NSA to give away 12 stick reader kits in 2015
1st December 2014
The National Sheep Association (NSA) has announced an exciting new membership recruitment prize draw, in association with Shearwell Data. A total of 12 Shearwell EID stick reader kits will be up for grabs in 2015, with one lucky winner chosen every month.
To get their name in the hat, sheep farmers simply have to sign up as an NSA member or, if they are already a member, recruit a friend or neighbour. Members can recommend any number of new members and earn themselves limitless entries into the draw.
Each Shearwell EID stick reader kit contains everything a farmer needs to make the most of EID recording, including a stick reader, a mobile printer, spare printer paper, battery chargers, a sturdy carry case and Shearwell’s StockMove Express management app, altogether worth £860.
NSA Chief Executive Phil Stocker says: “NSA is delighted to be working with Shearwell Data Ltd to offer this fantastic prize to 12 lucky farmers. Although compulsory electronic identification remains a contentious issue, these kits will enable farmers to make the best of it on their farm, whether they are used to take some of the hassle out of movement reporting or to maximise flock performance.
“I am particularly excited to be offering members so many chances to win, in addition to the many benefits of NSA membership. As well as receiving excellent technical information and best practice advice, NSA members support the only dedicated organisation working and speaking up for the UK sheep sector. By joining NSA, farmers help that voice shout louder and achieve excellent outcomes for the entire sheep farming industry.”
The all-weather battery powered stick reader recognises all tags and boluses, and will read each tag in a batch only once. It is designed for ease of use, with a single button operating system to turn it on and off, choose its setting and create different groups of animals. The reader’s memory can store 16,000 records at one time. The mobile printer enables farmers to print out records on the go using information sent directly from the stick reader. These printouts can be attached to movement documents in lieu of listing the tag numbers by hand, making them a real time saver.
The Shearwell StockMove Express app also links to the stick reader and allows farmers to view and manage information on their flock on a phone or tablet. It can be used to log births, movements, deaths and replacement tags, and can report movements to ARAMS and Scot EID through the free National Livestock Management Database website. The app can automatically maintain online holding registers and medicine books and be used to make and review notes on specific animals. It is currently available for Android phones, but an iPhone version will be available by the start of 2015.
Richard Webber, Director of Shearwell Data, says: “Shearwell Data is proud to be sponsoring the NSA sheep product offer for the next 12 months with our most popular stick reader and mobile printer kit. Shearwell have long been supporters of NSA and applaud the work they carry out on behalf of the industry. Many farmers are now seeing the benefits of individual recording and the backup and support Shearwell gives puts them second to none in this field. We hope the winners will find this prize very useful.”
More information and terms and conditions at http://www.nationalsheep.org.uk/draw.
Notes to editors:-
- For more information contact NSA Communications Officer Caitlin Peck on 01684 892661 or caitlin@nationalsheep.org.uk.
- The National Sheep Association is an organisation that represents the views and interests of sheep producers throughout the UK. It is funded by its membership of sheep farmers and its activities involve it in every aspect of the sheep industry. More at www.nationalsheep.org.uk and www.nsanextgeneration.org.uk.
