As per information already given out in the Society Newsletter and in the Sale Catalogues Carlisle Premier will be the first of five sales including Welshpool, Skipton, Worcester and Lanark to include the presence of veterinary officers during pre-sale inspections to help improve the breed standard.

The team of inspectors and vets will be looking for any testicle abnormalities, animals to be correct in the mouth and for good mobility.

It is essential that the vendor is in the pen during inspections to hold the animal and allow for a more thorough inspection, with any issues discussed at the time.

After a lot of emails over the last few weeks the Society have come to a decision regarding Vet Inspection Standards for 2018, which will be reviewed at the next Council Meeting.

The Society contacted Vet, Neil Laing to come on board to help look at the parameters for the Inspection and assist our Society Inspectors.

Neil has been out on farm looking at mouths and testicle size and spoke with the Chairman of his findings to pass onto Council for them to come back with a Society standard specifically for testicle size, and he would be happy with whatever was decided.

Matt Prince also spoke with the AHDB vet who does work for the Ram Compare scheme upon what their recommendations for testicle size would be. Council is aware that one / two sets of results is not enough to make a final decision.  Therefore, a measurement has been agreed upon for this year and will be continually reviewed see below.

Inspection Parameters

Infectious diseases: Any sheep showing any signs of any infectious diseases will be removed for sale, this to be left totally to the discretion of the vets.

Teeth: Aged & Shearling Rams would prefer if correct but a tolerance will be given on sheep that are catching (maybe due to feeding).

Ram Lamb & Gimmers should be correct.

Any sheep with severe undershot/overshot mouths or teeth that have been tampered with eg filed will be removed from sale.

Testiciles: All testiciles to be same size with no lumps, bumps or abnormalities.

Any rams the vets find with uneven testicles or abnormalities will be removed from the sale.

Any rams which vets feel the testicles are smaller than expected will be measured and if don’t make the cut of size required will be removed from the sale.

Aged & Shearling Rams: Cut off 26cm

Ram Lambs: Cut off 24cm

These figures are the lowest that the AHDB vet said would acceptable and commented that “as a breed we should he aiming for higher figures, size is genetic and will carry through to their progeny”.

Also note that younger born lambs may not perform for early breeding programs.

Mobility: Any sheep which cannot move freely or has severe twists or turns in legs & feet or rams with very poor hind legs which might affect his ability to mate will be removed from sale.

To be left to the discretion of society inspectors (who have more experience with Beltex sheep and to apply common sense)

Substitutes: There will also be a cap on the number of substitute entries which will limited to one per vendor, per section, except Carlisle Premier when the vendor will be allowed two substitutes for the Shearling Rams section.