Saturday 15th May 2021 – Carlisle
We had a great time in Carlisle meeting with some lovely friends old and new.
Old Stackyard Omar was sold for £5000
Old Stackyard Oswald sold for £3000
Old Stackyard Penny going for £1600
We hope they have a happy healthy life with their new owners.
Charity Update May 2021
Since establishing in 2016 with 3 cows and 5 maiden heifers to date. There have been 3 caesareans on 3 maiden heifers but unfortunately 4 more have been backwards but otherwise all well.
This year there have been 8 calves and 7 more to come – a good year so far! All services are AI – no embryo transfer or flushing – the aim is a calf every year.
This is a totally closed herd since 2016 and have tested clear for Neospora.
Shearwells kindly continued to support us by providing ear tags and a lovely banner for the Carlisle May sale.
During the tax year 5 April 2020 to 5 April 2021 cattle sales have amounted to £29,600.
Aspirations for 2021 (COVID and weather dependent
4th July 2021– Open Garden 10am till 5pm - £5 - Cold refreshments and Cakes - All proceeds to Ovarian Cancer Action
1st week in September to cheer the farmers up (as No Royal Welsh Show) – Open Garden and Farm (food, entertainment, and cattle)
THE CHARITY PROJECT
AMBITION
A Small Initiative with a
Big Ambition to fulfil a Dream
This is a charity project now into its fifth year and progressing over and above expectations. This is an honest dream of Mr Richard Emyr Wigley in memory of his wife Mrs Dilys Evelyn Wigley to support deprived farmers, a cancer charity and a public awareness campaign to educate about ovarian cancer.
My name is Emyr Wigley and I established Old Stackyard British Blues in 2016 as a charity in memory of my dear late wife Dilys Evelyn Wigley. It is intended to raise money to support Ovarian Cancer Action research and the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution.
FULFILMENT
Evelyn and I built up a dairy herd with hard work and long hours. We also had a small group of "Blues". We managed to be successful only by hard work and much self sacrifice, with the business needs always coming first. Sound management of the business as a whole was essential, and as I have always said my wife Evelyn was the "Financial Director"
Our plans for travel, our caravan holidays, and walking in the beautiful
British countryside, loved by us both were put on hold until our retirement.
It was a devastating blow to learn in the first few years of our
retirement, that Evelyn had ovarian cancer. She was a very special lady,
kind, caring and multi-talented and after a lifetime of work the majority of
her retirement years were stolen from her. Whilst tragically too late to
help my dear Evelyn, I had to do something to help combat this evil disease,
and be a tribute to my wife.
I decided therefore to establish this small breeding herd of British Blues,
to make money for Ovarian Cancer Action and the Royal Agricultural Benevolent
Institution, as we had a long-term connection with farming.
We had sold our farm, and built a house for our retirement, but we had kept
some land, so one of the essentials was still there. I had to start again
as regards buildings, equipment, fences and the purchase of pedigree livestock.
As a result the herd is accommodated in a new purpose built housing unit
with yardage adjacent to grassland paddocks, for managed handling and grazing.
Because of their value a CCTV security system has been set up,
along with bio-security TB prevention, badger-proof fencing etc.
As these animals breed and grow, and are eventually sold, this will hopefully
produce the funds for charity; and keep me busy!
I have to pay tribute to the family, friends, individuals, businesses,
contractors and companies who have helped me in so many different ways in the
establishment of the charity. So much assistance has been given, from
hours of work, to donations of necessary equipment, and substantial discounts
on buildings, equipment, services etc, for which I will always be grateful.
The herd is bred to AI, is Level 1 Herd Health, totally closed. Double fenced with badger proof wire on the inside.
Latest excellent sale result report from Shrewsbury Auction Centre
Pedigree Blue Genes success at Shrewsbury 6 Mar 2021
On Saturday 6th March 2021 the 2nd annual Blue Genes sale took place at Shrewsbury Auction Centre, in conjunction with the British Blue Cattle Society. For the first time this sale provided an online bidding option through the Marteye – A pair at 4000gns from RE Wigley & Old Stackyard Blues, it is truly amazing charitable work being done by Mr Emyr Wigley with all sale proceeds from his Blue going to two very worthy causes in RABI & Ovarian Cancer Action, Old Stackyard Blue Otto sold to C & FM Percival, Derbyshire & Old Stackyard Blue Ottslee was purchased by Probert & Probert, Powys.
THE RESIDENT HERD
