SIMMENTAL CATTLE SOCIETY

Revision Of Society Rules

Pleasenote that the Council of Management are presently in the process of ratifying a full update of the Society rules, which were last reviewed in 2017. It is intended that the updated version will be in place, and able to be downloaded from the Society website, in April and we will send you a further notification once they are ready. In the meantime, we would like to draw your attention to a number of changes which will come into place immediately or within the next 12 months.

Maximum showing age of bulls at Society sales

With immediate effect, bulls being sold at the Worcester sale, will be able to be shown up to the age of two years and six months old, this is to accommodate members who are unable to sell their bulls before this age. At all other sales, the maximum showing age will remain two years, but if a bull is entered for sale which is older it may be paraded.

PLEASE NOTE: Embryo Calf Registrations

It is a requirement of the Society, presently under rule 7.8, that all ET calves are fully parentage verified upon registration. This means that both the sire and dam must be DNA tested as well as the calf. However, as per previous correspondence, the Council of Management is aware that some older embryos may be stored where the parents have not been DNA tested, and where there will not be samples available for these animals. Therefore, if you have embryos stored please contact us before use at the Society office on 02476 696513 or by email at information@britishsimmental.co.uk to check if the parents are DNA tested. The Council of Management will consider cases individually, where parentage verification cannot be performed on ET calves due to the sire or dam not being DNA tested. However, all such calves must be registered before 31st December 2025, after which no further exceptions to this rule will be considered.

IMPORTANT: DNA testing of animals at Simmental Society Sales

As from 1st May 2023, all animals including calves which are sold at sales held under the auspices of the Society British Simmental Society (entered into collective, draft, production, reduction and dispersal sales) which are registered as polled, must be DNA tested to confirm their polled status. This test can be ordered at the same time as the parentage verification or if your animal has already been DNA tested, it can be done retrospectively. The additional cost of the polled test is £6.60 including VAT. Effective from 1st January 2024, all animals including calves which are sold at sales held under the auspices of the Society British Simmental Society, must be DNA tested and sire verified. This includes all Collective Society sales (including draft animals), production, reduction and dispersal sales.

Society Sale Inspections

As from 1st January 2024, all animals which have been given a yellow mark during the inspection under rule 15.8.1, will be eligible to be shown in the presale show.

Change of Sale Upset Price

Effective from 1st April 2023, the standard upset price for bulls will be raised from 2,000gns to 2,500gns. The upset price for bulls being sold at the February, May and October Society Sales at Stirling has been raised from 2,400gns to 3,000gns.

REMINDER: BSCS REGISTRATION FEES

Thisimportant note of update is further to the Society’s Council of Management meeting held at Stoneleigh on December 13th, and further to previous communications. In a wide ranging meeting the finances and running costs of the Society was one of the principle subjects considered. As is the case across the board at present, the Society is seeing a significant percentage increase in almost all of its day to day running costs. To address this, and after full and considered discussion, the decision has been taken to apply a small increase to pedigree registration fees.

Therefore, applicable from the 1st April Birth

Simmental Open Days

Furtherto previous we are pleased to confirm that the following Simmental Open Days are scheduled for the coming months. Please contact the Society office to register your interest in attending.

Saturday 20th May

First up is the commercial and pedigree enterprise of RJ McKane, Spring Farm, Ballymena, County Antrim. Look out for further details of this one, just recently confirmed, on Facebook.

Thursday 1st June

Vernon and Jon Bailey’s Mixbury Hall, Near Brackley in Northamptonshire. This 530-acre mixed farm of beef, sheep and arable carries a closed herd of 70 pedigree Simmentals with 10 to 12 retained each year, and remaining heifers sold to other breeders across the UK. Young bulls not suitable for breeding are finished and sold direct, with the remaining male calves sold as yearlings through the local Thame market.

Saturday 8th July

Next up will be noted commercial producers Colin and Robert Manson, D & G Manson and Sons, Brodieshill

Notification fees will increase by +£2; Telereg and online registrations will increase by +£3; and Paper registrations will increase by +£5. The December newsletter had already gone to print at the time of this decision being made, however we have been able to include the price changes within the annual Review. This is the first increase to core fees in a number of years and the change is made with some reluctance. Council are very mindful of costs to members but feel it is responsible governance to ensure solid financial management, and to enable the Society to continue to provide its core pedigree, technical, and promotional services on behalf of all members.

Farm, Forres, Inverness. The Mansons have 145 head of suckler cows the majority of which are Simmental crosses, calving in the Spring, and they breed all of their own replacements. Previously finishing the bull calves, they have more recently been castrating them and selling them as stores at Thainstone. At present the Mansons run three Simmental bulls purchased from the Blackford and Islavale herds. A very focussed commercial herd and will be a top venue.

Friday 18th August

The Society and Wales Simmental Club will hold a further Farm Open Day at the Dewisland herd of Mark and Emma Evans, Upper Harglodd, Haverfordwest, Pembs. Farming across holdings, there’s an emphasis on home grown feed in what is both a pedigree and commercial suckler system. Fifty pedigree cows and 20 in-calf heifers form the basis of the pedigree herd at Upper Harglodd. In added value diversification, the Evans’ also have a boxed beef scheme, and run a micro-brewery! Sure to be another hugely interesting day.

WORCESTER SIMMENTAL SALE, SATURDAY 29th APRIL

Closing date for entries Friday 24th March

If you haven’t already, please get your entries in for the upcoming Worcester Sale before the closing date.

Please also ensure that when you enter your animals you submit a Herd Health Declaration form (which can be downloaded here) and if the animal has not already been DNA tested, please send a hair sample to us at the Society office as soon as possible, so that the tests are completed in line with Society requirements before the sale.

It’sbeen a strong start to the Simmental Sale year with record averages set at both the Stirling February sale and the Aberdeen March Sale. Please see the

If you are performance recording member, please also ensure that you have had any bulls weighed and scanned by the end of the March, so that if possible, their figures appear in the sale catalogue.

The Worcester Sale will also feature a genuine reduction sale of 50 pedigree Simmental cows with Simmental and Blue calves at foot from the noted Wroxall Herd of CH Evans & Son.

To enter the sale, please click here and to view the schedule of the sale, please click here summary report and pictures here, and head to www.britishsimmental.co.uk to see the extended reports.