Can someone discuss the pros and cons of getting our Barbs registered? I would like to hear your opinions on this matter. I have a few that I believe fit the breed standards. Also, What are the differences in the associations. I'm unsure why the bred standards aren't the same.
_______________________________________________
Erin, here are some points for you to consider. Obviously as a breeder, I'm very biased toward registering sheep. I will let someone with a differing opinion speak to reasons for NOT registering sheep.
Genetics: Breed registries provide a place to pool genetic data across many breeders. These data are important when making informed decisions regarding a breeding plan. Let's say you want to purchase a ram from a breeder in Oklahoma and you already have several ewes from a different breeder also located in Oklahoma. You need a way to determine if your ewes are related to that ram. The breed registry provides that information. The breed registry is an important tool that breeders can use to ensure genetic diversity in the breed.
Value: Eventually, as breeders eliminate less desirable traits and strengthen the traits so valued in BB sheep, registered animals will command a higher resale price than non-registered animals. In addition, there are many breeders, such as myself, that will not purchase an animal if it has not already been registered or if there is not some guarantee of registerability in place at the time of sale of an unregistered animal. The registration warantees that the animal meets the breed's standards.
Credibility: Being able to demonstrate several generations of breeding records always increases your animal's marketability. If those records are supported by registration documents, then that is one more thing that supports your reputation as a credible breeder.
Traceability: A breed association maintains a permanent record of the breed and protects the standards of excellence that breeders seek when buying pedigreed sheep. By registering your stock, you provide traceability of that animal's pedigree.
Endangered breed: The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC) counts the number of registered animals when it determines that breed's degree of endangeredness. Nonregistered animals are not counted, thus making a breed appear more endangered than it really is. The Barbados Blackbelly sheep is a "watched" breed meaning that there are fewer than 25,000 of these sheep in the world. There are an alarmingly low number of Barbados Blackbelly sheep in the U.S. We really don't have an accurate count of how many are in the U.S. because so few people register their sheep that the breed registries don't reflect actual numbers. [Note that the ALBC only counts Barbados Blackbelly sheep (polled) not the Barbado sheep (horned).]
Marketing tool: Registering your sheep usually allows your name to appear in that registry's Breeders list. This is often the first place prospective buyers look to find a breeder.
Both Barbados Blackbelly breed registries (see links to both at http://www.critterhaven.biz) charge only $5 to register a sheep whether it be a Barbados Blackbelly or a Barbado. This is a small amount to pay when you consider what you receive in return.
The BBSAI is a association with officers and a board of directors. It has over 600 sheep registered. The NABSR is only a registry. I don't know how many sheep are registered, but there are only 6 breeders listed on the NABSR Web site. Both registries charge about the same to register sheep. The NABSR requires progeny testing and thus is more strict than the BBSAI (see below for a definition of progeny testing). There are also minor differences in each registry's breed standards.
Here is Linda Sakiewicz' (owner of the only purebred flock in the U.S.) opinion regarding the two registries in the U.S.: "I think there should be two registries; one that has some strict standard for inclusion that depends upon both an inspection and credible documentation of some high percentage (cattle registries commonly require 7/8 or 15/16) of breeding from pure bloodlines). Since I have occasionally heard rumors that new importations of semen or embryos from Barbados might occur, it would be really great to reward those who go to the trouble of doing so. At the same time, I think it would be foolish to discard some excellent animals and genetics that exist in the less pure stock here in the U.S. So, a second registry would make sense so we don't needlessly discard some potentially valuable stock. Therefore, these animals don't earn the distinction of listing in the more stringent registry, but will have a verifiable pedigree."
Here is a definition of progeny testing from http://www.jacobsheepconservancy.org/progeny.html: "The Progeny Test is the best way we know to ensure that animals are purebred. It is based on the very old agricultural tool, "like begets like". This test is used to determine the purebred status of UNKNOWN sheep: (that is sheep that have not been progeny tested and sheep that have no known backgound). Since the Registry is still "Open" these sheep can be considered for Registration. The test is designed to be simple and only becomes complicated when many sheep are involved. We urge you to go through each step and handle one at a time. Progeny testing is important for several reasons: 1. you cannot know the genetics of an animal by looking at it. Only if it reproduces acceptable offspring can it be called a "Jacob" (this is the definition of a breed: a group of animals that reproduce true to breed type). 2. It is far better to know that a sheep is not a purebred sheep BEFORE it is issued registration papers. This saves the breeder from spending time and money on a sheep that will never serve him well, saves some embarrassing moments when sheep buyers do not get expected results from the sheep they bought, and keeps these sheep and their offspring from entering the gene pool of this rare breed."
I hope this information helps.
Carol Elkins Critterhaven Estate Registered Barbados Blackbelly Hair Sheep (no shear, no dock, no fuss) Pueblo, Colorado http://www.critterhaven.biz NEW! T-shirts, mugs, mousepads, and more at the Blackbelly Online Store http://www.cafeshops.com/cp/store.aspx?s=blackbellysheep =============================================== This message is from the Barbados Blackbelly Sheep mailing list. To respond to this message, send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe or change your membership options, go to http://lists.coyotenet.net/mailman/listinfo/blackbelly
