESS
REPRESENTATION IN
GOVERNMENT POLICY
QUARTERLY
MAGAZINE
WEEKLY
NEWSLETTER
FREE USE OF THE
NBA TERMS &
CONDITIONS OF
SALE FOR PEDIGREE
CATTLE
TECHNICAL ADVICE
BRINGING POSITIVE
CHANGE FOR THE
BEEF INDUSTRY
NBA HP Advert_LIM Journal_185x128.indd 1 06/12/2021 11:49
22 The National Beef Association Magazine | AUTUMN 2023

Discover the
Great Improver
Building on 200 years of breeding excellence, the Beef Shorthorn is primed for a successful future.
With core traits that are in strong demand; fertile, easy calving, milky and docile, the breed is
perfect for low input systems.
Society Sales
Stirling: 23 rd October
Skipton: 8 th November
Morrisons
Supported Sales
St Boswells: 28 th September
Thame: 13 th October
Longtown: 14 th October
Ruswarp: 25 th October
Thirsk: 21 st November
Skipton: 22 nd November
Find out why this versatile and adaptable breed may be the right suckler replacement for you.
THE SUSTAINABLE BREED
www.beefshorthorn.org
Beef Shorthorn HP Ad_NBA_134x190mm_08_23.indd 1 18/08/2023 14:02
Operators of Salisbury Livestock Market
Serving all the Counties of Central Southern England
Including:
Wiltshire, Hampshire, Dorset, The Isle of Wight, Berkshire, Somerset,
West and East Sussex, Surrey and Devon
Weekly Tuesday sales of:
Tb tested and untested Cull Cows and Finished Cattle
Tb tested and 4 Year Tb test Beef and Dairy Store Cattle
An average of 350 store cattle per week
with seasonal sales of up to 700 head.
Monday Calf Sales of up to 100 Calves
We are pleased to be Corporate Members of The National Beef Association and thank them for their
continued support of The Livestock Market System
Visit our website: www.scauctioneers.com
AUTUMN 2023 | The National Beef Association Magazine 23

Parasite Watch | Sioned Timothy
Parasite Watch
Sioned Timothy
Technical Services Manager, Boehringer
Ingelheim Animal Health
Don’t leave Fluke to chance
Even though housing is a few months
away, it pays to consider the liver
fluke challenge your cattle may have
faced this grazing season, and plan
for any flukicide treatments you may need to
administer before winter.
Cattle never develop immunity to liver fluke.
Even low levels of this parasite can negatively
impact feed conversion ratios, causing slower
growth rates, and reduce carcase quality at
slaughter. Treating fluke burdens at housing
gives young cattle the best opportunity to
utilise their feed and meet target finishing
times.
Adult cattle will still be impacted by a fluke
infection and in replacement heifers and
breeding cows liver fluke infections can lead
to hormonal and metabolic imbalances,
affecting the reproductive rates.
Assessing whether your cattle need to be
treated should involve a risk assessment that
takes into account seasonal and regional risk,
the type of land your cattle graze and the
history of fluke infection on your farm.
Diagnostic testing can be used to provide
a more accurate assessment of whether
treatment is required. For example, the
presence of liver fluke can be detected by
faecal testing.
Discuss with your vet who can advise on the
most appropriate method to assess whether
you need to treat for fluke or not.
Where both liver fluke and worm treatments
need to be given at housing, a combination
antiparasitic product can offer a practical
treatment choice, saving time and reducing
stress from handling animals multiple times.
Flukicide options for lactating dairy cattle are
more limited, and treatment protocols should
be discussed with your vet.
IVOMEC Super is a broad-spectrum, dualactive
parasite control for cattle, that treats
and provides protection against reinfection
from the most pathogenic gutworm species
including Ostertagia ostertagi, Cooperia spp.,
the cattle lungworm, and adult liver fluke.
IVOMEC® Super Injection for Cattle contains
ivermectin and clorsulon. POM-VPS. Advice
should be sought from the prescriber. Further
information available in the SPC or from
Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health UK Ltd,
RG12 8YS, UK. Tel: 01344 746957. Email:
vetenquiries@boehringer-ingelheim.com.
IVOMEC® and the Steerhead® logo are registered
trademarks of Boehringer Ingelheim Animal
Health France SCS, used under licence. ©2023
Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health UK Ltd. All
rights reserved. Date of preparation: Aug 2023.
UI-BOV-0097-2023. Use Medicines Responsibly.
24 The National Beef Association Magazine | AUTUMN 2023

OFFICIAL
MAGAZINE
FROM THE NATIONAL
BEEF ASSOCIATION
FOR EVERYONE WITH
AN INTEREST IN THE
BEEF INDUSTRY
Advertise from £275+VAT
Contact Julie Holmes
07393 463225
julie@nationalbeefassociation.com
SUMMER 2023 | The National Beef Association Magazine 25

Saturday
27th April 2024
When you’re looking for new machinery suited
to feeding and bedding on your farm, you want
a market leading manufacturer, supported by a
team that understands farming to ensure you
get exactly what you need.
We stock a range or new & used KUHN
machinery.
Contact your local branch for a demo or visit
our website to view the range.
North West Auctions,
J36, Rural Auction Centre,
Crooklands
TRADE STANDS
SEMINARS
BREED SOCIETIES
CATTLE COMPETITION
FREE ADMISSION
riponfarmservices.com
www.beef-expo.co.uk

IT’S A BUMPER YEAR
FOR BRITISH SUGAR BEET
WHICH IS GREAT NEWS
FOR OUR PRICES!
RESERVE THE NATION’S
FAVOURITE FEED -
CALL YOUR MERCHANT
TODAY WITHOUT DELAY

Feature
Energy Efficiency in Beef
Energy is one of the major
nutrient requirements for
beef cattle. The efficiency
of energy utilisation is
significant for helping ensure
optimal performance and
profitability, as well as reducing
their environmental impact.
The more efficient cattle are at
converting energy from the feed
consumed to energy for meat,
the better the feed costs and
environmental output will be. An
energy deficient diet significantly
Jamie-leigh Douglas - Ruminant
reduces average daily gain (ADG)
Technical Sales Manager at Techna
and the margin from that animal.
Nutrition UK and Ireland Ltd.
When increasing energy and feed
efficiency, you increase margin over feed cost.
Some of the loss in digestible energy is unavoidable, but one
that can be minimised is loss of energy through methane (CH4)
production, which represents a substantial loss of digestible energy
of up to 12%. There are various strategies that can be used to
reduce the production of CH4 and improve energy efficiency, such
as the concentrate: forage ratio, fat supplementation and feed
additives.
One of the most efficient ways of improving energy efficiency and
reducing methane is by shifting ruminal fermentation towards more
propionate and less acetate. Propionate is a glucose precursor and
is the most efficient Volatile Fatty Acid (VFA) for energy utilisation
(Image 1).
of monensin. Monensin shifts rumen fermentation towards
propionate which decreases the acetate: propionate ratio. This
resulted in an energy saving and improved ADG.
However, since the ban on the use of antibiotics as growth
promoters in animal feeds in the European Union in 2006, the
interest has focused on diet manipulation to improve energy
efficiency.
There are natural alternatives like Essential Oils (EO) that can be
used to secure energy without compromising rumen stability. EO
are the aromatic volatile fraction of plant secondary metabolites
generally recognised as safe for human and animal consumption.
Numerous studies have demonstrated the ability of EO and their
main active components to shift rumen microbial fermentation to
participate to improve digestibility and energy efficiency.
For example, ELENSIS, a blend of 100%
natural essential oils, improves energy
efficiency in the digestive tract of
ruminants. The essential oils have been
specifically selected to have a synergistic
action in the rumen and in the hindgut. It
improves the rumen balance by shifting
fermentation towards propionic acid
which is the most efficient VFA for energy
utilisation.
Energy efficiency could be improved by selecting the right raw
materials and balance of the diet. For example, using degradable
sources of starch will tend to improve propionate in the rumen. At
the same time, going too far could put the rumen at risk in term
of acid load and sub acidosis, having a negative effect of energy
efficiency and overall rumen stability.
One good example of increasing energy utilisation was the addition
The essential oils also have two specific coatings for targeted release
within the rumen and hindgut. They have a slow release and fast
release coating meaning that the product is effective over time
in the rumen and also bypasses the rumen to be effective in the
hindgut, improving total starch digestibility.
There are a number of strategies that can be taken to improve
energy efficiency and subsequently reduce methane. Essential oils
can offer a cost effectiveness solution whilst not being subject to
price volatility. However, whatever the strategy taken, it is important
to formulate the diet according to the animal’s need and secure the
quality of energy.
A lack of energy efficiency is a cost to the animal, farm and
environment, and therefore, it is not very sustainable. The
more energy efficient the animal is the better the animal will be
performing; the cost of output is positively improved and with that
comes environmental benefits such as reduced methane against the
kg of meat produced.
28 The National Beef Association Magazine | AUTUMN 2023

For Feed Industry since 1964
Elensis
FEED PERFORMANCE
ENERGY REINVENTED
ENERGY MANAGEMENT
IS A KEY SUCCESS FACTOR FOR RUMINANTS
A better use of energy helps to ensure the technical and economic performance
of the farm and also helps to limit the environmental impact
ELENSIS IMPROVES
MEAT PRODUCTION
+4 to +6 %
of DLWG
ELENSIS REDUCES
METHANE PRODUCTION
-5 % of methane for less
environmental impact
ECM Energy Corrected Milk (Kg/hd/day)
ECM Energy Corrected Milk (Kg/hd/day)
36 36
35 35
34 34
33 33
32 32
Control
ECM Control Energy Corrected Milk (Kg/hd/day)
ELENSIS
ELENSIS
34.4 34.4
35.9 3635.9
35
34
33
32
Source : Research TECHNA France 2020
Source : Research TECHNA France 2020
34.4
Control
35.9
Average Daily Gain (Kg/day)
Average ELENSIS Daily Gain (Kg/day)
1.80 1.80
Source : Research TECHNA France 2020
2.00 2.00
1.60 1.60
1.20 1.20
1.00 1.00
1.66 1.66
Control
Average Control Daily Gain (Kg/day)
1.80 1.77 1.77
2.00
1.60
ELENSIS
ELENSIS
1.20
1.00
0.32 0.32
0.32
1.77 0.31 0.31 0.31
0.30 0.30 0.30 0.30 0.30 0.30
1.66
12.5 12.5
Average Daily Gain (Kg/day)
Average Control Daily Gain (Kg/day)
0.28 0.28
0.26 0.26
0.24 0.24
0.22 0.22
0.20 0.20
ELENSIS
Control
Control
Average Daily Gain (Kg/day)
ELENSIS
ELENSIS
0.28
0.26
0.24
0.22
0.20
Source : Research TECHNA 2020
Source : Research TECHNA 2020
Control
Methane/ECM (g/l)
Methane/ECM ELENSIS (g/l)
12 12
11.5 11.5
11
Source : Research TECHNA 2020
11
10.5 10.5
10 10
12.5
12.2 12.2 12.2
12
11.7 11.7
11.5
Control
Control
Methane/ECM (g/l)
ELENSIS
ELENSIS
11
10.5
10
Source : AgroParisTech 2020
Source : AgroParisTech 2020
Control
11.7
ELENSIS
Source : AgroParisTech 2020
WATCH VIDEO
ELENSIS IS A BLEND OF NATURAL ACTIVE INGREDIENTS
that allows high energy feeds to be formulated at an efficient cost:
• Secured energy
• Valorisation of competitive raw materials
For further information, please call:
JAMIE-LEIGH DOUGLAS on +44 7586 323955
& MARTIN DALY on +353 87 753 7228
TECHNA NUTRITION UK & IRELAND LTD
207 REGENT STREET - LONDON - W1B 3HH - TEL. +353 49 4380355
www.groupe-techna.com

Industry News
Scottish suckler herd overhauls
calving and health management
Robert Neill of Upper Nisbet Farm near
Kelso farms 1700 acres; 1000 acres
of arable cropping with the rest down
to grass for his 350-cow suckler
herd, as well as providing winter grazing for
ewe lambs from one of his brother’s farms.
The suckler herd is made up of Friesian cross
Limousin heifers which are bred by another
brother who has a dairy farm nearby. Once at
Upper Nisbet Farm, they are put to Robert’s
Limousin or Angus stock bulls with the aim
of calving the heifers down at between 24-30
months of age. To ease management, half of
the heifer group calves in the autumn, while
the remaining heifers and the main 300-310-
cow herd will calve in the spring. All calve
inside, and the 2023 calving season has seen
Robert make several changes around calving
and health management, some of which are
more usually associated with dairy, and not
suckler, herds.
The 2022 season saw more cases of calf
scour than Robert was happy with, which
prompted him to have a sit down review
and planning meeting with his vet Robbie
Norquay from Galedin Vets.
“We saw more scours than usual, losing three
or four calves and having to help around
10 with rehydration therapy; it was really
unusual for us,” Mr Neill says. “The vet came
and did some tests and Cryptosporidium was
identified as the main problem. It was good
to get a diagnosis and, with that information
to hand, we spent time reviewing what we
do and seeing how the system could be
improved.”
Cows calve in a straw-bedded shed and
are then moved, as soon as possible, to an
individual pen to mother up for 24 hours prior
to being turned out.
“We know the significance of cleanliness and
have upped hygiene management. Each pen
is now power washed with hot water between
cows and disinfectant is applied so that they
are not only clean but thoroughly disinfected
too,” he explains. “We increased the
frequency at which straw was added to the
main sheds as well; with all the arable crops
we grow, we could easily make that change.”
Robert’s dairy farmer brother harvests
colostrum, tests its quality and freezes
surplus, as many dairy producers do, and this
colostrum is available to be used at Upper
Nisbet during calving time.
“It’s relatively rare to have this level of
colostrum management in a suckler herd,
but Robert has access to colostrum from
his brother’s herd, when needed. Having a
store of frozen colostrum means every calf
can be given the colostrum it needs,” says
Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health vet
adviser, Kath Aplin. “At Upper Nisbet, calves
are checked as soon as possible after birth to
see if they have sucked, and supplemented
if there’s any doubt; receiving 10% of their
bodyweight in colostrum (around 4 litres) in
the first 6 hours of life gives calves the best
chance of staying healthy.”
Correctly defrosting colostrum is as important
as freezing quickly and storing at the right
temperature. Robert has a water bath
which is set at 37°C to ensure that, when
colostrum is defrosted, none of the valuable
components are lost.
“If it looks like a calf has not suckled, we will
stomach tube with colostrum from its own
mother, or defrosted colostrum if necessary,”
Robert says. “The individual pens all have
self-locking yolks meaning we can safely
enter and deal with a calf, if needed.”
After reviewing the system with vet Robbie
Norquay, pregnant cows moved to being
vaccinated with Fencovis®, a vaccine for
pregnant heifers and cows that was launched
in autumn 2022. Fencovis® is indicated for
the active immunisation of pregnant heifers
and cows to stimulate the development of
antibodies against rotavirus, coronavirus and
E. coli K99.
30 The National Beef Association Magazine | AUTUMN 2023

Studies showed that calves fed colostrum
and milk from vaccinated cows gained
antibodies which prevented diarrhoea caused
by rotavirus and E. coli K99. In addition, the
incidence and severity of diarrhoea caused
by coronavirus was reduced. Viral shedding in
calves infected by rotavirus and coronavirus
– something that raises the levels of these
pathogens in the environment, so being
an infection risk to others - was also lower
when Fencovis® was used. This means that
the infection pressure in the environment
is reduced and so is the risk to in-contact
calves.
“Improving and gearing up for a successful
2023 calving season involved making
multiple, small changes here and there with
input and advice from our vet, as well as
changing to the Fencovis® vaccine,” explains
Robert. “ It’s a non-oil-based vaccine and is
really easy to use. We find it easy to inject,
either with a syringe or an applicator, and
we like the lack of swelling at the site of
injection.”
Spring 2023 calving was very successful and
largely problem free apart from the variable
weather and analysis showing that the silage
in the ration was low in protein. Concerned
that this could affect the colostrum being
produced, 28% protein potale syrup was
added to the ration.
“We also changed the way we turn cows and
calves out, aiming to group according to
age. Calves born over a two week period will
be in a paddock together, where previously
we could have had a group born over a six
week period together,” Robert adds. “This
hopefully means that older calves were
not shedding pathogens that could infect
younger ones.
“So far, the things we have
fine-tuned for this year
seem to have paid off, with
an easier, healthier and
more productive season so
far,” Robert Neill concludes.
• 350 Friesian x Limousin cow
suckler herd with Limousin or
Angus stock bulls
• Higher than usual scour rate in 2022
• Potale syrup added to ration for
spring calving to optimise
colostrum production
• Cow and calf moved to individual
pen, pens thoroughly cleaned
between cows
• Calf checked for suckling to ensure
colostrum intake
• If necessary, calf stomach tubed
with colostrum from its own dam
or stored, frozen colostrum.
• Dams given Fencovis® vaccine to
help with scour prevention
Industry News
Fencovis® suspension for injection contains inactivated
E. coli expressing F5 (K99) adhesin, strain O8:K35;
inactivated bovine rotavirus, serotype G6P1, strain
TM-91; inactivated bovine coronavirus, strain C-197.
UK:POM-V. Advice should be sought from the prescriber.
Further information available in the SPC or from
Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health UK Ltd, RG12
8YS, UK. Tel: 01344 746957. Email: vetenquiries@
boehringeringelheim.com. Fencovis® is a registered
trademark of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica GmbH,
used under licence. ©2023 Boehringer Ingelheim Animal
Health UK Ltd. All rights reserved. Date of preparation:
August 2023. BOV0101-2023. Use Medicines
Responsibly
Robert Neill talking to vet Robbie Norquay from Galedin Vets
A dedicated area has helped improve organisation
AUTUMN 2023 | The National Beef Association Magazine 31

Industry News
GENOMICS SET TO UNLOCK
BEEF POTENTIAL
Identifying your best animals and then managing them to unlock their
potential will be an important tool in the drive to increase returns and
meet processor requirements.
Sharon Watkinson
Increasingly in dairy herds, genomics is
used to determine the best genetics to
maximise herd efficiencies and control
costs, particularly of rearing replacements.
Now, the same technology can be used
to deliver benefits to commercial beef
producers.
“Whether you are a suckler producer, a calf
rearer or a finisher, embracing technologies
such as genomics will be the way to stay
ahead of the market and improve returns,
especially in the light of declining support
payments.” This is the advice of Sharon
Watkinson, Business Development Executive
with Neogen, the company who has launched
the UKs first beef cattle genomic testing
service.
“In simple terms, genomics enables you to
understand the DNA of an animal, and this
allows you to really assess how good they will
be.
Neogen is a leading global genomics
technology provider and a leader in animal
safety, supplying a range of animal health
and hygiene products, and in testing for food
safety. Formed in 1982, Neogen provides
genomics tests for dairy and beef cattle,
sheep, goats, pigs, fish and domestic pets
and in 2022 tested over 1.5 million dairy and
beef cattle worldwide with over 120,000 in
the UK.
The Igenity beef services were launched in
the US in 2018 and is now widely established
in the US, Canada and Australia. It is now
available in the UK.
“The test means that any beef producer
can get a better understanding of the cattle,
making informed decisions about which to
keep and how best to manage them. It is
used by breeders to make selection decisions
for breeding, management and meeting
market requirements.”
The test involves taking a tissue or hair
sample. Tissue samples are preferable and
can be done the same time as ear tagging.
This is also the ideal time to take the sample,
as the sooner you have the data the sooner
you can start making better-informed
decisions affecting the future of the herd.
All UK samples are analysed at the laboratory
in Ayrshire, ensuring rapid turnaround and
full traceability throughout the process.
“The test is designed for commercial
producers with cross bred cattle of Angus,
Hereford, Limousin, Simmental, Gelbvieh and
Charolais decent.
“Data is provided as a simple 1-10 score
for the 17 most commercially important
maternal, growth and carcass traits, where
10 is a strong expression of the trait. Our
genomics specialists are on hand to explain
the results and how they might be used to
make better decisions. In addition to data
on your own herd, you can compare against
benchmarks from other herds.”
Sharon says that the results allow suckler
producers to drill down into the female
genetic pool of the herd, identifying those
with better genetic merit to produce higher
quality calves and identify those used to
produce replacements to improve herd
merit. It can also improve decision-making
regarding potential bulls to be used.
For calf rearers and finishers, the data can
help identify calves to grow on and those to
sell. For calves retained, it will allow animals
to be grouped and fed based on the growth
rate and carcass traits.
“Beef genomic testing will allow producers to
make better informed decisions to improve
performance and improve the overall
efficiency of the system,” Sharon predicts.
32 The National Beef Association Magazine | AUTUMN 2023

Better Breeding
Based Upon Your Goals
The only genomic testing technology available to provide
insights on Production, Maternal and Terminal indexes.
Complete
• Get clear, actionable scoring on
17 maternal, performance, and
carcass traits
Simplified
• Production, maternal, and terminal
selection index options help with
multi-trait selection
Organised
• Powerful Encompass platform assists
in data visualization
Igenity ® Beef
Breeds supported: Angus, Red Angus,
Simmental, Hereford, Limousin, Charolais,
or Gelbvieh descent.
Follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook
For more information emil us at neogengenomics@neogen.com
Scan to
Learn More
© Neogen Corporation, 2023. Neogen and Igenity are registered trademarks of Neogen Corporation, Lansing, MI 48912 U.S.

Breed Society Focus | Charolais
The Modern Charolais
Britain’s Leading High
Performance Breed
Since its introduction from Europe in the late 1950s, the Charolais
breed has established itself as one of the most important breeds in the
development of the UK’s beef industry. Founded in 1962, the British
Charolais Cattle Society (BCCS) has worked tirelessly to ensure that ‘no bull
works harder for the farmer, the plate and the planet’, and the breed today
regularly tops sale prices and AHDB rankings to prove it.
Charolais bulls have come to dominate the British
beef breeders’ choice of commercial terminal
sire, producing unrivalled growth rates,
outstanding carcass quality, and exceptional
killing out percentages. And, the breed has also
proved to be outstandingly versatile. “The progress we
have made in terms of calving ease over recent years,
alongside exceptional growth and carcass qualities
make the modern Charolais a terminal sire to suit any
system” said Andrew Sellick, Chairman of BCCS.
Charolais-sired suckler calves perform equally well sold
as weanlings, commanding top prices and regularly
topping markets up and down the country; they can be
housed through winter and finished off-farm at 12-15
months on forage and grain-based diets, or they can be
brought through the winter on a maintenance diet and
finished off with grass the following summer.
A 22% increase in bull sales across all markets over
the past two years and a surge in record-breaking
averages is partly because of breeder’s commitment to
improvement of the breed and partly of the old saying
that the ‘proof of the pudding is in the eating’.
In the AHDB National Beef Evaluations for August this
year, measured against the leading beef breeds British
Blonde, British Blue, Limousin, Salers, and Simmental,
the Charolais ranked outright first in two of the five key
performance indicators, Average Daily Carcase Gain and
Carcase Weight, and equal first in Days to Slaughter.
This resurgent dominance of the Charolais is partly
because of the breed’s consistent performance in new
and increasingly sophisticated evaluations like the
AHDB rankings, introduced in 2018, and partly due to
its proven commercial performance on farm and in the
market. But much of the Charolais popularity is also due
to the passionate commitment of the British Charolais
Cattle Society and its members to keep their muchloved
breed moving forward.
Today’s Charolais is becoming a favourite with UK
commercial beef breeders and one such farming
family who recognise the unbeatable capacity of this,
high-performance breed to add value to their crossbred
calves and improve quality and efficiency of their
suckler herd is William and David Moir who farm with
their parents at Home Farm, Cairness near Fraserburgh.
Running a herd of 200 Limousin cross cows, last
year they made the decision to put a 100 of their big
black square cows to the Charolais Bull. The aim of
transferring some of the herd to the Charolais was to
try to get as heavy as possible calves at young saleable
weights.
Bulls were purchased at Stirling and the results are
impressive as William explains:
“We have some tremendous heavy
calves, including some potential
shows calves and we are definitely
on track to sell at 11 months.
The calves will be weaned mid-
October aged between six and
seven months, housed and fed
on a growing ration of silage and
cereals, and ready to sell in the
middle of March. This is important
to us as in doing so it fits in well to
our overall farming system.”
34 The National Beef Association Magazine | AUTUMN 2023

Charolais | Breed Society Focus
The BCCS has been forward thinking
with parentage testing and since
switching to testing using SNP
technology in 2017 all animals going
to sales are at least sire verified and
myostatin tested, with a large percentage
going to sale now Fully Sire and Dam
verified. Since bringing in the programme
of testing all females and all sires on
registration of first calf, the Society has
collected enough DNA profiles to launch
single step analysis in the near future,
which should increase the accuracy on
EBVs for bulls which have not yet sired
any progeny.
In concluding Andrew Sellick, believes
the Society continues to fulfil its 75-yearold
vision. “Charolais buyers today can
buy with confidence in pedigree and
performance, and every buyer can find a
bull that suits their farming method and
system.
At a time when input costs are spiralling,
margins are being squeezed and
farm payments are being reduced,
commercial breeders can take every
possible reassurance that the Charolais
will help give them a significantly greater
return on their investment, and a brighter
prospect of a sustainable future for their
farm, their family, and the British beef
industry.
AUTUMN 2023 | The National Beef Association Magazine 35

Breed Society News
Breed Society
NEWS
South Devon - Open Day in Leicestershire
For their Summer Open Day the South Devon Society’s breeders
and other commercial beef producers were pleased to be
welcomed by Julian & Sara White to view their Broadwood herd at
Brampton Ash, Leicestershire.
Julian will be known to many rugby followers as a multi-capped
England player, and part of the squad who won the World Cup in
Australia twenty years ago. He hung up his cap and started to
build a prize-winning herd of pedigree South Devons from then on;
and it was a pleasure to see where careful use of current and older
genetics has brought the herd.
Home-bred females calve at two years of age, with heifers running
with a black Murray Grey to make the first cross before going back
to a South Devon for all future calvings. The resultant crossbred
calves show strength and growth which is attributed to the
qualities of the easy-fleshing South Devon suckler cow.
No bought-in fertiliser is used on the pasture; and Julian sees
his ground as his biggest asset, with 100 acres being cropped by
herbal leys.
But it’s the South Devon cattle that are at the heart of the
business. Julian is on his own for everyday farming, and so it is
essential that the quiet temperament of the animals means that
they work for him – not the other way round.
For further information please visit our Facebook page and website
www.sdhbs.org.uk, or telephone the Breed Secretary Caroline
Poultney on 01392 447494.
Breed Societies, do
you have any news
you would like us
to publish?
Email your copy and any images to
julie@nationalbeefassociation.com
36 The National Beef Association Magazine | AUTUMN 2023

Ruby Red Devons - Show Results
Devon County - judge Andy Lane. Champion Female Exmoor
Flirt 1 st (Angela Poad), Reserve Rocknell April 1 st (Graham
Summerhayes). Champion Male Exmoor Captain, Reserve
Champion Male, Exmoor Forrester both owned by Angela Poad.
Breed Champion Exmoor Captain & Reserve Exmoor Flirt 1 st .
Exmoor Captain went on to win Reserve Champion Beef Animal,
Champion Devon verses the South Devon and Reserve Champion
Pair teamed up with Rocknell April 1 st .
Royal Bath & West - judge John May & probationary judge Louise
Clarke. A great line-up of 8 yearling bulls & 12 yearling heifers
exhibited. Deborah Telling clinched 1 st , 2 nd and 3 rd in the heifer
class. Deb went on to win Best Pair and Group of Three. Female
Champion Exmoor Flirt 1 st (Angela Poad) & Reserve Hillside
Daphne(Deb Telling). Male Champion & Breed Champion Exmoor
Captain. Reserve Champion Eastyard Favre(Mike & Dani Cowell).
Interbreeds brought more success for the Devons with Deb
Telling’s 3 heifers and the Cowell’s Eastyard Favre winning the
Beef Group of 4 Interbreed Championship.
Breed Society News
Royal Cornwall - judge Angus Cottey with probationary judge,
Nigel Barbery. Female & Breed Champion – Treballywyn Plum
12 th (Trevor Wilton). Reserve Champion Bollowal Clara 35 th
(Jeff Thomas). Male Championship & Reserve Breed Champion
Bollowal Valiant(Trevor Wilton). Reserve Male Exmoor Captain.
Treballywyn Plum 12 th had more success winning Best Cow of Any
Recognised Beef Breed and together with Bollowal Invincible(RC
& JM Hawke) won the prestigious Burke Perpetual Challenge Best
Native Pair. Congratulations!
Royal Three Counties Show - judge Phillip Huxtable. Male
Champion -Exmoor Captain & Reserve Eastyard Favre. Female
Champion -Stonegrove Hatton 38 th (Stonegrove Livestock) &
Reserve Eastyard Camelia 30 th (Mike & Dani Cowell). Best Pair
& Group of Three went to Stonegrove. Breed Champion Exmoor
Captain & Reserve Stonegrove Hatton 38 th .
Many thanks and congratulations to all those members that
travelled across the Southwest to represent the breed at the shows
so far. Good luck to all those representing the Red Ruby Devon at
all the upcoming shows.
Exmoor Captain Breed Champion Devon, Bath & West, Three Counties.
Breed Champion Royal Cornwall Treballywyn Plum 12 th
SIMMENTAL BULL CORSKIE NUTMEG SOLD FOR £32,000
TO THE DENIZES HERD
Corskie Nutmeg, the January 2022 born Simmental bull from WJ & J Green,
Corskie, Garmouth, Fochabers has been sold privately for £32,000 to the 80-cow
Denizes herd of MA Barlow & Sons, Ulnes, Nr Leyland, Lancashire.
At this year’s Royal Highland Show in June, Corskie Nutmeg put himself firmly in
the shop window when winning the Simmental Junior Male Championship; Reserve
Overall Male; and Reserve Overall Junior; and before going on to win Reserve Overall
in the Beefbreeder Interbreed. The £32,000gns price is the second highest paid
for a Simmental bull in the UK and sitting only sitting behind the 45,000gns
the Greens themselves paid for Bel Dhu Capercaillie at Stirling back in February
2013. With a breeding connectivity, Capercaillie is the sire of Corksie Nutmeg’s
dam, Corskie Jasmine EX92. Corskie Jasmine, who herself was a first prize winner
at this year’s Highland and Reserve Interbreed at the Black Isle Show, and whose
classification of EX92 is the highest ranking a third-calving female can attain.
Corskie Nutmeg is sired by the herd’s stock bull Kilbride Farm Haka who the Greens purchased for 10,000gns at Stirling in 2018.
The herd enjoyed a ‘stellar’ 2023 Royal Highland Show that saw them win six classes and a host of Championship titles. Three of
the class winners were sired by Kilbride Farm Haka including the January 2021 born heifer Corksie Mimic who was the day’s Reserve
Supreme Overall Champion.
For the 180-cow Corskie herd the £32,000 was their top sale price received to date and eclipsing the 25,000gns mark attained for
Corskie Gingersnap in 2016. The Corskie herd has eight bulls entered at the upcoming 2023 October Stirling Sale and four of which
are Kilbride Farm Haka sons.
AUTUMN 2023 | The National Beef Association Magazine 37

Figures released by the British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS)
for 2022 show that British Wagyu, known for its highly marbled
premium beef, has increased its numbers by 27% on the year.
The figures, for beef cattle born in England, Wales & Scotland,
reveal over 17,000 Wagyu-sired calves were born in 2022. Of
these, 15,933 were crossbred (sired by a Wagyu bull) and 1,150
purebred or Fullblood - totalling 17,083 head of Wagyu animals
when compared to 13,457 in 2021. The continued growth and
impact of Wagyu is underlined by past totals for 2020 and 2019
of 9,435 and 5,699 respectively with the breed now representing
almost 1% of the circa 1.8 million beef-sired calves born in
Great Britain annually.
You will find a breakdown by country below:
England Scotland Wales Total
Wagyu crossbred 11,415 2,860 1,658 15,933
Wagyu purebred 662 181 307 1,150
Total 17,083
Source BCMS
Breed Society News
WAGYU BIRTHS UP BY +27% IN 2022 BCMS FIGURES
Says WBA Director Chris Dickinson:
“It’s great to see British Wagyu numbers
continuing to grow year-on-year and a
further sign that Wagyu in the UK is
much more than just a ‘fad’. The profile
of the breed has risen dramatically
over the past 2-3 years and is now
a significant player in the UK beef
industry. As both Wagyu producer and
WBA Director, I can’t wait to see where
we can get to in the coming years.”
WAGYU ‘FIRST’ AT SCOTLAND’S BEEF EVENT
Warrendale Wagyu teamed up with the British Wagyu Association with a joint stand at
Scotland’s Beef Event held on Tuesday 6 th June 2023 at Dalswinton Estate near Dumfries.
Attended by several thousand visitors, a busy day was had talking to farmers and the wider
industry about opportunities for British Wagyu. As well as information about the breed, the
farm-to-fork approach started with a chiller display followed by tasting a range of Wagyu
cuts. These were the usual fillet, sirloin and rump but also cuts like goose skirt, flat iron,
Denver and bavette which are eminently ‘steakable’ thanks to Wagyu’s unique tenderness
and marbling. Warrendale are actively looking in Scotland for new calf rearers, growers and
finishers for their integrated beef scheme with Jamie Brownrigg, Katrina Donaldson and –
new to the team – Lucy Corner on hand to give advice. Overall, an enjoyable and successful
event! Thank you to Alan Dickinson of North Netherscales, Cumbria for supplying the stand
with six Wagyu-cross stores and finishers ranging from 18 to 26 months of age.
The figures are backed by a British Wagyu quality assured branded
beef scheme now entering its third year alongside MIJ (Meat Image
Japan) carcase camera technology which takes digital images from
the cut ribeye surface to objectively measure and reward marbling
score, marbling fineness and ribeye area giving an overall Beef
Marbling Score (BMS) grade.
Consumer demand for the world’s luxury beef shows no sign of
slowing.
INAUGURAL BRITISH WAGYU AMBASSADOR AWARD
PRESENTED IN HONOUR OF MIKE TUCKER
The British Wagyu Association (BWA) has seen fit to establish
a brand-new award, The British Wagyu Ambassador Award, to
recognize a person who has made a significant contribution to the
British Wagyu industry.
At the recent Warrendale Wagyu Conference held in Telford
17-18 May 2023, the award was accepted by Andrew Tucker in
honour of his late father, Mike Tucker, founding Board Member
and Chairman of the BWA, who passed away in 2018 aged 73.
In announcing the award, BWA Secretary Richard Saunders
said: “Much as all of us involved in the British Wagyu industry
are extremely forward looking, it is also very much worthwhile
on these occasions to pause for thought and to reflect on what
has been achieved. And not only on what has been achieved
but on the people who have been central to all that has been
accomplished.”
The following citation was then read out:
“Mike was the original driving force behind the formation of the
British Wagyu Association.
Someone who worked
tirelessly for the benefit of
the Breed, never for personal
gain but always for the
greater good. A person whose
great energy, wit and huge
personality drove everyone forward on a wave of enthusiasm.”
L-R Richard Saunders, Georgie Tucker,
Andrew Tucker, Michael Carpenter
Presenting the award at the Wagyu Gala Dinner in front of 250
guests was Michael Carpenter, Technical Director of Kelvin Cave
Ltd. It is fitting that Kelvin himself was not only at the BWA Launch
at Mike’s home at Church Farm, Long Newnton, Tetbury in 2014
but going back further still, one of Kelvin’s first customers when he
started up in business was Mike – who at the time was running his
well-known pedigree Holstein herd.
Andrew and his wife Georgie, together with Mike’s widow, Angela,
continue Mike’s legacy with their Cotswold Wagyu enterprise.
www.cotswoldwagyu.co.uk
38 The National Beef Association Magazine | AUTUMN 2023

Breed Society News
BEEF SHORTHORN DEVELOPMENT DAYS OFFER
INSIGHT AND INSPIRATION
Over the past 18 months the Beef
Shorthorn Cattle Society has been holding
a series of member development days to
support new and existing members.
These on farm events are designed to
allow members to share knowledge and
build experience, giving all members the
opportunity to get the most they can from
the breed and the Society.
The most recent of these events took
place earlier this summer at Inchture,
Perth, at the home of the Balgay herd, by
kind invitation of I and S Graham and Iain
Wilkinson.
Aimed at delivering knowledge transfer
in an engaging and relaxed manner,
the day included a number of hands-on
workshops delivered by experienced
breeders and industry experts and was
open to all members and supporters of
the breed.
One of the highlights for many attendees
was an informative and detailed session
led by Major John Gibb on how to judge,
including the key points of what to look
for within the Beef Shorthorn breed and
how to explain the reasoning for selecting
class winners and champions.
Looking at the other end of the spectrum,
Scottish Craft Butchers gave an in-depth
butchery demonstration, showcasing the
high-quality meat available from all parts of a
Beef Shorthorn carcass.
In the afternoon attendees enjoyed a show
clipping and preparation demonstration
by Drew Hyslop, which led on to Barbara
Webster’s session explaining how estimated
breeding values can be used in determining
your breeding programme.
This was backed up by an ultrasound
scanning session, giving those present a fuller
understanding of how this technique can add
invaluable data to performance recording.
Murray Cochrane then
took everyone through the
elements of classification
talking through a
selection of Beef
Shorthorns put forward by
Balgay Farm.
Wrapping things up, Iain
Wilkinson gave everyone
a comprehensive herd
tour and explained how
the farm uses detailed
pasture management to
maximise production from grazed grass.
The day saw more than 80 members and
friends of the breed in attendance, with
everyone having an enjoyable, inspirational
and informative experience.
Beef Shorthorn Cattle Society vice president
John Scott said the day had been an excellent
experience for everyone in attendance, both
experienced breeders and newer converts to
the breed. “The Society’s development days
have proven an excellent addition to Society
activities and the learning opportunities they
offer are invaluable in helping members of all
experiences and ages to get the most they
can from their involvement with the breed.”
Junior bull lands top honours at Summer National Show
A junior bull exhibited by Dunfermline
breeder Caroline Orr was crowned cream
of the crop at this year’s Aberdeen-Angus
Summer National Show.
The contest, staged at the Turriff Show,
was judged by Surrey breeder and former
Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society president
Angus Stovold.
He awarded the top honours and male
champion prize to Kilmallie Juggernaut
Eric Y389, which previously stood junior
champion and reserve male at the Royal
Highland Show, and junior and reserve
overall at the Great Yorkshire Show.
Bred by Fort William breeder Ewen
Campbell, he is an April 2022-born son of
HF Rebel 53Y, out of Kilmallie Jury Erica
S036.
Reserve overall and female champion
went to a heifer with her first calf at foot
from Brailes Livestock, Moreton-in-Marsh,
Gloucestershire.
This was January 2021-born Carbery Urban
Boss, bred by Irish breeders Keith and
Caroline Vickery.
By Rawburn Boss Hogg N630, and out of
Rosscarbery Lady Hawaii U169, she was
shown with her February-born bull calf
Brailes Urban Bentley Z294, by HW Farghal
T516.
Other leading prizes included the reserve
male champion and best Aberdeen-
Angus animal bred by exhibitor awards
to Daneside Bombadier X008 from
Norman B Belfield Esq, Lower Barn Farm,
Macclesfield.
Bombadier is a December 2021-born ET
son of Gretnahouse Blacksmith L500, out
of Tonley Belle K749.
The reserve female championship went
to a junior heifer called Tonley Fiona from
Mark Wattie, Mains of Tonley, Alford,
Aberdeenshire.
Other leading prizes:
Best group of three – Brailes Livestock with
Carbery Urban Boss, Brailes Black Bee
Y245, and Retties Elixir U032.
Best pair of females bred by exhibitor – Ray
Gardiner, Newton Smiddy, Lyne of Skene,
Aberdeenshire, with Newton Muchalls
Nutmeg Y112, and Newton Muchalls
Nutmeg Y115.
Best Aberdeen-Angus calf – AJR Farms,
Milton of Collieston, Ellon, with Logie
Eyebright Y417.
Exhibitor gaining most points with homebred
Aberdeen-Angus – Ballindalloch
Home Farm, Banffshire, with Ballindalloch
Gunshot Z686; and G & F Willox, Meikle
Pitinnan, Oldmeldrum, with Cardenwell
Miss Blossom.
AUTUMN 2023 | The National Beef Association Magazine 39

Beef Breed Directory
The
British Limousin
Cattle Society
www.limousin.co.uk
02476 696500
www.luingcattlesociety.co.uk
Dairy Cottage, Tower Road,
Ayton, Berwickshire TD14 5QX
Tel: 01890 781358 Mob: 07592 139708
Email: secretary@luingcattlesociety.co.uk
BREEDING SALES
February, May & October
Limousin - the breed with the premium built in
Fieldsman: Charles Symons
T: 01573 440207 Mob: 07971 231885
E: cjmsymons1@gmail.com
PART OF FARMING’S FUTURE
www.redrubydevon.co.uk
WAGYU BREEDERS
ASSOCIATION
A LEAGUE OF
ITS OWN
EASY CALVING - DOCILE
info@britishwagyu.co.uk
www.britishwagyu.co.uk
Unit 1, The Stable Yard, Woodhayes Farm, Honiton, Devon, EX14 4TP
t: 01404 47863 e: dcbs@redrubydevon.co.uk
Avenue M,
Stoneleigh Park,
Kenilworth,
Warwickshire. CV8 2RG
Tel: 02476 697222
Email:
charolais@charolais.co.uk
www.charolais.co.uk
THE
ULTIMATE
SUCKLER
COW
01377 227 790
info@stabiliser.co.uk
www.stabiliser.co.uk
nba 34 x 68 mm 2023 v2.indd 08/03/2023 1
13:25:42
SIMMENTAL
THE BREED YOU CAN BANK ON
SUSSEX CATTLE
SOCIETY
Tel: 01580 880105
www.sussexcattlesociety.org.uk
THE BRITISH BLUE
CATTLE SOCIETY
Holme House
The Dale, Ainstable
Carlisle,Cumbria CA4 9RH
01768 870522
info@britishbluecattle.org
SETTING THE
STANDARD
www.britishbluecattle.org
PROFIT THROUGH
EFFICIENCY
MATERNAL MAINSTAYS
OF THE SUCKLER HERD
*SIMMENTAL = NO.1
CONTINENTAL BREED
FOR AGE AT SLAUGHTER
* NATIONAL BEEF EVALUATION DECEMBER 2022
THE BRITISH SIMMENTAL CATTLE SOCIETY
+44 (0) 2476 696513
information@britishsimmental.co.uk
www.britishsimmental.co.uk
40 The National Beef Association Magazine | AUTUMN 2023
NBA Breed Directory (34x68.5mm) Spring.indd 08/03/2023 1
09:25:00

MELTON MOWBRAY MULTIBREED SALE – 27 MARCH 2021
WELSHPOOL SPRING SALE – 20 MAY 2021
Beef Breed Directory
National beef association
Fighting for the
future of the
British Beef Industry
SALERS
MATERNAL
MAGIC
The Hereford does it all
SUITS ANY SIRE
&
SUITS ANY SYSTEM
www.nationalbeefassociation.com
SALERS CATTLE SOCIETY OF THE UK
Jasmine Cottage, Gavinton, TD11 3QP
secretary@salers.uk
07903 626249
WWW.SALERS.UK
Visit www.herefordcattle.org to find out more
01432 272057
GRAZING SYSTEMS | BEEF QUALITY
ENVIRONMENTAL SCHEMES
Gascon
Cattle
Society
Breed Secretary:
Pauline Milton
07787722497
gasconcattle@btconnect
.com
The Beef Shorthorn Cattle Society
Society Pavilion, Avenue M,
Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth, CV8 2RG
www.britishwhitecattle.co.uk
01954 232796 | 07771 333303
www.gascon.org.uk
A versatile hardy suckler
breed
t: 02475 099146
e: info@beefshorthorn.org
www.beefshorthorn.org
www.aberdeen-angus.co.uk
01738 622477
Patron: Her Majesty The Queen
Stirling Agricultural Centre
Stirling FK9 4RN
Tel: 01786 446866
info@highlandcattlesociety.com
www.highlandcattlesociety.com
Aberdeen-Angus, its more than a breed, it’s a brand.
The perfect
suckler cow
w w w . r e d p o l l . o r g
( 01245 600032
secretary@redpoll.co.uk
AUTUMN 2023 | The National Beef Association Magazine 41

NBA Membership
National Beef Association
Membership
WHO ARE THE NBA?
The NBA is a charity, set up by beef farmers, for beef farmers. We
exist to express the views of real farmers to politicians to ensure
they are understood and represented in policy. Over the years we
have fought against unfair trading practises, advised Government on
disease management policies and now are working hard to ensure
beef farmers have a future post Brexit.
MEMBERS BENEFITS
Members receive a weekly e-newsletter, which includes the latest
market information and NBA and industry news. We also produce
a quarterly magazine for our membership including beef research,
policy positions and health articles. Our members have access to
our breeding terms and conditions of sale FOC, a step by step guide
to selling breeding animals.
WHY SHOULD YOU JOIN US?
Without the support of fellow farmers we wouldn’t be able to carry
out our work on behalf of the industry. The
NBA is also great for networking and sharing
knowledge. Members have the chance to join
regional committees which feed into our policy
strategies and we run many industry farm walks,
meetings and trips across the UK which are
discounted or free for our membership.
FROM
£40
PER YEAR
Corporate Membership
THE
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Standard subscription: £75.00 + VAT
(£25 zero rated, £50 taxable at 20%)
Under 26/student subscription: £40.00
For more information call NBA head office on 01434
601005 or email info@nationalbeefassociation.com.
Visit our website to join today.
NBA IS GRATEFUL TO THE
FOLLOWING COMPANIES AND
ORGANISATIONS FOR THEIR SUPPORT.
FROM
£300+VAT
PER YEAR
For more information on Corporate Membership packages from NBA, please call 01434 601005 or email info@nationalbeefassociation.com
GOLD MEMBERS
CORPORATE MEMBERS
SHEARWELL DATA
Animal identification systems:
excellent cattle and sheep tags,
comprehensive on-farm software and
full management systems using EID.
www.shearwell.co.uk
FOR FARMERS
We supply a range of feedstuffs that
cater to both traditional and the
more technically minded farmers
and producers.
www.forfarmers.co.uk
MOLE VALLEY
All your technical advice and products
to maximise the individual beef
enterprise profits.
www.molevalleyfarmers.com
ALLFLEX
The Allflex Group is a World Leader in
the design, manufacture, and delivery
of animal identification technology.
www.allflex.co.uk
SAI GLOBAL ASSURANCE
SERVICES LTD is the oldest and
most established farm assurance
provider originally set up to inspect the
FABBL Scheme in the 90’s. Farmers
trust in SAI Global’s experts for whole
farm assurance including Red Tractor,
GlobalGAP, LEAF Marque and retailer
specific inspection programmes.
saiassurance.co.uk
Agri-Lloyd International Limited
www.agrilloyd.com
AHDB Meat Services
www.beefandlamb.ahdb.org.uk
ANM Group Ltd
www.anmgroup.co.uk
Boehringer Ingelheim
www.boehringer-ingelheim.co.uk
C & D Auction Marts Limited
www.cdauctionmarts.co.uk
Craven Cattle Marts Limited
www.ccmauctions.com
KW Feeds
www.kwfeeds.co.uk
McCartneys
www.mccartneys.co.uk
Meadow Quality Ltd
www.meadowq.co.uk
Southern Counties Auctioneers
www.scauctioneers.com
Thirsk Farmers Auction Mart Ltd
www.thirskmarket.co.uk
Tudor, Lawson, Dallimore & Parry
www.dolgellauvets.co.uk
B.I.G Ltd
www.bigbeef.co.uk
Frome Livestock Auctioneers Ltd
www.fromelivestock.com
NWF Agriculture
www.nwfagriculture.co.uk
Berrystock Feeds
www.berrystockfeeds.co.uk
Harrison & Hetherington
www.harrisonandhetherington.co.uk
Rumenco
www.rumenco.co.uk
Bishopton Veterinary Group
www.bishoptonvets.co.uk
Hexham & Northern Marts
www.hexhammart.co.uk
Sell My Livestock
www.sellmylivestock.co.uk
42 The National Beef Association Magazine | AUTUMN 2023

#
NBA Membership
Join the
NBA
Today
Application Form
OR JOIN NOW ONLINE
Visit www.nationalbeefassociation.com/about/how-to-join today and help
us make sure your industry’s future is secure. Alternately, fill out the form
below and return to us via post.
NAME:
ADDRESS:
POSTCODE:
PHONE NUMBER:
EMAIL ADDRESS:
**If you would like to voluntarily over-pay on your subscription; please enter the amount below or tick the appropriate box.
Annual subscription £75 + VAT (£25 zero rated, £50 taxable at 20%) Voluntary subscription of £ Under 26* £40
*Members under 26 years old - please provide your date of birth: D D M M Y Y
METHODS OF PAYMENT:
CREDIT CARD
Card Type:
Name on Card:
Card Number: Start Date: M M Y Y Expiry Date:
Security Code: (last 3 digits on reverse of card)
Issue No. (Maestro Only)
M M Y Y
CHEQUE
Made payable to the National Beef Association.
STANDING ORDER
To Bank plc:
Address:
Please pay Lloyds Bank plc, Malvern, WR14 4QG. Sort code: 30-95-41 Account No: 23358760 For the credit of the National Beef Association
The sum of: (circle selected amount) £75 + VAT Voluntary amount £ Under 26* £40
Commencing: Immediately and annually thereafter, until further notice. PLEASE QUOTE PAYMENT REFERENCE:
Please cancel any previous Standing Order in favour of the beneficiary named above, under this reference.
Membership No: (For internal use)
Name of Account: Sort Code: Account No:
SIGNED:
DATE:
The NBA complies fully with the General Data Protection Regulation. Please see our privacy policy for more details, which can be requested from the NBA Head Office. For any queries or
concerns regarding GDPR, please write to: Data Protection at National Beef Association, Concorde House, 24 Warwick New Road, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV32 5JG
Please use Gift Aid to make your subscription worth more to NBA. For every pound you give us, we could earn an extra 25p
from the Inland Revenue. Gift Aid Declaration: I want the National Beef Association to treat all subscriptions I make from the date of
this declaration until I notify you otherwise as a Gift Aid donation. I am a UK taxpayer and understand that if I pay less Income Tax and/
or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my donations in that tax year it is my responsibility to pay any difference.
TO GIFT AID PLEASE TICK HERE
Please return this form to: National Beef Association, Concorde House, 24 Warwick New Road, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV32 5JG
AUTUMN 2023 | The National Beef Association Magazine 43

Dual-action parasite control for worms and liver fluke.
Trusted by farmers for over 40 years.
IVOMEC® Super is proven to improve
the health and performance of cattle
by removing productivity-limiting
gutworms, lungworm, and liver fluke.
IVOMEC® Super contains our pioneering
active ivermectin, plus clorsulon
for broad-spectrum parasite control.
Effective parasite control using IVOMEC® Super is shown to:
• Provide persistent protection against roundworms,
including gutworm species and lungworm
• Be highly effective against adult liver fluke, the most
pathogenic stage in cattle
• Help control external parasites
• Overcome the production losses associated with a
parasite infection.
Find out more, visit beattheparasites.com
IVOMEC® Super Injection for Cattle contains ivermectin and clorsulon. POM-VPS. Advice should be sought from the prescriber.
Further information available in the SPC or from Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health UK Ltd., RG12 8YS, UK. UK Tel: 01344 746957.
Email: vetenquiries@boehringer-ingelheim.com. IVOMEC® and the steerhead logo are registered trademarks of Boehringer Ingelheim
Animal Health France SCS, used under licence. ©2023 Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health UK Ltd. All rights reserved.
Date of preparation: Aug 2023. UI-BOV-0100-2023. Use Medicines Responsibly.