Farming Life - Wednesday 30/09/15

[willie reynolds]

NIPA visit Frazer Animal Feeds -

A delegation of top NIPA officials made a recent trip to Frazer Animal Feeds in Banbridge to thank them for the sponsorship over the last three seasons. They supply feeding for the transporter fleet, sponsor the 5 Bird Fermoy YB Championship with sixteen bags of feeding , that’s two bags for each of the 8 x 1st Sect NIPA winners. Not content with that they have added two fantastic cups to the vast list of awards covering 1st Open NIPA in the two YB Area Liberations.

Included in the trip to Frazer HQ at Cave Hill Road, Ballinaskeagh were Chairman Alan Darragh, Secretary Fred Russell, Fleet Supervisor Terry Mulgrew and Convoyer Paddy McNeice. We were met by plant manager Neil Frazer on a busy Friday morning, the business is expanding every time I visit and they now serve the fancy over many parts of the UK & Ireland. Neil from the early days researched the feeding requirements of the fancy in general and has over time introduced many new lines which have been of benefit to the sport in general, sold at working man’s prices.

Frazer Animal Feeds is a family concern, with Neil is brother Colin and father Drew, and between them they have built up the business with a big expansion into pigeon feeding and loft accessories. Many improvements have been made along the line, bulk feeding is sourced from around the world via the internet. A new Screener Machine has been added to the plant the seeds go into a hopper and are sucked up into the screener machine and goes into different size screens /metal plates with holes different plates have different size holes the machine shakes and vibrates separating different size seeds and shakes out broken seeds that going into wild bird feeding and it separates it all into 3 different bags, one of them is dust. The product coming from Frazer’s is now a lot cleaner than it was in the early days, lots of progress and change. If they don’t stock what you require, just contact Neil and he will sort you in no time. Follow Frazer on Facebook for all the latest info, or the website http://www.frazersanimalfeeds.com Tel: +44 (0) 28 406 51272. E-mail: info@frazersanimalfeeds.com

MAC Awards for 2015 – NIPA Secretary George McDowell as usual is one of the first to issue a list of the seasons awards, presentation will take place at the various club award nights.

W & J Smyth of Ballymena & District win Old Bird Inland Average vel 1419, Old Bird Average vel 1161, Eagleson Memorial Cup best average Talbenny, Sennen Cove Classic , Bude and Penzance vel 1260, and finally Combine Average vel 945. Alan Darragh from Cullybackey won Cross Channel Ave vel 1244, Young Bird Ave vel 1585, Young Bird of the Year GB15C-04320 scored 56 Points and Leslie Mairs OB Fancier of the Year Cup collecting 1083 Points. Randalstown featured with the William McIlhagga Memorial Cup for the best bird from St Malo in France. Hugh Boyd recorded his bird at 16.35hrs flying 467 miles for velocity 1430 finishing 1st MAC, 1st Sect & 3rd Open NIPA 434/1477 a fantastic result and Stewart Bros won the New North Cup vel 1520, best average Bude & Talbenny YB Nat. Steele & McNeill of Rasharkin & District won the T Shanks & Son Cup for Champion Old Bird, last year it was won for the first time by “Super Mario”, this season the winner was GB13R-18102 with 66 Points. In the same club Danny Dixon won the Champions League for Rasharkin for the second year in succession, and the first loft to win this highly prized award for the second time. In the final he came up against Stewart Bros and although they won 1st Club his velocity was better. The INFC Average Cup was won by Reid Bros & McCloy of Cullybackey vel 1117 and finally the Club Points Shield. Old Bird was won by Cullybackey HPS 102 Points and Young Bird was won by Rasharkin & District 63 Points.

Darragh wins 1st MAC from Skibbereen -

The final race of the year was the INFC Skibbereen just short of 3,000 birds from lofts across Ireland were released at 8.45am on Saturday 19th September. The result was good enough but some birds as usual from County Cork regardless of conditions were missing on the day. Locally Alan Darragh from Cullybackey had the early arrival five minutes clear around 13.35hrs to record velocity 1547 for the 259 miles to take 1st MAC, 23rd North Sect & 27th Open INFC. Bertie Blair from Ballymena & District was next best and topped the club yet again on velocity 1536, Bertie has had a best ever young bird season and Alan Darragh made the result in all six INFC races, a super achievement.

Mid Antrim Combined Skibbereen YB Nat – A Darragh Cullybackey 1547, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1536, K Wilkinson & Son New Antrim Amal 1521, W & J Smyth Ballymena 1497, A Darragh 1480, A Darragh 1478, D Dixon Rasharkin 1460, K Wilkinson & Son 1458.

Mid Antrim Club Results
Cullybackey – A Darragh 1547, 1480, 1478.
Ballymena & District – Blair & Rankin 1536, W & J Smyth 1497, George Bell, Blair & Rankin, George Bell, Blair & Rankin.
New Antrim Amalgamated – K Wilkinson & Son 1521, 1458.
Ballymoney HPS 5/56 – D & H Stuart 1461, D Dixon 1459, J Connolly 1424, D Dixon 1411, J Connolly 1407, D Dixon 1397, D & H Stuart 1385, D Dixon 1378, 1375, 1364.

The Kells & Dist annual Social Evening this year will take place on Thursday 29th Oct 2015 again in the Dunsilly Hotel, Antrim. There will be a Charity Sale of 2016 yb’s this year in aid of \\\"Chest, Heart & Stroke\\\", while the rest of the evening incl interview/panel is to be arranged, Top ybs already promised, Syd Collins again as MC, no entry fee, but as usual hot buffet at £10 and tea/coffee/scone, etc at £5 for those who don\\\'t want a big meal. Raffle as usual, final details to follow. A meeting of all club members will take place this Thursday 1st October at 8.00pm, cups and trophies to be returned and final arrangements for the Social Evening & Shows. News from Harryville HPS is they intend to hold two Open Shows for lofts in the NIPA Sect B, the OB 3 in I on Saturday 7th November and the YB 3 in 1 on Saturday 21st November. Ballymena & District show series will commence in late October on the usual Monday evening.

Further to details below, line-up at Kells now finalised -
1) Interview with 2015 INFC Champions- Collins & Douglas, 2) Talk by Gerald Delaney on the famous Willy Jacobs strain, 3) Interview with Harry McCloy- messrs Reid Bros & McCloy, 4) Charity Auction approx 15 x 2016 yb’s bred from some top class fanciers/birds, incl so far A Darragh, Thompson Bros, Surgenor Bros, B Swann& Son to name a few, for Chest Heart & Stroke charity.

NIPA require all cups and trophies to be returned, in a clean condition please and same goes for the INFC, these can be returned to Trevor Topping or Ronnie Johnston or left with either Tom Marshall or Robert Kirkwood. The Annual Dinner & Prize presentation will be held as usual in the Stormont Hotel in Belfast on Friday 27th November, NIPA Ladies Night will take place on Friday 13th November in the Templeton Hotel in Templepatrick.

Watch out for the Davy Calvin of Bondhill YB Sale, the third round of youngsters from his best stock to be held in Glenavy on Saturday 7th November. More details from Auctioneer Ronnie Johnston Tel: (028) 90 483625 or contact Davy Calvin Tel: (028) 38 334742.

Photo Captions

The NIPA Delegation and Frazer Animal Feeds staff at the plant in Banbridge.
NIPA Officials from (l) Paddy McNeice, Alan Darragh, Terry Mulgrew and Fred Russell.
Steele & McNeill of Rasharkin & Dist big winners in MAC.
Mid Antrim Combine OB of the Year in 2014 for Steele & McNeill.
Old Bird of the Year 2015 for Steele & McNeill.
Alan Darragh 1st MAC in Skibbereen winning YBA, CCA and YB of the Year.