Very good information, thank you. But:
They seem to do better on forage that the woolies do not fare well on. Working with a few thousand hair sheep in different breeds, and on side a 300 wool sheep in different breeds, no way that the average hair sheep even would come close to the production of the woolies. What has to do with the small number of hair sheep which are on the market, genetically too close. How do you like to compete against a Ile de France, where a Government did invest many Millions of Dollars to improve, against a St Croix, where no money has been invested ? St Croix on our ranch do not survive under normal management more than a 5 months, or I have to use medicamentation.But steady I read article of farmers with small and well protected flocks, how parasite resistant those sheep are.And that is not true once the flock is crowed and under stress. And about hot climate?Mexico imported large numbers of Ile de Franc, and they do in hot climate extreme well. And Mexico imported more than a 100 000 hair sheep, of very resistant type. I see Mexico producing lamb for US in large scale very soon.High quality wool/hair hybrid lambs. The Mexicans invest in meat production, and that's where we don't look at enough. About ..."Big > Brother" but there are some things we just cannot try > to get under the radar with.. most of the large Texas sheep breeders wrote me, that they have been forced in the scrapie program. I have seen one thing in my live, where ever the public did adapt too much to the government orders, country in short time in dept. See Germany , as example, always head down and they do what the Government is telling them.No money in the country. Switzerland? One the Government did artificial bring the price for butter up, the Swiss did not eat butter for a year.After that the Government gave up and butter was even cheaper than before. Strong democratie works with commonsense and does not accept money vaste. Regards Helmut ----- Original Message ----- From: "Terry Wereb" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info> Sent: Saturday, May 27, 2006 8:48 AM Subject: Re: [blackbelly] scrapie testing > Whoa! > > Are we not trying to breed out the influence of other > breeds in the BB? The AB, by accidental design, is a > mixed breed, with many of the physical characteristics > of the original BB. There are SOME AB breeders wanting > to breed for more than just trophy horns-- overall > structure, carcass quality and genetic health being > their goal. And that is how a "pure" breed gets > established-- careful genetic manipulation by > controlled breeding. I know that is the purpose, > supposedly, of everyone that joins the BB consortium. > I sit and watch other sheep forums, as well, in > order to learn more about sheep in general-- and I see > the same types of issues, in perhaps the same numbers, > on them, with the woollies and other hair sheep. > > The purpose of a hair sheep is NOT to produce wool-- > it is to produce meat--on the forums where several > breeds are covered, it is unanimous that hair sheep > cost less to raise to maturity/slaughter. They seem to > do better on forage that the woolies do not fare well > on. And of course, being from warmer climes, the hair > sheep are readily adapted to our warmer areas-- and in > the colder ones, they do grow a protective winter > coat-- > > here in the US, a lot of wool goes to waste. What is > sold is sold to a small market of hand spinners and > knitters. the market is very tight-- so much so, that > I have noticed the prices on the alpaca products > dropping like lead bricks! Even the so called > "premium" fibers are not demanding a decent price. > > We have to test/be in a program if we want to be able > to particiapte in anyimprted semen program-- so we > grit our teeth, and particiapate-- not willingly, but > we do. And yes, Johnes is a much more serious thing > to be worrying about-- but we do need to be able to > rake advantage of any "fresh" genetics we can get > further down the road. Of course, we can help keep > resisteance in our flocks by minimizing the chemical > interventions we make. We can cull poor lambing ewes, > por mothers, etc. Unfortuneately, the genetics game is > an expensive one--I priced the cost of the basic > equipment to "start" the genetic screening process, > and I do not believe any of us in the BB, or even the > AB, have 10 Thousand USD, to spend on just part of the > process!! (That does not include the fees to license > the use of the equipment) And, to top it off, the > equipment I found was not even geared towards > sheep--probably making the cost even higher for such a > specialty testing program. > > many of us here do not like Uncle Sam playing "Big > Brother" but there are some things we just cannot try > to get under the radar with.. So we test, and we > comply, bust just ebough to stay legal... > > Terry W > > --- hlang <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> See, all my African sheep are resistant. >> >> And that's enough for me to know.To follow a >> Government enforced scrapie >> program, something very different. >> >> Wait and see.Johnes disease, which is spreading in >> Mexico in large and >> Caribbean breeds not able to cope with, much more >> important to look at. >> >> Can't see why BB ....then the market for blackbelly >> sheep will skyrocket..., >> as they are unable to produce even 1/4 of a good >> wool sheep in flock does. >> The parasite resistance story about BB and St Croix, >> I have had them here in >> large numbers.... >> ask the guys in Texas, running a 1000 head of ewe, >> which breed are parasite >> resistant. >> >> For to make money, with breeds available, BB would >> never work.With Texel >> hybrids you make just 3 times the money, as they are >> able to handle the >> parasiste much better. >> I still have 10 year old Texel hybrid ewes, giving >> birth in November, and >> now an other set of twins. >> BB....out of 600 head, may a 5 survived , the day we >> went out of >> drenching.With out medicamentation it is absolute >> impossible to run a larger >> herd of BB >> On no list you see such amount of problems as on the >> BB list, that should >> open our eyes and ask us, where to invest into the >> breed >> >> regards Helmut >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Carol J. Elkins" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> To: <blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info> >> Sent: Friday, May 26, 2006 2:42 PM >> Subject: Re: [blackbelly] scrapie testing >> >> >> > There are a lot of reasons that blackbelly owners >> might want to test their >> > sheep for scrapie susceptibility. I agree, Helmut, >> that when it was just a >> > question of complying with the government, I >> wasn't very enthused about >> > the >> > testing. Why should I spend money testing for >> something that our sheep >> > don't get? >> > >> > However, my interest perked up when I started >> reading that blackbelly >> > sheep >> > might have a very unique genetic resistance to >> scrapie. In basic marketing >> > terms, if we have something that no one else has, >> and everyone wants it >> > (especially if the government is telling them they >> have to), then it would >> > be to our advantage to figure out why we have that >> something and then >> > figure out a way to capitalize on selling it to >> the have-nots. >> > >> > Part of learning whether or not blackbelly sheep >> have a unique genetic >> > scrapie resistance involves learning the genetic >> makeup of our sheep, and >> > that requires that we test them. The more of us >> that test our animals, the >> > more data we have. And if that data indicates a >> uniqueness in our >> > genetics, >> > then we will have an easier time getting one of >> the researchers >> > interested. >> > If, through research, we learn that our sheep have >> a "magic bullet" in >> > their genetics, then the market for blackbelly >> sheep will skyrocket. >> > >> > That's my logic, anyway! >> > >> > Carol >> > >> > At 01:31 PM 5/26/2006 -0700, you wrote: >> >>Did anyone of you ever observe in BB scrapie ? >> >> >> >>Our province has never had any scrapie, but you >> should see how much money >> >>the Govenment is willing to put in, >> hundredthousands of dollars.For what, >> >>something nobody realy knows about ? >> >> >> >>And than have a look how much is done, to keep a >> breed as BB in good >> >>conditon. >> >> >> >>But the real problem maker is not the Govenment, >> it is the Farmer who >> >>accepts what ever the Government tells him to do. >> >> >> >>Before I have to do Scrapie testing in my sheep, >> sheep which never have >> >>had >> >>any Scrapie, seems better for me to give sheep >> farming up.Let others do >> >>and >> >>look about the succes they gone have. >> >>That's the way I see it >> > >> > _______________________________________________ >> > This message is from the blackbelly mailing list >> > Visit the list's homepage at >> %http://www.blackbellysheep.info >> > >> > >> > -- >> > No virus found in this incoming message. >> > Checked by AVG Free Edition. >> > Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.7.2/349 - >> Release Date: 26/05/2006 >> > >> > >> >> _______________________________________________ >> This message is from the blackbelly mailing list >> Visit the list's homepage at >> %http://www.blackbellysheep.info >> > > _______________________________________________ > This message is from the blackbelly mailing list > Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.7.2/349 - Release Date: 26/05/2006 > _______________________________________________ This message is from the blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
