The Bloe Banner The Official Publication of e Ontario Bloe d Aquitaine Association December 2005 President s Message Well, here we are once again, at e e of anoer year - a time to look back a reflect on what has happened in e beef iury a in particular e Bloe d Aquitaine breed. Alough e ocker market has shown some softness in e pa mon due to high volumes in e fall run, prices remained roughout e year at much improved levels. A once again, Bloe a Bloe-cross cattle continue to be in e top price range. Unfortunately e late news we have received iicates at e full market wi e USA will take at lea anoer year to reopen to animals of all ages. This continues to negatively influence e price of cull cows. On e positive side, I was oroughly impressed to see e turnout of Bloe members at e National Show a Sale in Lisay organized by e Ontario Association. It was certainly one of e large shows of Bloe cattle in recent times. A even more important, e sale showed muchimproved prices over e pa two years. I would like to ank all e volunteers who helped make is a tremeous event. In Ontario, even more encouraging for e Bloe breed is e increase in regirations of purebred a fullblood Bloes in 2005 as compared to 2004. This tre is also evident across e country a sign at Bloe members are ill very active a confident in e success of e breed. Transfers or sales have ill not reached e volumes of previous years, but I sense is will turn arou in 2006. As we head into anoer year, your Ontario Boa is in e process of reviewing its program for 2006 which should include additional sales of Bloe cattle over a above e Cream of e Crop Sale. We will keep you poed. Bo my wife a I would like to wish you a your families e be of Chrimases a a prosperous New Year. Marcel Lachance PS Forget e turkey eat BEEF. RAFFLE RESULTS!! We held our raffle on November 26, 2005. The winners are: 1 Prize: Al Spicer of Tweed, Ont. 2 Prize: Bryan DeVries of Charlton, Ont. 3 Prize: Say Pearce of Fenelon Falls, Ont. 4 Prize: Carl & Lorraine King of Port Colborne, Ont. Thanks to e many members from across e province who took e time a energy to sell tickets a make is event a success. Not only does is raffle provide fus to e Association but it is also anoer way of promoting Bloes a e Beef iury. The OBdAA Boa
Ontario Boa of Directors: Marcel Lachance President 3558 Highway 7, Norwood (705) 639 2183 marcel_lachance@sympatico.ca Laverne McGee Vice-President R.R. #1, Campbellfo, ON K0L 1L0 (705) 653 3160 lavelainefarm@sympatico.ca Murphy Baker Secretary/Treasurer R.R. #5, Suerla, Ont. L0C 1H0 (905) 985-0563 bakerbloes@sympatico.ca Steve Acres Director 2166 McGee Side Road R.R. #2, Carp, ON K0A 1L0 613 836 4190 evenjacres@sympatico.ca Sharon Machina Director R.R. #1, Cliffo, Ont. N0G 1M0 (519) 327 8646 rheo@mbrheocattle.com Sheila McNevan Director R.R. #3, Haings, Ont. K0L 1Y0 (705) 295-6208 mcnevan@nexicom.net John Vink Director 40 Gazley Rd. R.R. #1, Wooler, Ont. K0K 3M0 Important Information: Canadian Bloe d'aquitaine Association 116, 2116-27 Ave. N.E. Calgary, AB T2E 7A6 (403) 276-5771 www.airnet.com/caianbloes Canadian Liveock Recos Corporation 2417 Holly Lane Ottawa, Ont. K1V 0M7 (613) 731-7110 www.clrc.ca Saskatchewan Research Council 15 Innovation Rd. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 2X8 (306) 933-7700 Agriculture a Agri-Food Canada www.agr.gc.ca Newsletter Editor: Ilse Vink 40 Gazley Rd. R.R. #1, Wooler, Ont. K0K 3M0 e-mail: jiv@reach.net 2005 Rates for Advertising (GST extra) Per Issue: 1 full page. $40 3/4 page $35 ½ page..$25 1/4 page...$15 Business cas..$5 Four Issues: 1 full page..$120 3/4 page.$105 ½ page..$75 1/4 page $45 Business cas $15 Upcoming Events: February 7-9 Canadian International Farm Equiptment Show International Centre, Toronto www.torontofarmshow.com March 8-10 Weern Fair Farm Show Fairgrous, Loon, Ontario www.weernfair.com March 14-16, 2006 Ottawa Valley Farm Show Lansdowne Park, Ottawa www.ottawafarmshow.com April 1, 2006 Ontario Bloe d Aquitaine Association Annual General Meeting Location: TBA NOTE: The OBdAA reserves e right to edit any newsletter submissions for leng a content suitability. The goals of is newsletter are: To inform e membership of all e pertinent activities a initiatives being taken by e Association, e Association Boa, or its members. To provide educational information in oer to assi Bloe breeders in all aspects of e seed ock iury. To promote e Bloe d Aquitaine breed a e members of e Ontario Bloe d Aquitaine Association.
Bull a Heifer Evaluation Centres As fall wis down wi winter snow on e door ep, e processing a weaning of 2005 calves is also wiing down. Some of ose calves will fi emselves in a bull or heifer BIO evaluation centre where ey will be assessed, along wi oer calves eir own age, on a variety of grow traits. This assessment is viewed as an opportunity to see how a particular animal ranks in relation to oers wiin e group as well as wiin a breed a across breeds. It also adds a predictable quantity to at animal a its offspring a provides a tool at can be used for culling a he replacement selections. The animals emselves are also competing for recognition wiin breeds a in e Prime Plus a Beef Builder categories. The BIO report is calculated monly a becomes a "report ca" for ose animals on te. Terms such as Average Daily Gain (ADG), Yearling Gain (YG), Ribeye Area (REA), adjued Scrotal Circumference (adj. SC), a ABC's (Across Breed Comparisons) are aaized to measure aings a/or progress. The percentile rankings (%) also give an iication of where an animal as in relation to oer animals in e iury a wiin breeds. Breeders who value is type of evaluation are often dedicated to keeping recos on eir whole he a utilize e BIO evaluation as a marketing tool. Alough ey will agree at it takes time a manageable haling facilities to reco e weaning weights of calves, ey will also argue at e "gains" far outweigh e negatives. A number of teimonials have been given by satisfied BIO clientele a bull purchasers a all ate at ey rely on e predictability at ose performance numbers provide. Once again, ere will be a number of Bloe bulls a heifers at will be entered at various evaluation centres across e province (a ieed across e country). In addition to e BIO recognized awas, ey will be eligible for two additional awas as recognized by e Ontario Bloe d'aquitaine Association, (see p.7). The OBdAA commes ese breeders for eir efforts a for promoting e performance traits of eir he as well as e Bloe Breed. Features of BIO's Genetic Evaluations (ABCs) a Economic Iexes Genetic Evaluations -e mo accurate meod to express genetic ability of an animal. They are adjued for environment a can be used to compare animals across hes a evaluation centres. ABC - Across Breed EPD or Comparison -Eimate of how future progeny of an animal are expected to perform in each of e traits. Comparisons can be made wiin breeds a across breeds. For example, a bull or heifer wi a Yearling Gain ABC of +85 will produce progeny at are on average 50 pous heavier an progeny from a bull wi a Yearling Gain ABC of +35. Accuracy - Measure of e amount of information used to calculate e ABC. Ranges from 1 (lea) to 99 (mo). Evaluations based on pedigree information only are noted as 'PE' (pedigree eimate). Prime Plus Economic Iex -Prime Plus is e bull's predicted dollar difference (PDD) for his ability to sire market calves at produce a 700 pou carcass wi AAA marbling, a productive heifer replacements. Prime Plus is based on using e bull for 2 years on 30 average cows, wi 85% of heifers kept as replacements. Prime Plus is only for Bulls not Heifers. Beef Builder Economic Iex -Beef Builder is e bull's predicted dollar difference (PDD) for his ability to sire market calves at produce up to an 800 pou carcass a sire productive heifer replacements. Beef Builder is based on using e bull for 2 years on 30 average cows, wi 40% of heifers kept as replacements. BeefBuilder is only for Bulls not Heifers. ABCs (Across Breed EPDs) for all animals evaluated by BIO are on a fixed base. The base is a multi-breed average of animals born 1995-1998: Tra i t : Base: CE 0 BW 0 WG +30 MILK +15 PWG +20 YG +50 FAT 0 REA 0 Tra i t : Base: %IMF 0 SC 0 Prime Plus +2000 Beef Builder +2000
HOLBURN FARMS AND BLACK MARBLE BLONDES Would like to take is time to ank all eir 2005 cuomers for eir support is year. Wishing everyone e be in 2006 wi eir purchases. Floyd, Sheryl a Bill Blackburn
Two Awas Recognizing Performance Achievements!! By Sharon Machina a Steve Acres The Ontario Bloe d'aquitaine Association is pleased to announce at ere will be two Performance Awas presented at its 2006 Annual General Meeting. The fir awa, The President's Cup, will continue in e same role as before a will be presented to an Ontario member for e highe ranking Bloe bull finishing a BIO-evaluated te in e year previous. This awa will ill promote e use of whole he recoing a is based on e current Beef Builder iex in e BIO syem. The boa will be phasing out e small "keeper cup" awa a replacing it wi a lined jacket. The large President's Cup will continue to be presented a e winner will have it in eir possession for e year until it is presented e following year. The seco awa will recognize "The Top Bloe Bull". It will recognize e iividual achievements of an animal a will not be linked to e he recoing requirement. The bull at ranks e mo consiently in e following categories will be chosen as e winner, wi e bull's owner taking home a lined jacket as an awa. The categories used to judge e bulls are as follows, ranked in oer of priority: * highe Average Daily Gain (minimum of 3.0 lbs. per day) * an adjued Rib Eye wi a minimum of 14.5 sq. in. * an adjued Scrotal Circumference wi a minimum of 32 cm. * a positive EPD for Calving Ease Bo The President's Cup a e Top Bloe Bull awa for 2005 will be presented at e 2006 AGM. International Plowing Match 2005 The IPM was held on e outskirts of Liowel on e farm of David Carson e week of September 20. The weaer was ideal, wi some rain arriving on e Thursday. The OBdAA had a display set-up in e Beef Tent a saw a number of visitors roughout e duration of e match. A cow/calf pair was on display courtesy of Bill VanBakel, Dublin, ON. Visitors commented very favourably on e quality a disposition of e pair. The animals certainly conveyed e positive attributes at e Bloe Breed has to offer, wi many commercial cattlemen also making inquiries. Many of e school children were happy to feed alfalfa cubes to e cow while oers were keen to pet e calf as it lay at e side of e pen. Many anks to e volunteers who manned e display a sold raffle tickets. They were: Donna Vaerham a Dylan, Rheo a Sharon Machina, Bryan Dur, Debbie a Dennis Elliott, Bill Van Bakel, Clare a Cay Kuepfer, a John a Ilse Vink a family. A special ank-you to Clare who assied for 3 days a for packing up a dropping off e display. Thanks again to a great team at worked well togeer. You all did an excellent job of promoting e Bloe Breed! Merry Chrimas from HALCYON FARMS Bloe d Aquitaine John a Ilse Vink Wooler, Ont. K0K 3M0
VANDERHAM FARMS LTD. Polled Fullblood Bloes BULLS FOR SALE Case & Donna Vaerham Holla Centre (519) 794-3561 p/f 5. Female-Heifer born Jan. 1/04 - Mar. 31/04 2 Laverne McGee 6. Female Two-Year-Old wi calf at side Jan.1/03-Dec. 31/04 7. Female - mature cow wi is year s calf at side, born prior to Jan. 03 2 Dave McNevan Rosenea Fair Bloe Show Results Oct. 2, 2005 1. Male- Bull Calf born on or after Jan. 1/05 2 Laverne McGee 3 Darren Dunham 4 Dave McNevan 5 Ron McArur 2. Male- Yearling Bull 2 Darren Dunham 3 Don Dunham 7A. Champion Female 2 Laverne McGee 8. Breeder s He 2 Darren Dunham 3 Don Dunham 4 Dave McNevan Correction: Lavelaine Farms was 1 in e Breeders He Category at e National Show held in Lisay, September 25, 2005. 2A. Male- Champion Bull 2 Laverne McGee 3. Female- Calf born on or after Jan. 1/05 1 Darren Dunham 2 Dave McNevan 3 Don Dunham 4 Laverne McGee 5 Marcel Lachance 6 Don Dunham 7 Darren Dunham 8 Marcel Lachance 9 Ron McArur 10 Dave McNevan 4. Female-Heifer born April 1/04 - Dec. 31/04 1 Don Dunham 2 Don Dunham 3 Ron McArur For Sale: Hunter green washable cotton valances, rod pocket wi top shirring (optional), approximately 4 meters wide (flat), a 50 cm long. Used once. Perfect for Shows a/or Sales. 15 available at only $15 each. (2-3 meter a 1-2 meter valances also available.) Contact Ilse Vink (613) 397 1890 for more information.