Happy New Year!

Well we have completed our special Centenary year of 2021, a very ambitious year full of zoom meetings, fund raising and a wonderful weekend going back to our roots, visiting Albions in the Peak District.

We have started to look at the beef side of this dual-purpose breed and would like to announce that you can now register pure Albion steers. Why register a steer? A pedigree gives greater provenance, particularly for the butcher; this is particularly useful for the black-coloured Albions, as there are so many other black breeds/crosses. It also can provide a more full calving record for the dam, assuring potential buyers that she has not been barren but has been having bull calves. The actual certificate is being currently designed but the cost to register a steer will be £5 per steer. Normal heifer & bull registrations remain at £20 per registration. (You must be a paid-up member in order to register.)

Looking forward to 2022, the society is improving its own organisation, including communication, registrations and invoicing. We have selected the next bull for semen collection & will be looking at female lines for potential embryo work. We will continue to fund raise & are looking at providing one or two Albion related items which can be sold in the 3 tourist Farm Park shops where Albions can be visited.

Calves continue to be registered; please send in any registrations for 2021 if you haven't already as the annual count must be carried out by 31st January. May 2022 bring many Albion heifer calves; will the dream ever happen to have healthy heifer twins?! Speckles Blue Maud was due on Christmas Day but calved early on her own with healthy heifer calves; it was too impossible to consider dreaming of this- but it happened!

Happy New Year!