[Jacob-list] scrapie program--start dates

[Linda]

Hi Kate -

It's not the responsibility that bothers me.  I just get to thinking about how
accurate a program can be if there are "missing" links. Say I sold a ewe three years
ago and I'm in my fourth year of the certification program.  She's is one of the
missing with no records to say what happened to her.  I still get certified the next
year even if she may have died of scrapie.  She would not be traced back to me as
she would be lost - died of unknown causes and left to rot or buried by a backhoe on
some farm.  I guess I think that it would be more realistic if that ewe could be
traced back to me and I feel I should be responsible for knowing. I'm not shirking
the responsibility - I'm saying I should have MORE responsibility for animals born
here.
I am more than willing to be responsible for anything that came from my flock and I
think the program is not as demanding as I am.
That said, I do see value in the program.  I am a fanatic about records, but not
everyone is.  But then I am a small flock and can easily keep track. I will probably
go ahead and get into it - but still more because it will allow me a wider market
than because I feel it is an honest indication of flock health.  
I'm an old hippie - suspicious of the government.
Thanks for your input.  Hope your lambing has gone well this year.  I bred late this
year and lambs are due this week.  Both rams are unproven, so it will be fun to see
what I get.  

Linda



On Tue, 12 Mar 2002 19:22:19 -0500, Kathryn Shirley wrote:
>Actually, you are not responsible for keeping track of the animal
>once it leaves your
>farm.  You are responsible for listing where it went (slaughter,
>sales, direct sale to
>a person).  You are expected to keep a record of the individual
>people you sell to
>(name, address, phone).  Once the animal is in someone else's hands,
>they are
>responsible for keeping a record of what they do with it.
>
>You are certified scrapie free (in the voluntary program) if for
>five years you have
>not had scrapie traced back to you.  Your start date is determined
>first by the date
>you actually joined the program.  If you purchase ewes that are not
>from scrapie free
>flocks, or whose start date is after yours then your date will
>change.  It will change
>to either the date of ownership (date it lands on your property) or
>the date of the
>scrapie start point for the flock you got the animal from--whichever
>is the earlier
>date.
>
>Rams will not affect the start date of your flock.  You can purchase
>100 rams a year
>and not  change the start date.
>
>Kate Shirley
>Humbug Farm
>

Visit our Jacob flock at:
http://www.PatchworkFibers.com
Registered Jacob Sheep
Handspun Yarns



On Tue, 12 Mar 2002 19:22:19 -0500, Kathryn Shirley wrote:
>Actually, you are not responsible for keeping track of the animal
>once it leaves your
>farm.  You are responsible for listing where it went (slaughter,
>sales, direct sale to
>a person).  You are expected to keep a record of the individual
>people you sell to
>(name, address, phone).  Once the animal is in someone else's hands,
>they are
>responsible for keeping a record of what they do with it.
>
>You are certified scrapie free (in the voluntary program) if for
>five years you have
>not had scrapie traced back to you.  Your start date is determined
>first by the date
>you actually joined the program.  If you purchase ewes that are not
>from scrapie free
>flocks, or whose start date is after yours then your date will
>change.  It will change
>to either the date of ownership (date it lands on your property) or
>the date of the
>scrapie start point for the flock you got the animal from--whichever
>is the earlier
>date.
>
>Rams will not affect the start date of your flock.  You can purchase
>100 rams a year
>and not  change the start date.
>
>Kate Shirley
>Humbug Farm
>
>Linda wrote:
>
>>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
>>
>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>Jacob-list mailing list
>>Jacob-list at jacobsheep.com
>>http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/jacob-list
>
>
>_______________________________________________
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>Jacob-list at jacobsheep.com
>http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/jacob-list
>

Visit our Jacob flock at:
http://www.PatchworkFibers.com
Registered Jacob Sheep
Handspun Yarns