Lleyn Sheep Society

We hope you find the information below useful

URGENT NEWSFLASH: BT PZ MOVES IN TIME FOR RUTHIN SALE

DEFRA and the Welsh Assembly have today announced the movement of the Bluetongue PZ, to include the whole of Wales, Cumbria and Northumberland, as of 00:01am on Monday 1st September 2008.

Sheep entered for Ruthin that originate from the PZ and have not yet been vaccinated, or have not completed the 35 / 60 day restriction period post vaccincation, will be able to attend from 6am on Monday 1st September.

If you have any queries regarding this information please contact Victoria Horton on 07915 361896, or Gwenda Roberts on 01758 730366.

Link to DEFRA BT webpage: http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/bluetongue/latest/index.htm
Link to Welsh Assembly BT webpage: http://new.wales.gov.uk/topics/environmentcountryside/ahw/disease/bluetongue/?lang=en

Bluetongue and Society Sales in 2008
A significant part of England is now in the Protection Zone and many members will already have vaccinated their stock. Until very recently we were being told that Defra expected that vaccination would have taken place in all of England and most of Wales by September. This is still possible, but the recent delay in supply of vaccine, caused by a batch quality ’issue’, demonstrated how ‘fragile’ the plans are when vaccine production/testing/rollout is so new.

We know that stock from a Free Zone can move into a Surveillance or Protection Zone (though it cannot return home). We also know that vaccinated stock cannot move out of a Protection Zone until at least 60 days post vaccination or at least 35 days post vaccination if a PCR test has been carried out and passed. For such movements, licences are available and specific criteria apply (eg spraying of transport with insecticide, treating stock with insecticide). On one specific point - DO NOT THROW AWAY YOUR EMPTY VACCINE BOTTLES. Your vet will have to sign a declaration and this (believe it or not) requires him to say that he has evidence that the vaccine has been used: empty bottles are good evidence.

It is obviously the responsibility of individual members to make sure that they comply with regulations in force at the time of stock movements/Sales. I suggest that you keep in touch with the evolving situation through the press and through Defra and NSA updates. You can get on the NSA e-mailing list by contacting Julie Jennings - julie@nationalsheep.org.uk. Your local Animal Health Office should also be helpful. The Defra page that lists much useful information (including licenses) is:
www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/bluetongue/control/vaccination/index.htm#4a.

The situation is unpredictable at the moment. Part (or almost all) of Wales and all of Scotland are likely to be in the Free Zone at Sale time but it is possible that some of Northern England might be in the Free Zone too.

Obviously, with this degree of uncertainty, many of us will need to consider carefully which will be the most appropriate Sales at which to sell our sheep this year (not necessarily the same Sales as in previous years).

Please do go ahead and fill in the documents for entering your sheep for Society Sales. Be assured that, if the situation changes significantly with, for example, a particular Market finding itself in a new type of Zone, the Society will do whatever it possibly can do to help you sell your sheep including (with your permission) re-allocating your sheep to another Sale. Flexibility this year is much more important than pristine sale catalogues.

Obviously, it is in the interests of members and Society for the Sales to go well this year and the high lamb prices of recent months suggest that this may well be so. Overcoming the ’irritations’ associated with these different Zones is something we will just have to deal with as best we can.

Ram Substitutions at 2008 Sales
Since the Ram Inspections at some Centres (Ross, Exeter, Hailsham, Selby, Skipton) will be later than some of the Sale entry dates, we will allow the substitution of a ram that has been entered for a Sale but which fails its inspection, provided that you send the new information to Gwenda immediately after the Inspection.

Relaxation of Rules for 2008 Sales
To help those located in Free Zones, Council has decided that we will allow (for 2008 only) members to sell females at a Sale in the Free Zone and the corresponding rams at a Sale in the Surveillance Zone or Protection Zone. Special conditions apply - see the page headed ‘Important Notice re: Sale Entry - 2008 Only’