Canadian Angus Association Staff
Doug Fee
Chief Executive Officer
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Michael Latimer
Assistant General Manager
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Joanelle Fuellbrandt
Receptionist
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Kajal Devani
Breed Development
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Cheryl Hazenberg
Canadian Angus Rancher Endorsed Tag Program
Co-ordinator
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Sharmayne Byrgesen
Registrar
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Shirley Anderson
Assistant Registrar
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Amanda Suhan
Assistant Registrar
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Tina Zakowsky
Member Communications
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Julia Lindsay
Intern
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Brian Good
Commercial Fieldman
(403) 391-4037
John Duivenvoorden
Eastern Fieldman (Ontario)
(705) 431-0319
Wayne Gallup
Eastern Fieldman
(Quebec & Maritimes)
(819) 826-3026
Wendy Newton
Educational Support
(403) 668-5251
Announcements
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The Canadian Angus Association now has a Facebook page. Visit facebook.com/CanadianAngusAssociation to "Like" us.
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Through the Alberta Age Verification Incentive Program, the Canadian Angus Association has distributed more than $100,000 worth of free Canadian Angus Rancher Endorsed Tags! The demand for Angus tagged cattle continues to increase across the country, so be sure to get your qualified cattle tagged.
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50 new members joined the Canadian Angus Association in January. Welcome!
Mini Angus Forum—World Angus Secretariat
The World Angus Secretariat is meeting October 8–15 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Canadian Angus Association is coordinating a tour group that will depart Canada on Tuesday, October 4 and return on Sunday, October 16.
Anyone who would like more information about the official Canadian Angus delegation should contact Tina at the office to be given priority placement on the information list. We expect to have prices and details available by the end of the month.
Auction of Rare Semen Packages to Raise Funds for the Foundation
We will be auctioning some rare semen packages with proceeds of the sale going to the Canadian Angus Foundation. The semen will be offered in 5 dose packages with the high bidders able to take as many as are available. The semen would be FOB Alta Genetics in Balzac, Alberta.
The bulls being offered are:
Red Wild Rose Robin Hood Reg # 873930
V N A R Famous Players 53 Reg # 920940
Stevenson Fortune 415C Reg # 803849
N Bar Emulation EXT Reg. # 849773
Red Buf Crk. Hobo 1962 Reg. # 706951
Sandy Bardolier 2B Reg. # 740458
Please watch our website for details and rules, which will be released soon.
Performance Deadlines for 2011
The Canadian Angus Association Performance Program deadlines for submission of performance data for 2011 have now been set:
Fall 2011 NCE deadline is May 10
Spring 2012 NCE deadline is October 11
Please contact Kajal by email or at 1-888-571-3580 if you have any questions or concerns.
We are pleased to introduce a new option for Angus tag customers—the A-tag. A-tags are one-piece tags. They have a self-piercing, pinhole tip which allows faster healing and reduces animal stress. The longer tag anchor offers higher retention in thick-eared animals. These Allflex tags come in Cow size (3" wide x 4.5" high) for $30 per bag of 25 and Calf size (2.5" wide x 3.875" high) $25 per bag of 25 and can only be ordered through the Canadian Angus Association. Please note you will need a Zee tag applicator or an Allflex A-tag applicator to apply these tags.
Click here to visit the Canadian Angus Rancher Endorsed Tag Program page.
Join Kajal on the first Tuesday of each month at 9:00 Mountain Time for free workshops! The EPD 101 workshop covers what EPDs are, how they are calculated, and how to use EPDs. The Paperwork workshop includes the paperwork that participants need to fill out and also covers how to read and use the evaluation reports that are given back to members.
The workshops involve accessing slides online while participating in a conference call. Members with dial-up or no internet service can access the slides beforehand and can simply call in to the conference call. The workshops are interactive and breeders will have to opportunity to ask questions and share ideas.
The next workshop is on March 1. To register, email Kajal or call 1-888-571-3580.
Have You Ordered Your Angus Tags?
If you haven't ordered your Canadian Angus Rancher Endorsed Tags yet, we encourage you to place your order as soon as possible. We are currently experiencing a high volume of calls for tag orders and appreciate your patience. You can order by fax, mail or online as well as by phone.
Tags can be delivered by mail, courier or bus. Please indicate your shipping preference when you place your order.
Canadian Angus Association staff will also be on hand at the Calgary Bull Sale on March 2 & 3 and the 15th Annual Signature Series Bull Sale March 19 in Brooks. Please stop by the Angus booth if you have any questions about the Angus tag program or to place your order. Limited quantities of tags will be available for pick up.
Pedigree Extracts for Sale Catalogues
The Canadian Angus Association can create pedigree extracts for breeders who are building sales catalogues. The extracts include the lot number, the animal registration number, tattoo, sex, date of birth, three-generation pedigree information, genetic defect test results, adjusted weights and ratios, and EPDs—providing potential customers with detailed, accurate information for each animal up for sale.
To order a pedigree extract at a cost of $2 per head, email Kajal the list of animals for sale including the lot numbers if known, the registration numbers and tattoo information. Photos can be added to the online herd book for an additional charge of $3 per head.
Click here for more information about pedigree extracts.
Registration Incentives—Save Money
A new fee schedule took effect on January 1. If you submit your 2011-born calf registrations before they are 4 months old, the cost is still $15 for each registration. If you submit the transfers for animals you have sold within 60 days of the sale date, the transfer fee is still $12.
The fees to register older animals and transfer more than 60 days after the sale date have increased. Please click here to access a current fee schedule.
Revised Breeder Handbook Online
If you're looking for information in the new breeder handbook, be sure to consult the Table of Contents or the Index. Printed handbooks are available at a cost of $20; $25 if you also want a replacement binder (new members receive a free copy when they join). Contact Tina by email (please include your membership ID) or at 1-888-571-3580 to order your copy.
Electronic Storage of Registration Certificates
You will notice changes to some of the worksheets regarding the printing or e-storing of registration certificates. Though many of our breeders will let us know that it is their preference to electronically store their registration certificates, others that are on our Performance Program may still prefer to have their registration certificates printed when a 205 or a 365 day weight is on file. Our 205 and 365 day worksheets have been slightly changed to accommodate breeder preferences. Please contact us should you have any questions about the changes.
Click here to read the notice that was sent out with the Spring 2011 Herd Inventory packages.
Click here for more information about electronic storage.
If you wish to have registration certificates that you have in your possession electronically stored, please bundle them up and mail them to us with a notice that asks for electronic storage. There is no fee associated with this service at this time.
Sometimes a registration cannot be processed because registry staff have questions about the calf. In order to complete the registration, we will send out a Request for Information sheet (RFI) for the animal, outlining the requirements. The calf is assigned a pending number that starts with a ? (question mark.) The fee for a pending calf is held for 90 days; after that the fee will increase as per its age when it can be completed. A pending calf is not included in the National Cattle Evaluation (NCE). Please take care of these pending calves as soon as possible by providing written instruction to the Registry Department.
The acceptable age ranges in which to measure performance data are as follows:
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Weaning Weights
Red Angus: 130 to 280 days of age
Black Angus: 120 to 280 days of age -
Yearling Weights
290 to 440 days of age -
Ultrasound Scanning
Heifers: 320 to 460 days of age
Bulls: 320 to 440 days of age
Make sure your animals are within these acceptable age ranges when you measure their performance so that the data that you submit can be used in the evaluation.
The Canadian Angus Association can provide for its members a Geneprob herd analysis. This report will identify any animals in your herd that might have a probability of inheriting a recessive gene that causes either AM, NH, OS, MA or CA. The report can help members identify which animals to test for the genes so that testing is focused in the most economical way possible. The cost is $15 for an electronic report. Please contact Kajal by email or at 1-888-571-3580 to request your analysis or if you have any questions.
Red and Black Baldy Fundraiser
Assistant General Manager Michael Latimer and President Kirk Wildman have entered into a friendly competition to benefit the Canadian Angus Foundation and Kids with Cancer Society. Whoever raises the most money before the annual general meeting on June 11 will have their head shaved. Donations are being accepted online; please indicate if you are supporting Michael or Kirk in the comments section. All funds raised will be split between the two charities.
Group Benefit Program for Canadian Angus Association Members
The Canadian Angus Association is pleased to support a group insurance program for members and their families and dependents. For more information, visit the RanchPlan website.
Hello HerdMaster Users,
KEEPING YOUR DATA UP TO DATE is a very important component of using HerdMaster, is the responsibility of the user and your confirmation that the data has been received and processed by the office. The most important rule to remember is that when you submit information into the Canadian Angus Association office you need to get a file back to keep your data up to date.
When you submit data and are compliant with the performance program:
Registration file: Once you are compliant (you have reported calving activity on all the dams on your inventory) you will receive an email that a file called EPD_Spring2011.zip is on your authorized download section. This file contains your registration numbers (includes pending (numbers that start with a ?) and CM calves).
Weaning or Yearling weight: Once you are compliant (you have reported a weight or fate code on all the current year calves) you will receive an email that another EPD_Spring2011.zip has been added to your download section. This file contains the society adjusted weights and ratios.
You will also automatically receive the following files:
Inventory update: In January (for spring calvers) and July (for fall calvers) you will receive an email that your new inventory file is available. This file contains the dams on your inventory for which you are expected to report calving activity for the performance program. If you look on an animal details screen on your HerdMaster—this is the file that turns your ON ASSOCIATION INVENTORY button green. If you have secondary numbers associated with your herd—please do not import this file for at least 24 hours after you get the email—we have to re-run the inventory after the first run to include your secondary herds.
NCE: After every National cattle evaluation, there will be a file called NCE_2011.zip available on your download section. This file contains up-to-date EPDs for your entire herd.
In addition, you may request the following files:
Animal downloads: If you purchase new animals or use new AI sires I can provide the file to add the three-generation pedigree and EPDs. Please send me an email with a list of the animals you want added including the registration numbers.
Defects info: For the HerdMaster 4 users I can also provide the defects file which will identify F or C for the animals tested in your herd.
HOW TO IMPORT THE FILE
Log on as an authorized user, save the file onto your computer, unzip the file, import into HerdMaster (Utilities/Import—then select the file type—then select the unzipped file (.dat) on your computer).
Wendy Newton
403-668-5251