Table of Contents

• Rules of Procedure
• Disciplinary Powers
• Grievance Procedure
• Breeding Programme Details

Rules of Procedure

of the

IRISH AUBRAC CATTLE BREED SOCIETY LIMITED

(hereafter known as the “Society”)

Approved by the Council of the Irish Aubrac Cattle Breed Society

on March 3, 2022

With approval under the EU Legislation Regulation (EU) 2016/1012 by the

Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine

1. Members – Rights and Obligations

a) To be admitted a member of the Society by the Board, an applicant shall be the owner or part owner in Ireland of a pure bred breeding Aubrac female eligible to be registered in a Herd Book, within 18 months of joining the Society. Each person on being admitted a member shall be given a copy of the current Breeding Programme.

b) A herd name that has been used by one member may not contemporaneously be used by another member. The Council at their discretion may approve herd name transfers.

c) It is a condition of membership of the Society that all members join Animal Events and agree to partake in those elements of the Society’s breed improvement programme and classification inspections that the Council may from time to time deem compulsory.

d) Each member shall co-operate with any inspections that the Society may call to do as random spot checks etc. with a minimum period notice of 24 hours.

e) Each member agrees to the Society storing on computer his/her transactions, Herd Book information or any other details which will be updated/maintained by the Society/ and or any Society approved third party.

f) Each member agrees not to alter, change edit or amend any and all information presented on documentation supplied by the Society.

g) Each member agrees not to represent themselves, their views, ideas, or documentation as anything other than their own and as a single subscriber of membership to the Society.

h) Each member agrees to review all documentation, which is supplied by the Society upon receipt to ensure that it is correct and complete.

i) Each member agrees to return without delay any documentation supplied by the Society upon receipt on finding any document to be incomplete or incorrect.

j) Each member agrees to accept all legal responsibility for maintenance and presentation of documentation supplied by the Society related to any and all animals, which the member has registered in the Society’s Herd Book.

k) Each member agrees to return to the Society any and all documentation upon request from the Society when the Society so chooses, for inspection, review reissue of that documentation etc.

l) Each member agrees to sole liability for any breach of his/her agreement, and where the Society may be liable, it will be limited to:

i. The replacement of the defective documentation where possible at no cost to the member,

ii. If the above remedy is not applicable, to refund any fees paid by the member to the Society for that defective documentation.

2. Society – Rights and Obligations

a) The Society shall maintain one or more registers as follows:

i. A register of the particulars of the pedigree, status and performance of eligible Aubrac pedigree cattle here after known as the “Animals”. (1 or more)

ii. Such information as the Council may from time to time decide.

b) The Society shall have the right to maintain a computerised record of member’s transactions with the Society, and reserve the right to penalise members found in breach of procedures vital to the accurate maintenance and integrity of the Herd Book of the Society.

c) The Society if they so desire, may provide for Associate, Overseas or Commercial breeder, but these shall not enjoy the voting rights of the full members as under the articles of the Society.

d) The Council may from time to time set or make changes to the fees or penalties i.e. for membership, prefix, registration (homebred or imported), late notification penalties, embryo registration, export certification and transfer and any other current fees in force.

e) The Breeding Programme may be altered by the Council from time to time provided Council Members shall have received notification of the intention to propose an amendment at the same time as notification of the relevant Council meeting is received. Any alterations, addition, deletion or other amendment of these Breeding Programme rules shall be notified to each member within four weeks of the change being approved by the Council.

f) Such inspectors/Scorers as required by these regulations will be appointed by the society or any Society approved third party (for example ICBF, French Herd Book) Such inspectors/ scorers must have received full and regular training, have compete knowledge and understanding of the breed, be impartial and fair and work in agreement with the rules of the Society. The Society shall appoint as many inspectors/scorers as deemed necessary at any point in time. The Society reserves the right to dismiss any inspector/scorer who does not follow these rules. Any breeder who should have a justified grievance with the scoring of an animal can appeal to the Council on receipt of the scoring results to get this scoring re-examined by an independent qualified party. Expenses occurred shall be at the charge of the breeder.

g) All breeding females must be genotyped and parentage verified before sale. Excepts may be considered by council.

h) Should any question arise concerning the meaning, interpretation or application of these byelaws, the decision of the Board shall be binding.

3. Non Discrimination

The Society shall operate in a non-discriminatory fashion towards its members.

4. Appeals Procedure of the Society

The objective of this procedure is to provide a member who has a grievance with the Society an opportunity to have the grievance examined and resolved at the earliest practical moment and at the most local level possible.

While the matter is being considered under the Appeals Procedure, the operation of the Society cannot be interrupted. The person(s) raising the matter shall continue to comply with the rules of the Society during the course of the examination of the matter in question. By so doing he/she will not create any precedent nor will his/her membership of the Society is prejudiced in any way in relation to the matter being processed.

The procedure to apply shall be as follows:

Stage 1

A member who feels aggrieved in relation to any matter pertaining to Society business should, in the first instance, write to the Chairman of the Council of the Society, making it clear, that stage 1 of the appeal procedure is being invoked. The Chairman will reply as soon as is reasonably practicable, but I any case within thirty days from receipt of the letter from the appellant.

Stage 2

If the grievance is not resolved at Stage 1, or a reply is not forthcoming from the Council Chairman within 30 days, the member(s) may request in writing, that at their next Council meeting, the Council allow the member(s) to attend the meeting during the period that the grievance is being considered. The member will be allowed to make an oral submission on the grievance. The Council will then reconsider the issue and must communicate its decision to the appellant within thirty days.

Stage 3

If the issue remains unresolved after stage 2, the member(s) may request an independent hearing. The Council shall grant such a hearing. Appeals at stage 3 will be heard by an individual or group of individuals with appropriate expertise, agreed by both parties to the dispute. From the date of appointment of the person(s) hearing the appeal, the case will be heard and the decision taken will be communicated to both parties within three months. The person(s) hearing the case will decide on the appointment of costs, as appropriate.

Stage 4

Any dispute that remains unresolved after stage 3 may be pursued by invoking provisions under the legal personality of the Society: ICOS. (1963 Companies Act as well or just ICOS)

The Society expects all its members to abide by the rules, regulations and standards established by the Society.

5. Membership Fees

The following are the membership fees of the Society:

Annual Membership €65

New Membership/Prefix/First Timer’s Share Fee (Share Value €1) €65

Council reserves the right to change these fees from time to time.

Disciplinary Powers

Any case of doubtful or suspect pedigree or any case of apparent irregularity of animal registration, breach of the Rules of Procedure or rules of the Breeding Programme by any member shall be dealt with by the Council and the following procedure shall be observed:

In the event of any information being received by the Secretary concerning any member of the Society, the Secretary shall inform the Chairman of the appropriate Committee who shall have
the power to decide whether prima facie the case requires investigation and to give instructions if necessary, to an employee of the Society or a member of his/her committee to make further investigations. Where the fault lies with the breeder, the Society would be entitled to claim a fee towards the expenses involved.

The investigating person, i.e., the person responsible for obtaining the facts, shall inform the member concerned of the nature of any irregularity referred to above as soon as is practical in order for the matter to be investigated or to establish additional information from the breeder/member. Such breeder will be expected to co-operate fully with any investigation and provide any relevant documentation requested or to facilitate a herd inspection where deemed necessary. The investigating person shall forward a copy of the report arising to the breeder/member and to the Editing Committee prior to a meeting where the case will be considered. Such breeder/member shall also be invited to attend, be represented at or submit oral evidence to this meeting of that Committee. When the case has been fully considered by the Editing Committee, they shall report to the next meeting of the Council who shall take such actions, as they may think fit. Following this meeting, the secretary will write to the member to inform them of the actions chosen by Council.

Grievance Procedure

The objective of this procedure is to provide a member/breeder who has any grievance with the society an opportunity to have the grievance examined and resolved at the earliest practical moment and at the most local level possible. While the matter is being considered under this Procedure, the operation of the Society cannot be interrupted. The person(s) raising the matter shall continue to comply with the rules of the Society during the course of the examination of the matter in question. By so doing he/she will not create any precedent nor will his/her membership of the Society be prejudiced in any way in relation to the matter being processed. The procedure to apply shall be as follows: Stage 1 To resolve a complaint, it is recommended that the member/breeder contact the Registration & administration section of the Irish Aubrac Breed Society. In most cases the complaint will be resolved at this point. The Society’s office will respond as soon as reasonably practicable but, in any case, within 30 days of receiving the complaint. Stage 2 If the member/breeder is not satisfied with the response at Stage 1, he/she may direct the complaint to the Secretary of the Society. Complaints at this stage must be made in writing to the Secretary, outlining the complaint and making it clear that stage 2 of the complaint’s procedure is being invoked. The Secretary will acknowledge receipt of the complaint as soon as is reasonably practicable. He/she will liaise with the member/breeder in relation to the complaint to obtain additional clarification where necessary and respond in writing once the matter has been fully investigated. It is expected that the complaint would be investigated within 30 days. Stage 3 If the member/breeder is unhappy with the response at Stage 2, he/she may refer the complaint in writing, to the Chairperson, c/o Irish Aubrac Breed Society Ltd., DearPark, Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Tipperary. The Chairperson will liaise with the member/breeder if deemed necessary in relation to the complaint and respond once the matter has been fully investigated. The Chairperson may refer the matter to the Society’s Council or a subcommittee of Council for its consideration. It is expected that the complaint will be investigated within 30 days. If, however the Chairperson refers the matter to the Society’s council or a subcommittee of Council the matter may take longer but would in most instances be dealt with within 40 working days. The member/breeder will be allowed to make both written and an oral submission on the grievance to the body appointed to investigate the matter. The outcome of the investigation will be corresponded to the member in writing. Stage 4 Any dispute that remains unresolved may be pursued by invoking provisions under the Rules and Articles of Association of the Irish Aubrac Breed Society Ltd. i.e. Rule 68, Arbitration. Details of these provisions can be obtained by contacting the Society Secretary. 7. Appeal A member who wishes to appeal a decision of Council, they may appeal to a separate appeals committee independent of Council. The appeals committee may co-opt individuals with relevant expertise to assist with the appeal. Writing to the Secretary or Chairperson can activate such an appeal. An appeal can be activated by contacting the chairperson or by writing to a member of the appeals committee directly. The member will then be invited to arbitration with the appeals committee. Contact information for the appeals committee is available on the Aubrac website. The committee will examine the case in depth before presenting their findings and recommendations to the council. In the case of an unsatisfactory outcome for the member – the member may invoke provisions under the Rules and Articles of Association.

Breeding Programme

The Irish Aubrac Breed Society Ltd. shall have the right:
• To define and carry out a Breeding Programme for Irish Aubrac cattle autonomously provided it meets Commission Regulation 2016/1012 and any conditions of its approval.
• To exclude breeders from participating in the Irish Aubrac Breeding Programme that fail to comply with the rules of the Breeding Programme or with the obligations set out in these rules of procedures.
• To exclude breeders from membership of the Society where those breeders fail to comply with their obligations set out in these Rules of Procedure

Breeding Programme

of the

IRISH AUBRAC CATTLE BREED SOCIETY LIMITED

(hereafter known as the “Society”)

Approved by the Council of the Irish Aubrac Cattle Breed Society

on March 3, 2022

With approval under the EU Legislation Regulation (EU) 2016/1012 by the

Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine

1. Aims of the Breeding Programme

The aim of the society is to preserve and improve the Aubrac Breed by adhering to a strict breeding programme which maintains the breed characteristics, and using all available technology to improve the breed.

2. Name of the Breed

The name of the cattle breed is “Aubrac”.

3. Geographical Territory

The geographical territory being the island of Ireland to conduct it’s breeding programme.

4. Characteristics of the Breed

The fawn coloured coat can vary from wheaten to pale grey. The neck is darker in males. The muzzle and the area around the eyelids are black surrounded by some white hair. All the extremities must be black. The extremity of the tail and the outer hairs of the ears are black. The head, beautiful and expressive, has a short wide black muzzle and is carried proudly. It is an animal of medium size with deep and wide chest rounded hips and very strong correct legs.

5. System for Identifying Breeding Animals

a) All animals shall be identified in the Herd Book using the National Identification

Number, which is displayed by ear tag. b) Every member who registers an animal in the Society’s herd book must register an approved herd prefix, which shall be applicable to all animals born in his/her herd and registered by that member either alone or jointly with any partner(s) or other person(s) in any one herd. c) A prefix shall consist of approved word(s), and the member shall pay a fee for the registration thereof. d) In addition to the herd prefix, each animal must have a name, which shall have as the first letter, the year designation letter as specified by the Council of the Society, of the year in which the animal was born.

6. Procedure for Entry of Pedigree Animals

The birth of every calf alive or dead to any dam registered in the Society’s Herd Book shall be notified within 27 days from the date of the birth of the calf with ICBF, or on agfood.ie.

a) Notification should be made by the registered breeder, being a member of the Society, of the animal in question, either alone or jointly with any partner(s) or other person(s).

b) The Council reserves the right to refuse the notification of birth of a calf where the data provided is deemed to be deficient or inaccurate.

c) In the case of twin or multiple births a separate birth shall be recorded for each calf born alive or dead.

d) The pedigree registration fee payable shall be as the Council of the Society may from time to time decide. Payment is due within 4 months of the date of the animals registered. Late payments will be subject to additional fees, which council may apply from time to time.

e) Late pedigree registration for animals identified as pedigree, will be subject to the late registration fees and genomic analysis for parentage verification, at the Breeder’s expense.

f) All bulls used for pedigree breeding purposes must be genotyped parentage verified, by an approved laboratory before any progeny can be accepted for registration. Exceptions may be considered by Council.

g) Where calves are born as a result of insemination from a bull registered in the Society’s Herd Book or other qualified Aubrac Herd Book, Council reserves the right to request a copy of the official insemination certificate in cases where the Inseminator is not uploading his insemination records direct to the ICBF database. If such request is made the official AI docket/s should be forwarded within 7 days of the request. All insemination certificates must be fully completed. Where more than one insemination has been made all the insemination certificates shall be forwarded. In the event of the A.I documentation not being available the calf may have to be parentage verified by genotyping analysis carried out at an approved laboratory, prior to registration. If the insemination certificate is issued by a centre, which is not officially recognised by the Department of Agriculture & Food, then the resultant calf must be genotyped for parentage verification.

h) Where calves are born as a result of DIY insemination a copy of the inseminator’s licence may be required to be forwarded to the Society along with a list of straws purchased. Failure to do so, when requested, may result in the animal being parentage tested. (DIY FORMS AVAILABLE FROM THE AUBRAC SOCIETY).

i) When calves are born as a result of insemination with imported semen from a bull registered in another approved Herd Book, registration or notification will only be accepted provided that a copy of the bulls herd book certificate and Genotyping certificate are forwarded to the Society.

j) If it is found that any detail of any AI certificate has been changed by the breeder, or someone acting on his/her behalf, the calf may be subject to DNA/Genotyping analysis for parentage verification at the owners’ expense, have fines levied, or be disqualified from the Herd Book. Parentage verification, by DNA or genotyping, of each 25th calf notified to the Society will be carried out. Laboratory costs for typing the calf and its dam will be borne by the breeder.

7. Procedure for the Entry of Embryos

Entries of embryos will only be considered that meet the requirements of the main section of the Herdbook. In the case of calves born as a result of the implantation of purchased/imported

embryos the notification should be made by the person whose name appears on the official documentation supplied by the exporting country, including zootechnical certificate (in the case of imported embryos, or on the transfer certificate if purchased in Ireland. A calf born by Embryo Transplant will only be accepted for registration in the Herd Book provided that:

a) the donor female has been notified to the Society on form ET 1, along with a copy of her DNA or Genotype profile prior to flushing. (This form is to be completed by the technician/MRCVS)

b) the proposed sire’s DNA or Genotype profile is lodged with the Society and his pedigree should not contain any ancestors in common with the donor female at the parent and grandparent level.

c) the flushing is carried out by an approved ova/embryo collection team

d) details of the flushing are forwarded to the Society on form ET 2 (Implantation form), duly signed by the registered owner of the donor female and the representative of the approved collection team within 14 days of the flushing.

ET 3 (Embryo Registration Form) has to be completed along with ET 2, and returned to the office.

e) in the case of frozen embryos, the date of thawing and implanting must be notified to the Society on form ET 4, duly signed by the owner and the veterinary surgeon.

8. Import.

a) Each imported animal must be registered with the Society as soon as possible by submitting the official Herd Book Pedigree certificate of the country of origin together with the normal registration fee. Donor bulls of imported semen must be registered with the Irish Society in the normal manner and be Genotyped.

b) Imported embryos should be registered with the Society, applying the same criteria and fees as home produced embryos. Copies of official documentation must be applied as appropriate, including copies of the official Herd Book. Both donor animals must be genomic /blood typed and the resulting calf’s parentage verified.

c) Export of animals, embryos, semen etc., should comply with the national legislation in place at the time.

9. Selection and Breeding Objectives

In selection of breeding animals, members are encouraged to maintain the breed’s characteristics, and keep a good balance in size and conformation (ie. medium, no extremes). They should also focus on the following qualities of the breed:

• Easy Calving

• Short Gestation

• Plentiful Milk Supply to Rear Calf

• Docile

• Long Lived

• Good Forage Efficiency

The Breeding objective is to have a national Aubrac herd:

• producing cows with adequate milk, medium size, economically kept, long-lived, regular breeders and with a docile temperament.

• producing bulls of adequate size, with good feed conversion and temperament, high kill out but all without forgetting the maternal orientations of the breed.

The overall objective is to provide top quality breeding stock to both suckler and dairy farmers on the island of Ireland.

10. Performance Testing

The society provide performance testing for breeders, which is outsourced to ICBF. Data collected are compiled to form the “€uro-Star” Index. The €uro-Star Index is a breeding index designed to aid beef farmers in the selection of more profitable breeding animals.

€uro-Star Indexes quantify the genetic component of an animal’s performance across all traits of importance for Irish suckler farmers. Whole Herd Perfomance Recording (WHPR) is available to breeders, to Linear Score their animals.

11. Genetic Evaluation

The society also provide Genetic Evaluation for breeders, which again is outsourced to ICBF. Results of the genomic tests are added to the data, thus increasing the overall reliability of the €uro-Star figures. All these help to give a good indicator of the breeding potential of the animals.

12. Division of the Breeding Book

The herdbook shall have a Main section and a Supplementary section.

a) To qualify for entry in the Main section of the herdbook an animal shall:

i. Be descended from parents and grandparents entered in a herdbook of the same breed

ii. Be identified at birth according to the rules of the Society’s herdbook

iii. Have a pedigree established in accordance with the rules of the Society’s breeding programme.

b) The main Section of the herd book shall be divided into two classes, Class I (Elite class) and Class II as follows:

i. To qualify for entry in Class I of the Main section of the herdbook an animal shall comply with all the characteristics of the breed and be free from genetic defects and undesirable breed characteristics. Animals in this class are recommended for breeding.

ii. To qualify for entry in Class II of the Main section of the herdbook an animal must meet the minimum criteria for entry in the Main Section at Rule 12 a), however, the animal does not meet the criteria for Class I, as he/she may be identified as being a carrier of a genetic defect or have undesirable breed characteristics.

iii. Animals may be re-classified within the main section of the herdbook at any period during their lifetime.

c) The supplementary section is available for animals that do not qualify for entry into the main section. To qualify for entry into the supplementary section:

i. The animal must be identified and inspected as Aubrac by the Society.

ii. The animal must be 75% Aubrac as per ICBF’s Tauris System.

iii. The animal must be genotyped.

13. Technical Activities Outsourced

The following technical activities are outsourced to ICBF:

a) Core Functionality – Taurus (Electronic system for recording & maintaining pedigree of breeding animals entered into the herd book).

b) Zootechnical Certificate generation and Supplementary certificate generation.

c) Catalogue generation application.

14. Authorised Derogations

None.

15. Zootechnical Certificates

The zootechnical certificate printed on Society paper with the animal’s ancestry shall be issued to the Breeder by the Society as soon as reasonably possible, when all the registration criteria are met. The onus is on the breeder to verify that all the information on the certificate is correct and if not to contact the Society’s office with corrections. The procedure for the change of ownership is that the new owner receives the zootechnical certificate, when taking ownership of the animal, and submits it to the Society office. If everything is ok, a new zootechnical certificate will be reissued to the new owner, with name of the new owner displayed on the zootechnical certificate.