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The Trustees wish to offer a huge thank you to all the members who took the time to complete the health consultation and provide such constructive and informative feedback.  This feedback has informed the health profiling of the Spring Show & Sale at Worcester on 15 May, and will also provide valuable assistance to Trustees when they are producing the Society's ongoing health strategy.
 
138 members responded to the consultation.  Most of the respondents had been with the Society for over 10 years and had well-established herds of up to 20 cows.  When cattle were bought and sold the majority were traded privately, but Society sales were seen as a vital outlet, and were used by new members when starting out on their Longhorn ‘journey' and establishing new herds.
 
Most respondents felt they were aware of the health profile of their herd and those that had had health issues said that BVD, Johnes and Neospora had been the most prevalent diseases.
 
Members overwhelming felt that they wanted the Society to improve the national Longhorn herd health profile and that the breed could be seen as ‘lagging behind' by the wider pedigree and commercial beef industry.  Sales were seen a good way to encourage animal health and disease monitoring.
 
When asked if respondents would like to see all the cattle at Society sales tested and/or vaccinated for the main diseases over 75% of respondents said yes.  When asked which diseases, BVD came out on top, then Johnes, IBR, Lepto and then Neospora.
 
When asked what the barriers to health profiling were, the most common response was that cost and time would make whole herd testing prohibitive, and that members would prefer individual testing and vaccinating protocols rather than compulsory active membership of a health scheme.
 
After analysing this feedback and noting the positive response from members for health profiling at Society sales, the Trustees have put health profiling requirements in place for all cattle entered into the Show and Sale at Worcester on 15 May 2021. 

Click here to go to the Show & Sale entry forms and information.

The schedule and entry form for the online timed sale being hosted by Harrison & Hetherington on 7 & 8 April are now available.  There is no entry fee for vendors.
Read the schedule carefully and follow the instructions about getting your good quality photos and videos to H&H. 

Click here for the schedule

Click here for the entry form which can be completed online

Click here for the link to H&H online timed auctions help area

Grassroots have launched the new look Grassroots Online Registry which replaces the old Pedeweb.
The registry can be accessed via the Society website or direct at www.grassroots.co.uk/longhorn.html  using your normal Breed Society member number and password.  (If you have forgotten your login details please email the Society office)
You then have access to the whole Society animal database and you can 'Manage Your Animal Records'
It'll take a little time to get used to the new look and functions in the online registry but there is a helpful user guide.

From the 'Society Herdbook' page, click on the link to the user guide and it will open in a separate page.  You can then log into the online herdbook as normal and navigate your way around the new site and refer to the user guide.

Currently there is no 'member search' function but you can look up cattle owned by a particular member by using their member number. If you don't know it, their member number can be found in the printed Herdbook.

Click here to go to the online registry help document.

NEW APP
The new Grassroots mobile app is entirely optional and will make it easier to manage your pedigree information on the go from your phone.
Do births, deaths and transfers as well as upload photos and add notes to your cattle whilst 'in the field'.  The app is free for the first month to see if you like it - if it's not for you then don't carry on with it, if you get on with it then it's £1.99 per month or £14.99 a year subscription.
Again, there's a help document - you can have a read through to see what the App does before installing it on your phone.

Click here to go to the app help document

The Bollin Valley Partnership have been Society members since the 1980's

Read their story on our blog here