|
Information about British White Cattle
The American British White cow is of
moderate size, 1000 to 1500 pounds. Bulls are from 1800 to 2300 pounds. They
are smooth polled although an occasional "scur" will be observed. Scurred
animals may be registered if the scur has not been removed. Both bulls and
cows are very docile in nature. The cow udders are well set and tight with
small black teats. Back lines are straight and strong with a slight slope to
the tail head. The bull's scrotums are well shaped and large in size, a 38
to 42 cm circumference is not unusual in yearling bulls.
British Whites are a breed noted for
fertility, calving ease, efficiency and trouble free. They have a lean and
tender carcass with superior milking ability and hardiness.
The people who own British Whites swear by “em“.
They say she can't be beat to give you a live, healthy calf year after year.
Owner after owner will tell you that the British White cow will give you
more pounds of calf per acre than any other breed in existence. She will
give those extra pounds at less cost and less trouble than other more
recognized breeds. In talking with one owner who has run approximately
seventy head of mama cows yearly for twenty years, he says he has assisted a
total of only four or five calves in those 20 years. This includes heifers
with their first calf.
They are known to be gentle with lots of
milk. It is not unusual for an owner to take guests out to the pasture and
walk among the cows and their babies without disturbing them. Veterinarians
agree that this breed causes them less trouble “in the chute" to the point
the vet even enjoys working 'em. That docility spills over into the feed lot
where calm calves will fatten on less feed than a nervous calf.
The milk is there! In interviewing several breeders, they report that it is
not unusual for their bull calves to average close to 600 pounds and heifers
in the 550 pound category at weaning. These weights are on grass without
creep. Birth weights in the 70 to 80 pound category is common among purebred
British Whites calves.
===============================
Suggested Buyer/Seller Guidelines
1. You
should understand the terms and conditions of the sale thoroughly before you
buy registered British White Cattle.
2. Instruct
your seller how to transfer the registration papers to you. You will want
them in the name you plan to use as a member of the British White Cattle
Association. For example, if your membership name is Smith British Whites
don't have the papers transferred to "Bill Smith".
3. Check
the ear tattoos of each animal you buy. They must match the tattoos on the
registration certificate. Check them again when you receive the new
registration certificates in your name.
4. Follow
up and contact the seller if you fail to receive the transferred
certificates within 30 days after purchase.
5. Learn
the required animal health regulations for your area. Insist on any tests
that may be required by state or federal.
6. Join
the British White Cattle Association if you are not already a member.
7. Keep
accurate records from the start. Your cattle and even your reputation as a
seed stock producer can be no better than your records and the way that you
keep them. Identify all calves at birth with an ear tag and/or tattoo.
Calves must be tattooed before they are registered. Permanently record ear
tag numbers, breeding dates, calving dates, tattoos and the parentage.
8. You
should register your calves as soon after birth as possible. Registration
blanks are available from the BWCAA office.
9. When
you sell a registered animal, you should transfer the certificate to the
buyer. The transfer application is on the back of your certificate. It
should be completed, signed and mailed to the BWCAA office along with the
proper transfer fees. It is generally expected that the seller pays the
transfer fees but you as buyer should always confirm.
===============================
BREEDERS REFERENCE GUIDE – RULES AND REGULATIONS
Membership and Dues
Membership is open to
anyone with an interest in British White cattle. There are three kinds of
memberships available in the Association, Active Breeder, Junior and
Associate.
1. Active Breeder.
This type of
membership shall be available to an individual, a Corporation, a Partnership
or any other legal entity.
Initial membership fee
shall be $65.00 for the remainder of the first calendar year. Thereafter the
annual dues shall be $35.00 plus $2.00 per head for each female owned and
registered that is 12 months old as of January 1 of said year, to be billed
and due as of January 1 each year. Dues should be paid in a timely manner to
prevent your name being deleted from the active member mailing list.
Memberships will be considered lapsed if renewal dues are not paid by 12:01
AM on March 1. If allowed to lapse, penalty to be reinstated to active
status will be $65.00 plus current year herd fees. All reinstatements
subject to board approval. Each active breeder who pays dues and herd fees,
and if those dues and herd fees are paid up, will be entitled to one vote
per membership at the annual meeting and any special meeting of the
membership.
2. Junior Member.
A junior member
shall be under 21 years old and the initial dues to join is $5.00 and to
remain active must pay $5.00 plus herd fees for each calendar year
thereafter. Upon reaching the age of 21 years the Junior membership may be
converted to Active breeder status by paying the dues in effect at that time
for that class of membership less the $5.00 paid initially. There is no
penalty to convert to the Active voting member status.
3. Associate
Membership.
Available to any
person or entity with an interest in helping to further the existence of
this breed of cattle. Initial fee to join is $100.00 and thereafter the
calendar year annual dues shall be $100.00. No voting privileges or
registration rights go with this type of membership.
Active and Junior
Members are eligible to register cattle at member rates. They may register
and/or transfer cattle in only the title of ownership that appears on
his/her Membership. An additional membership will be needed to register or
transfer cattle in any other name. This will include other family members,
other partners in a partnership or stockholders in a Corporation, etc.
The Board of
Directors has the right to accept or reject all applications for membership.
The Board of Directors also has the power to suspend or expel any member who
acts in a way detrimental to the association or fails to comply with the
rules and regulations of the Association. No membership fees shall be
refunded as a result of such action.
A membership may be
transferred to another maintaining the same breeder number and date,
providing the application is made in writing. Such action shall be subject
to approval by the Board of Directors.
Animal
Name Change:
Animals from other countries may not have their names changed from that on
the certificate. The name of a United States born animal may be changed,
provided it is done before any progeny are born to the subject animal. A
written request must be submitted to the Association with the Certificate of
Registration and the necessary fee. If a registered prefix was used in the
original name, it must also be used as the prefix in any suggested change.
Name change fee is $50.00.
Registration of Animals
Up to date, thorough,
and accurate breeder records are the key to accuracy in maintaining cattle
registrations. Properly identifying and registering the cattle when they are
young prevents many common errors and will save a considerable amount of
money.
Applications for
registration of animals must be typed or printed on forms prescribed and
furnished by the Association. These forms may be obtained in reasonable
numbers free of charge from the office at all times.
Animals and/or their
progeny registered with another association that qualify as British White
may, at the discretion of the Board of Directors, be registered as British
White and recorded in the British White Herdbook. Any cattle showing British
White characteristics that are unregistered will be considered another
breed. To finalize such a request a breeder must surrender the original
certificates to the BWCAA. If request is approved and animals recorded in
the British White Herdbook, British White Certificates will be issued and
returned in their place.
Horned/Polled/Scurred.
Any horned animal, male or female does not qualify for registration. Only
Polled or Scurred animals qualify. Scurs are defined as any horny growth not
attached to the skull. An animal that has had the scurs removed does not
qualify for registration.
Grading
Up.
The British White Cattle
Association of America, in an endeavor to provide individual breeders with a
means of better serving their customers within certain geographical areas,
and as an economical method for new breeders to build a registered herd
offers a grading up program.
Half-Blood.
An animal registered with the BWCAA at any level higher than Three-Quarter
Blood when crossed with a commercial or other non BWCAA registered animal
will produce a half-blood. Also percentages are always rounded down so that
a 3/4 bred to a 1/2 will produce 1/2 blood progeny. Exception, a half blood
bull must have a registered pedigree on both his sire’s and dam’s side with
one being a British White
Three-Quarter. An
animal registered with the BWCAA at any level higher than Three Quarter
Blood when crossed with a BWCAA registered Half Blood will produce a Three
Quarter Blood.
Purebred. To be
designated as a BWCAA registered purebred the animal must be seven-eighths
blood (7/8) or higher. An animal registered with the BWCAA at any level
higher than Three Quarter Blood when bred to a Three Quarter Blood or
another animal that is also registered with the BWCAA at a higher level than
Three Quarter Blood will produce Purebred Progeny. Purebred animals will be
further graded or
classified based on their number of complete generations of purebred
ancestry recorded in the BWCAA herd book. An animal with five or more
complete generations of purebred ancestry will be recognized as American
Fullblood. See charts in back of book on pages 18 and 19.
Animals previously
qualified as “American Fullblood” with less than five generations of
purebred ancestry are grandfathered in and recorded as American Fullblood (GF).
For grading up purposes they will be considered the same as if they had five
generations of purebred ancestry.
Animals previously
qualified as “AAA Purebred” with less than four generations of purebred
ancestry are grandfathered in and recorded as AAA Purebred (GF). For grading
up purposes they will be considered the same as if they had four generations
of purebred ancestry.
Animals previously
qualified as “AA Purebred” with less than three generations of purebred
ancestry are grandfathered in and recorded as AA Purebred (GF). For grading
up purposes they will be considered the same as if they had three
generations of purebred ancestry.
Any progeny that move up
in grade due to their sire or dam being grandfathered in will also be
designated as GF.
Recommendations
for an American Fullblood.
Preferred Animal will
be Standard Marked (White body with black or red points, including black
ears, eyes, nose, feet, legs and teats) and have no scurs (defined as a horn
like growth fastened only to the skin and not attached to the skull, an
animal that has had scurs removed is considered to have been horned and is
not eligible for registration).
It is highly
recommended that all American Fullblood animals and their parents have a DNA
profile on record with the BWCAA office.
DNA is
required on all
A.I. sires, Embryo sires, Donor dams and progeny resulting from embryo
transfer (E.T.). Parentage confirmation by DNA will enhance the value of any
registered animal. You should remember if a DNA test is not done prior to
an animals death and no material is available for DNA testing after death
then that animals progeny can never be parentage confirmed by DNA testing
and may be considered less valuable.
Random DNA testing
and/or inspection of any or all of any member’s cattle may be made at the
discretion of the Association for purposes of determining parentage and
qualifications of the animal/animals, (i.e. Standard Markings, etc.) Testing
will be done at the convenience of the member and the overall cost will be
absorbed by the Association. Continual lack of cooperation by the breeder in
DNA testing and/or inspection will result in removal of the member from the
Association.
Forms and
instructions for DNA Testing are available from the BWCAA office.
Registration Certificates.
Registration certificates will be issued for all cattle recorded with the
Association.
Identification.
All animals must have a Permanent Positive identification, in the form of a
Tattoo in at least one ear. It is recommended that the tattoo be placed in
the left ear because the right ear is used by the veterinarian for the
official calfhood brucellosis vaccination. The location or locations of the
tattoo must be stated on the application for registration. The tattoo code
should include your herd prefix and the tattoo number followed by the
International year code. An example of how the tattoo should read would be
ABC 10H, indicating bred by ABC, it was number 10 and was born in 1998. The
table below shows the letters to be used in your tattoo system to designate
the year of birth.
International
Tattoo Code
1995-E 1996-F 1997-G 1998-H 1999-J 2000-K 2001-L 2002-M
2003-N 2004-P 2005-R 2006-S 2007-T 2008-U 2009-W 2010-X
2011-Y 2012-Z 2013-A 2014-B 2015-C 2016-E 2017-F 2018-G
Please note that not
all letters of the alphabet are used due to the similarity between some
numbers and some letters.
Herd
Names, Herd Prefix/Letters and Tattoo
1.
All members of the BWCAA and individuals or entities that want to register
British White Cattle as non members, except Associate Members, must apply
for and be assigned a Herd Prefix consisting of two to four letters of the
alphabet. These herd letters will be recorded and reserved for the exclusive
use of the owner and the same set of letters may not ever be assigned to
another BWCAA member or breeder of British White Cattle.
2. It is an official
requirement to register cattle with the BWCAA that the Herd Prefix be a part
of the animal's permanent tattoo.
Each animal's
permanent tattoo is to be placed in at least one ear and to include; The
breeders Herd Prefix, a serial number and year code. An example of a tattoo
for an animal born in ABC herd in 1998 would be: ABC 10H. ABC is the herd
prefix, 10 is the serial number and H is the code letter for 1998.
3. All members of the
BWCAA and individuals or entities that want to register British White Cattle
as non members, except Associate Members, must apply for and be assigned a
Herd Name. This Herd Name will be recorded and reserved for the exclusive
use of it's owner and it may not ever be assigned to another BWCAA member or
breeder of British White Cattle. In most cases, when requested, the herd
name and herd prefix may be the same if desired. Check with the office if in
question.
Herd Name example with
the herd name being Woodbastwick. This herd name would be used as the first
part of each animal's name when it is registered as in "Woodbastwick
Marble". When filling out the application for registration be sure to
include your Herd Name as the first name of the animal being registered.
An animal’s name,
including the herd name, should be limited to a maximum of 26 digits.
(Spaces & punctuation marks count.) If the full 26 digits are used and the
name is printed in all capital letters it may occasionally overlap the next
field on the animal’s registration certificate.
DNA
Testing. A
DNA
profile is required
to be on file with the
BWCAA office for A. I. sires, Embryo sires, Donor cows and progeny from
embryo transplant. DNA forms and instructions are available from the BWCAA
office. These forms must be filled out by the office as to the identity of
the animal/animals to be DNA tested.
In the case of imported
embryos and or bull semen a copy of the DNA parentage confirmation reports
from the exporting country are acceptable along with a copy of the pedigree
from their association or society herd book. It will be the responsibility
of the importing party to obtain this information. It must be on file in the
BWCAA office for the resulting progeny to be eligible for registration in
the BWCAA herd book.
Random DNA testing of
any or all of any member’s registered British White cattle may be made at
the discretion of the Association if the need arises. Testing will be done
at the convenience of the member and the cost will be absorbed by the
Association. Continual lack of cooperation by the breeder in DNA testing
will result in removal of the member from the Association.
Performance
Information.
Birth weight, adjusted 205 and 365 day weights and hip heights are
recommended, however they are not required by the Association at this time.
The basic standards for the industry as to when to take weights and measures
are as follows:
Birth - immediately
following birth of animal (See table on page 15).
Adj. 205 day weight - 160 to 250 days of age.
Adj. 365 day weight - 320 to 410 days of
age.
Color
Guidelines. (See
pictures on page 17 in this publication)
In an effort to
preserve as many genetics as possible, progeny may be registered in three
color categories, S-Standard Marked, O-Over Marked and U-Under Marked. Also
in Association sponsored events where the cattle are displayed or paraded in
front of the public it is recommended that the animals be kept as close to
standard marked as possible.
The ideal and/or
recommended color is white body with black or red points, i.e.-Black ears,
eyes, nose (including upper & lower jaw), feet, legs, teats and anal area.
This would be considered a
Standard Marked
animal.
An
Over
Marked animal
would be from a solid black down to something less than about 25% coloring.
An
Under
Marked animal
would be one that is almost totally white.
Member
Responsibility. It
is the responsibility of the member/breeder to state the color category on
the registration application for registration of the animal. This may be
spot checked by the Association at their discretion.
Standards of Quality.
Ribs well sprung, long loin, females feminine in appearance, moderately
boned in relation to weight, wide through the hooks, long between the hooks
and pin bones. Udder well developed, not pendulous, teats well placed, of
moderate size and pointing to the ground. This probably defines pretty close
to a frame score five animal.
Multiple Births.
When applying for registration of twins or multiple births or of one member
thereof, the word “twin” or “multiple birth” must be shown (written)
following the name of the animal on the application for registration, and
the sex of the other twin or multiple given. Unless this is done, no
application for registration of the other twin or multiple can be accepted.
In births of twins or multiple births, a separate application must be
submitted for each animal.
In cases of twins or
multiple births of opposite sex, the females may be “tentatively” registered
until proven a breeder, at which time the penalty fee for late registration
shall be waived.
Progeny from Embryo Transplant.
Parentage must be proven for registration of such cattle. This requires
three DNA test reports, sire, dam and embryo offspring. In the case of
imported embryos and or bull semen a copy of the DNA parentage confirmation
reports from the exporting country are acceptable along with a copy of the
pedigree from their association or society herd book. It will be the
responsibility of the importing party to obtain this information. It must be
on file in the BWCAA office for the resulting progeny to be eligible for
registration in the BWCAA herd book.
Progeny
from Leased Bulls.
If an owner leases a
bull to another breeder he shall inform the Association of the inclusive
dates of the lease agreement. The lessee will be allowed the right to sign
registration applications for progeny conceived by the bull during the lease
period.
Multiple Ownership of Bulls.
The Multiple Owners should file in writing with the Association one or more
designated representatives to sign for all matters in relation to their bull
such as leases, A .I. etc.
Progeny from Artificial Insemination (AI).
Progeny from A. I. are afforded the same registration rights as all other
progeny providing the DNA test report for the A. I. sire is on file in the
Association Office. If semen is collected strictly for in herd use only by
the owner of the sire DNA is recommended but not required. If semen is to be
used by any breeder other than the owner of the sire then DNA is required to
make the progeny eligible for registration. The Association may at its
discretion request DNA testing on any progeny to prove parentage.
On imported semen a
copy of the DNA parentage confirmation report from the exporting country
will be accepted along with a copy of the pedigree. It will be the
responsibility of the importing party to obtain this information. It must be
on file in the BWCAA office for the resulting progeny to be eligible for
registration in the BWCAA herd book.
Correction of Certificates.
All registration
certificates should be checked by the member immediately upon receipt.
Certificates with errors should be returned to the office for immediate
correction. Corrections or changes necessary as a result of office errors
will be made free of charge. Corrections or changes necessary as a
result of applicant
errors will be made at the expense of applicant. Any writing on a
certificate which alters recorded information will invalidate the
certificate and necessitate the issuance of a duplicate certificate at the
regular cost to the holder. No alterations or changes of any kind can be
allowed unless it is made by the Association office.
Duplicate Certificate.
A duplicate certificate of registration can be obtained by submitting an
affidavit from the owner that such certificate has been lost or destroyed
and that if, and when found it will be returned to and become the property
of the Association. There will be a small charge of $10.00 for each
duplicate certificate.
Extended Pedigree.
You may order an extended
pedigree from the office that will include all recorded ancestry up to six
generations. Cost will be $20.00 per animal when 1 to 5 are ordered at the
same time, $15.00 per animal when 6 to 10 are ordered at the same time and
$10.00 per animal when more than 10 are ordered at the same time.
Deceased Registered Animals.
In order to keep the herdbook records as accurate as possible and to insure
that each member is billed correctly for herd fees it is recommended that
the registration certificate be returned to the office for cancellation. If
you retain progeny from said animal in your herd you may want to make a
photo copy of the certificate for your records.
Registered Owner Name.
Registration applications
should be filed in the same name as the owner shown on the Dam’s
Registration Certificate. The association can not register progeny in your
name if the Dam is registered in some one else’s name unless it is a
purchased embryo and then the appropriate information must accompany the
application for registration.
Fee
Schedule. The
Association shall be on a cash paid in advance basis. Registration fees will
be based on a postmark date indicating when mailed. Transfer fees will be
based on date of sale. Take care of your bull customer, the sale date on his
bull must be prior to the date of breeding cows. If the correct fees do not
accompany the application, or prior payment has not been made, the
certificate will be held in the office until such time as each transaction
is paid in full. All certificates will be held by the office until a
member’s account, including advertising and other charges are paid in full.
All payments will be applied to the oldest invoices first. All registration
and transfer fees are double for inactive and/or non members.
Registration Fees.
Half Bloods and Steers,
All Ages $8.00
3/4 and above
0-250 days of age
$20.00
251-365 days of age $25.00
366-450 days of age $40.00
451+ days of age $100.00
A .I. & Embryo
registrations are same as other fees.
Animal
Name Change $50.00
DNA
Parentage Test $35.00
Certificate Correction $10.00
Duplicate Certificate $10.00
Extended Pedigree, 1 to 5 $20.00 ea, 6 to 10 $15.00 ea, over 10 $10.00 ea.
Transfer Fees
Within 45 days of sale $10.00 Over 45 days after sale
$20.00
Membership dues.
Regular
member - $65.00 to join, thereafter $35.00 per year plus herd fees.
Junior member - $5.00 per year plus herd fees.
Associate member - $100.00 per year
Herd
Fees. Annual Fee
is $2.00 per registered female owned that is 12 months of age as of January
1st. Herd Fee along with renewal dues are billed once a year, due and
payable on January 1st of each year and lapses if not paid by 12:01 AM March
ist. If allowed to lapse, the cost to be reinstated to active status will be
$65.00 plus current year herd fees.
Recommended Standards by British White Cattle Society of England.
Character: The
BRITISH WHITE is a naturally polled, large and hardy native breed exhibiting
the dual characteristics of beef and milking ability.
Colour:
Must be white with
black or red points, viz., nose, muzzle, pigment round the eyes, ears, teats
of cows or rudimentary teats of bulls. Hooves and splash or spots of colour
on the front of each fetlock. The skin showing dark pigmentation.
Head: Free from
slugs or rudimentary horns. It should be of a fair length from eyes to
muzzle, which should be broad. The heads of bulls should be masculine in
character and of cows, fine and feminine.
Body
Conformation:
Animals should be functional and free moving on sound feet, with a long
level top line, not rising at the root of the tail, broad and expanding over
the loins to hips, pin bones well apart especially in the bulls. The
shoulders gently sloping and well set in, the ribs well sprung. The
underline should be level. The hindquarters long from hook to pin, buttocks
being well fleshed down to the hocks, which when viewed from the back,
should be straight, turning neither inwards or outwards.
Udder:
Level, well
developed but not pendulous, the teats of moderate size, set evenly and
pointed to the ground. It is important that the rudimentary teats of bulls
should be wide set and well developed.
Skin:
Should be fine and
handle well.
Live
Animal Evaluation.
Evaluation of live
animals takes into consideration any measurements or subjective evaluations
that help describe an animal. For example, evaluation involves physical
examination of bulls to include penis, rectal examination, and scrotum
(including scrotum circumference).
Some other common
measurements of cattle include: backfat, pelvic size, height at the
shoulder, height at the hip, and length of body.
In recent years,
measurements for height have become a descriptive
supplement to many herd
testing programs. Adjusted weights and weight ratios accompanied by linear
measurements for height have added another dimension to evaluating the
fat-lean ratio of an individual animal in a performance program.
Linear measurements
are objective. They serve as supplemental information for comprehensive
performance testing. How much emphasis breeders should place on linear
measurement information should depend on their goals relative to shape and
growth patterns, the extent to which certain shape relationships may be
important to them, and any advantage these shape relationships give them in
marketing beef cattle.
A linear measurement
should never be interpreted as a replacement for weight at a given age.
Instead, linear measurements should be used with growth information as a
supplement for selection. No one frame size will be best for all feed
resources, breeding systems, and feed costs. Reproductive efficiency and
market weight will determine the optimum frame size range within a given set
of feed resources, breeding systems, and production costs.
Frame
Score. Frame Score
is a convenient way of describing the skeletal size of cattle. With adequate
height growth curves, most animals should maintain the same frame score
through their life while their actual height increases with age. This allows
one frame score value to be used regardless of when the animal was evaluated
(within the range of available data). Environmental factors can alter the
growth rate from an animal’s genetic capability. Nutrition level is a major
factor. Cattle fed less than adequate nutrition will grow slower than the
tables indicate while cattle fed extremely high levels will grow faster.
The recommended point
for linear measurement for height is a point directly over the hooks. This
measurement is adjusted to relatively logical production end points at 205
days and 365 days (within the BIF ranges currently used for adjusted
weights). It is recommended that the actual hip height and adjusted hip
height be printed in the sire summary but no height ratio calculated.
Adequate height growth
curves must take into consideration the differences in growth rate between
small and large frame cattle. The charts on page 15 are currently the best
estimates we have of our cattle frame scores.
The
hip height measurement should be taken at a point directly over the hip
bones (hooks) with the animal standing on a level surface.
Birth
Weights, No Scale Needed
Use a regular,
common, ordinary tape measure.
Measure newborn calf around heart girth (snugly).
Breeders Guide updated to 18
September 2004
Also Available as PDF
|
