Draft Code of Practice for Care and Handling of Goats is Released

On Friday, December 18th a draft version of the national code of practice for care and handling of goats was released. Release of the draft version of the code represents a huge step forward in updating and enhancing the existing code of practice which was released in 2003.

Goat producers representing the meat, dairy and fibre aspects of goat production were involved in an enormous amount of work creating this draft. They were joined in their work by industry partner experts in animal health and care. We are posting the draft version along with this notice.

The time has arrived for YOU to make your comments about the draft. The comment period is open until February 22, 2021.

The CGS Board encourages all goat owners to study the draft code. If you have any comments on any aspect/aspects of the code please do so.

It is very simple to both access the code online and to provide your input. Simply click on this link and follow the instructions: https://www.nfacc.ca/codes-of-practice/goats

Just click on the red box on the top right of the screen and it will take you to the survey page where you can enter your comments.

This is a very important development for the all segments of the goat industry in Canada. We strongly encourage you to review the draft and make any and all comments you regard as appropriate.

THANKS!

Link to the Draft Code of Practice

Great News to Celebrate!

Here’s a hot off of the press update on how registry work, processed on our behalf at CLRC, looks at the end of November-compared to end of November 2019 and all of 2019!

REGISTRATIONS

17% above the end of November 2019!
3% above all of 2019!

TRANSFERS

44% above the end of November 2019!
23% above all of 2019 already!!!!

MEMBERSHIPS
3.5% above end of November last year and all of 2019!

REGISTRATION OF HERD NAMES AND TATTOO COMBINATIONS

40% and 43% above all of 2019! Yes, 40% more than all of 2019! Building for the future!

Looking forward to full year end comparisons!

ONWARD!

Membership renewal notices for 2021 are sent!

CGS has received notice from CLRC that the first mailing set of membership renewal notices was sent Friday, December 4th.

These renewal notices were sent, at the request of CGS, to every current member who has a valid email address on file with CLRC.

If you received one of these email notices we encourage you to respond as soon as possible. The more responses that are received at CLRC over the next two weeks the smaller the number of paper/hard copy renewal notices have to be distributed in the second send of notices. Rapid response, will, thus, significantly reduce the overall cost to CGS of sending notices.

In this way everyone wins, you have a task done and dusted and are ready for 2021 activity. CGS has lower costs and growing income!

2020 membership numbers  were up approximately 5% over 2019 totals so business is trending in exactly the right direction!

Let’s keep growth happening and efficiency rising!

Seeking Contact Information for Provincial/Regional Goat Associations

CGS is actively seeking information on contacts, addresses, links for websites, etc. for provincial or regional goat associations that deal with purebred goat matters.

In the past we have published a listing of associations in the Quarterly magazine.

Examples of relevant associations have included:

  • Alberta Goat Association
  • Alberta Mohair Producers
  • The Angora Breeders Association in Quebec
  • British Columbia Goat Association
  • Canadian Cashmere Producers Association  
  • Canadian Meat Goat Association
  • Canadian National Goat federation
  • Goat Association of Nova Scotia
  • Manitoba Goat Association   
  • New Brunswick Goat Breeders Assoc.
  • Saskatchewan Goat Breeders
  • S.E.C. L.R.Q.  in Quebec
  • American Dairy Goat Association
  • 4-H Canada

And other relevant associations could be included.

If you would like your provincial association included in a list for the CGS website and CGS publications please forward an email with full details to info@goats.ca

We look forward to hearing from progressive associations who would like to have a listing!

Thanks!

Let’s rev up the information flow!

Fall 2020 CGS Magazine

The wait is over! The CGS Quarterly has landed! Electronic version of the Fall 2020 magazine is now available here!

And we are already at work on a follow up newsletter with more information and results! Enjoy!

Let us know how we can improve this publication and make it more valuable for YOU!

#DIVEIN !!!

https://www.goats.ca/info-links/publications/

2021 WESTERN NATIONAL GOAT SHOW

A couple of weeks ago we informed you that the CGS Board had approved Brooklin Fair as the venue for the 2021 Eastern National Goat Show. That show will be held in early June.

We are now confirming that the Western National will be held in Duncan, British Columbia on beautiful Vancouver Island! The Cowichan Exhibition Grounds will be home base for three days of exciting events.

On Friday, July 23rd a Youth Show will take center stage.

On Saturday, July 24th the Nationals will be the center piece of the whole weekend.

On Sunday, July 25th two more sanctioned shows will be held at the same location!

Additional highlights will include an online silent auction; a goat art auction and wine and cheese on Saturday night and very special prizes including art, milk stands, a tack box and baskets of goodies.

Time to start planning!

For any and all details please contact Jaki Ayton at jakiayton@shaw.ca

REMINDER – 2021 East National Show Bids

CGS continues to accept bids for the 2021 East National Show. 

Deadline is September 30, 2020.

Full details on show management and delivery can be found in the Show Manual on the CGS website at www.goats.ca. Check under the SHOWS heading.

Please read all details of the manual, over and above the section on national show bids, to access the full details!

SEPTEMBER 30, 2020 is the deadline!

Heritage Livestock Canada Virtual Show

Heritage Livestock Canada will be holding a virtual show in the Fall of 2020, starting in October across all species (inclusive of poultry). This event is not only an opportunity to participate in judged shows, but also learn, have some fun and showcase goats as part of Canada’s agricultural heritage.

For the goat breeds listed with HLC and able to participate: heritagelivestock.net/breed-conservation-list. *Please note we welcome international participation of breeders with breeds listed as “critical”.

We will also be featuring conformation tips, information on CGS and the registration of purebred breeding stock.

For more details please go to Heritage Livestock Canada Virtual Show 2020 on Facebook and join the group for even more details and to pose questions,

or email: heritagelivestockvirtualshow@gmail.com.

Registration and Transfer of animals

A considerable amount of time is being invested, every week by CLRC dairy goat registry team members and CGS staff on a well-defined topic. That topic is: Registration and Transfer of animals that have been sold to other goat owners.

What is particularly unsettling about this matter is that the buyers are often new to the registered goat industry. And we are not talking a few weeks delay, we often encounter cases where six months or a year have passed since the date of transaction and the goats have left the farm of the seller.

CGS stands ready to aid and assist anyone who encounters challenges with understanding the registration/process or actually working the  process through. We are in daily or multiple times a day communication with our dairy goat team at CLRC. They are exceedingly helpful in explaining how they work with our CGS by-laws  to complete registry processing.

We were recently reminded of this fact:

“As per section 64 of the federal government Animal Pedigree Act the seller has up to six months to transfer papers. It is a legal offense not to transfer papers within that time frame and according to the Act, punishable up to $25,000. However; it is up to the buyer to pursue legal action. One option is for CGS to inform CLRC of cases where this requirement has been contravention and the seller/member put under suspension.”

If animals have been properly and fully paid for these is zero excuse for not getting registrations completed and transfers processed. Entirely too much time on the part of CGS and CLRC staff is being spent resolving such issues. The other side of this point is that with fewer exceptions CLRC will be able to process regular work more quickly. Time is money!

The bottom line is: We are here to help!!!!! Contact us!

As a wise person working for a breed association told a recalcitrant member: “We want to help you, you have  to want to help yourself!” And “the job’s not finished till the paperwork is done!” 

And yes, we may sound like a broken record on this point but we must radically reduce “the case load” on this topic!

Let us know how we can help!

Onward, ever onward!!!!