At the Society Council meeting on 14th March 2024, it was agreed that the following adjustments to testing requirements would be made for the Society sales.
SRUC Scrapie genotye testing
- The need for SRUC Scrapie genotype test is no longer required for Society sales.
- Any member wishing to continue to use the testing procedure that SRUC provide is welcome to do so and should with their veterinary surgeon to submit the samples directly to SRUC.
Sire Verification and Scrapie status for Sale Sheep
- Council would recommend but have not made it mandatory that sale sheep are sire verified and Scrapie status reported.
- The Society can facilitate parentage testing and scrapie genotype results in the usual way by requesting a nasal swab kit from the office.
- There is no requirement for a veterinary surgeon to be present to take these samples.
- The nasal swabs should be sent to the office in the usual way with the submission form.
- These should arrive at the office no later than 24th May 2024.
- This will facilitate the timely testing of the samples and results reported back to the breeders in time for the sale catalogue to be produced.
- Breeders can notify potential purchasers through the comments and notes in the catalogues that they have done this testing.
- The Society takes no responsibility for the accuracy of the testing and the results of the test, and the cost is borne by the vendor.
This does not remove or replace the procedure for rams purchased at Society sales to be DNA tested. The sample is submitted to the office along with the Ram Proforma in order for the ram to be registered and named.
It is hoped that by changing the sale entry conditions in this way, taking out complexity and reducing the cost of entering Society sales that it will encourage more breeders to use the sales to market their sheep.
