[Jacob-list] Lots of lambs/scrapie programs

[Linda]

Thanks for the information.  I know I would not be "officially" considered scrapie 
free if I did my own monitoring.  I checked my records last night and I know where 
every animal that I've owned in the last five years is, except one.  I could find 
her with a call to information. I still have her 7 year old dam and two four year 
old sisters are nearby.  Only one of my animals died of unknown causes - a 6 month 
old ram lamb that I had running on a friend's pasture.  He would not have had to be 
checked even if I had been in the program.  Actually that's the only sheep I've had 
die since one died in 1993.  Not counting butchered animals, of course.

I am in the federal Id program and will probably go ahead and join the voluntary 
program.  Truthfully, the only advantage for a flock like mine that I can see is the 
effect on saleability of my lambs.  Dave and I had discussed closing the flock for 
the next  few years, anyway, so will probably go ahead and do that this year.  I'd 
much prefer to go with a live test if and when one becomes available.  Personally, 
I'd have more confidence in knowing the background of a flock, the reputation of the 
breeder (and the breeders of the previous generations) than I would in a government 
testing program.  

How many Jacob breeders are in the voluntary program?  How many breeders would not 
buy from someone not enrolled?  Or would not buy from someone that had a newer entry 
date into the program?

To respond to Robin's original question - I think the voluntary program would 
seriously limit my options when adding new stock.  Unless all the Jacobs breeders 
are involved, it seems like we will have two separate strains - the voluntary 
scrapie strains and the "others."  It will interesting to see what develops in a few 
years when an already limited gene pool is further constrained.

Linda
>

On Tue, 12 Mar 2002 08:24:36 -0500, Heather Hettick wrote:
>I would think you couldn't be considered certified scrapie free
>unless you
>were monitored in the program.  I'm sure it's not a 100% guarantee,
>but I
>figure it can't hurt and the costs to me are low.  Also, the vets
>know a lot
>more about scrapie than I do and it helps to get their opinion on
>things
>that I'm not sure about.
>
>Heather Hettick
>Moonstruck Jacob Sheep
>Creston, Ohio
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: jacob-list-admin at jacobsheep.com
>[mailto:jacob-list-admin at jacobsheep.com]On Behalf Of Linda
>Sent: Monday, March 11, 2002 5:20 PM
>To: jacoblist
>Subject: RE: [Jacob-list] Lots of lambs/scrapie programs
>
>
>
>
>On Mon, 11 Mar 2002 14:26:47 -0500, Heather Hettick wrote:
>I have to tag my breeding stock over a year old and those I
>>sell
>>other than for slaughter.
>>
>>Heather Hettick
>>Moonstruck Jacob Sheep
>>Creston, Ohio
>>
>
>Is there any testing of your slaughter animals to certify them as
>scrapie
>free?  If
>you sell to someone that is not in the voluntary program and lose
>track of
>that
>animal, what happens to your flock certification?
>
>For example, say you sell a sheep to someone that does not keep up
>registrations.
>The sheep ends up going through a sale barn and on to slaughter - or
>dies at
>someone's farm where they just dig and hole and bury it.  How does
>that
>sheep show
>up on your records?  You don't know that it was scrapie free as
>there is no
>record
>of where it ended up -  or do you?  If I don't bring or sell in any
>sheep
>for five
>years and have no deaths (except by slaughter) and records to prove
>it, does
>that
>mean that my flock is scrapie free (even if I'm not in the program)?
>
>Linda
>
>
>
>
>Visit our Jacob flock at:
>http://www.PatchworkFibers.com
>Registered Jacob Sheep
>Handspun Yarns
>
>
>
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Visit our Jacob flock at:
http://www.PatchworkFibers.com
Registered Jacob Sheep
Handspun Yarns