Hello Sue, Sorry for the delay in getting back with you. I have been raising Barbados Blackbelly sheep for over 7 year, but have only been actively involved in BBSAI for approximately 6 months. Therefore I had to do some research with other Board members before responding to your question.
Sue Smith wrote: Hi Mr. Harper, I just finished reading the message you wrote about the difference between Barbados Blackbelly Sheep and Barbado Sheep. You state that Barbados Blackbelly sheep are all polled......and if someone has what they think or were told are Barbados Blackbelly Sheep with horns, that they are actually Barbado Sheep. Am I correct so far? So if my statement I just made is correct, why then are Barbado Sheep (with horns) being registerd with the BBSAI as Barbados Blackbelly sheep? Respectively, Sue Smith ANSWER: There have been many attempts in the last 15 years to maintain a registry for Barbados Blackbelly sheep. All of those registries failed because they couldn't generate sufficient membership and were not well managed. The BBSAI is the only registry to overcome those two hurdles--and we constantly work at it. There are just a handful of people doing a lot of work to make the registry work for breeders all over the world. The BBSAI Board of Directors recognizes that right now, registering sheep from both breeds is not only critical to the survival of the BBSAI, but also very important for the welfare of both breeds. The BBSAI thus far has not taken a position regarding the nomenclature of the two breeds. It allows both horned and polled breeds to be registered, and requires breeders to identify whether their rams are horned or polled and to identify if the sire of the sheep being registered was horned or polled. Irrespective of what people call them, the sheep that are registered have to meet breed standard. And finally, it is important to remember that the main purpose of a breed registry is to track bloodlines and sheep. The BBSAI is developing a database of registered sheep that will serve to help preserve the genetics of both breeds and help breeders identify good stock of either breed. James Harper Virginia Regional Director Blackbelly Barbados Sheep Association International =============================================== 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
