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Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 12:49 pm
by justmalc
Hi All,
Sorry I can't lay my hands on the AGM agenda. There was some discussion earlier on whether there could be a reduction in the fees for "late" registration of bulls and it was suggested that a proposal would be put to the AGM.
I have a really nice bull - Monty - advertised on these pages - who is just two years old but currently unregistered.
I plan to register him as he has matured well but have been quoted over one hundred and eighty pounds by the DCS to do this. (His sire has already been tested etc or the cost would be more.)
If changes are afoot then I may wait. Is there an upper age limit for registration?
Thanks,
Malcolm.
Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 6:45 pm
by Broomcroft
We were keeping numerous bulls till they were older because we were after short non-shorts, but we found some suddenly shot up and others didn't, so you had to wait to get it right or do what we did before that, register early, pay all the fees and then find out you got it wrong and beef them. We then had the double-whammy of both high costs and the loss of beef value by keeping a bull.
Anyhow we don't register anything any more because of the bull and overage fees. We would prefer to be pedigree but not at any price. Having said that, our move has made little or no difference to us, but maybe we are in a funny area? Pedigree hardly gets mentioned and is actually considered more of a nuisance and I always ask up-front.
I don't THINK there is any age limit as long as the parents have been DNA'd or are still alive so that they can be.
The American societies have got it right. Cost of a bull reg including overage fee is £30 UK Pounds but looking at their sales, they also get higher prices generally for animals. What's more, because the fees are low, LOADS of people use them as about a quarter of all regs fees are overage ones if you look at their accounts. Same with Red Ruby's over here, they've got it right to and people use it, the society gets more fees, and the breed is improved because people haven't got to guess early and can also change a bull without incurring high fees all over again.
As a matter of interest, why did you not register the bull earlier Malcolm?
Edited By Broomcroft on 1252086797
Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 1:19 pm
by redhill
I fully agree with Clive the cost of registering a bull is prohibitive and can only lead to a decline in the genetic pool.
if bull registration was to be lowered to say £30 then more people would register all potential bulls and cull those that do not make the grade as they get older, at £30 you can just about absorb the cost if the young bull does not hold its promise but at over £100 you cannot, unless of course you only keep them as a hobby.
finacially for the society 30 bull registrations at £30 = £900 must be more profitable than 6 at £100 = £600.
within a 8 mile radius of us there are 4 non registered Dexter herds (two of them at least are largish herds) if bull registration were less expensive and these herds became registered then not only would the society gain from an extra 4 memberships but would also gain in registration fees for the heifer calves born into these herds, the result being a win win situations as far as the society is concerned plus we would gain in the genetic area.
we also find that when people come to buy Dexters, whether they are pedigree or not is not formost in the buyers requirement, but is rather looked upon as a bonus,
as Dexter beef is in such demand it matters not a jot if the animal that goes for beef is registered or unregistered the beef is just as good and to be fair an animal used for beef (whether steer or heifer) will usually make about twice as much.
Bill, Castlemears Dexters.
Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 4:59 pm
by domsmith
I dont see any justification for the punitive registration fees. personally it really annoys me and doesnt make me think very much of the dcs.
i think its trying to cut the rubbish bulls out the equation by price, but no thought is given to the number of good bulls they miss.
let the market decide if they are any good or not.
plus they treat us like untrustworthy idiots with the dna testing. why not dna test when the bull is ready for working like the Angus society. i will probably keep my bulls unregistered.
i dont believe the dcs is business minded towards the breed, they want to be too fussy and over burdening. iam sure protecting the breed standard is important but so is the commercial viability of the breed.
dom