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Welshpool Livestock Sales Border Leicester Rams The Annual Show and Sale on behalf of the Border Leicester Sheep Breeders’ took place at Welshpool Livestock sales on Thursday 1st October 2009 with 51 sheep on offer. Champion ram was presented by Mrs E A Stokeld 17 Croft Avenue Middlesbrough and achieved £777 . He was purchased by J Morris & Sons Caedicws Llangollen.  Average for the yearlings was £351.90,. Ram Lambs averaged £210. Judge for the day was Trefor Jones Rhydonen Isaf Llangollen. Prizes were as follows: Shearling Rams 1st and Res ChampionDR & EA Jones Highfields Hereford selling at £451.50 2nd E A Stokeld 17 Croft Avenue selling to £504. 3rd H C Evans 2 Whiplane Cottage selling to £420 Ram Lamb 1st O Hughes Owen Cynefin 2nd O Hughes Owen Cynefin selling to £420 3rd H C Evans 2 Whiplane selling to £105 Best Group 1st E A Stokeld 17 Croft Avenue 2nd F J Howell WernHill 3rd E A Stokeld, 17 Croft Ave., Other Notable Prices are as follows: N E M Barran The Park Cottages selling to £409.50 D P Williams Clorach Fawr selling to £315 T & ME Jones Tymawr selling to £262.50 Top average for the sale was £450 for 10 from Eleanor Stokeld's Doulton Flock. Kelso Ram Sales 2009 results. BORDER LEICESTERS enjoyed a much improved trade, with averages up by more than £300 on the year, to level at £599.09, but for fewer numbers – 44, compared to 60 last year. Top price at £1200 was the champion, a shearling from Sandy and Alex Watson, Ferniemill, Ladybank, Fife. By Walton Wonder out of a ewe by Ditton Olympic, he sold to J Strawhorn and Son, Annefield, Dumfries. Others from the Watsons sold to £1100 and £1000. Dearest of the two, a Kininmonth Kingpin son, out of a ewe by Ditton Olympic, also sold to Mr Strawhorn, while the other, an Eildon Eager son, out of a Knowsie Knocker-bred dam, sold to JC and JS Helm, Haltree, Heriot. Also at £1100 was a Knockglass Klass Act son, out of a Doulton Daredevil daughter, from Eleanor Stokeld, Acklam, Middlesbrough. He sold to J Davidson and Son, Adderston Shiels, Hawick. Two from David Walker, Laigh Alticane, Pinwherry, Girvan, made £1000 each. A son of Elsrickle Mains Earl sold to T Hamilton and Son, Earlside, Hawick, while one by Bardnaclavan Blockbuster joined the batch bought by JC and JS Helm, Haltree, Heriot. Top average for the Border Leicesters was £800 from Eleanor Stokeld's Doulton Flock.
Border Leicesters on the road!! 2nd July 2009 The Society's roadshow has been out and about at various events this spring and summer to promote the Border Leicester as the Number One Crossing Sire in the UK. Welsh Sheep First stop was Welsh Sheep, which was held this year in North Wales at Cernioge Bach near Betws Y Coed. The Borders shared their stand with the Welsh Halfbred Association, emphasising the close working relationship between commercial breeders and ourselves. A two shear Border Leicester ram bought at Welshpool from Mrs. E. Stokeld (Doulton) was loaned for the display by Messrs Lloyd Jones of Llangollen, and beside him was a Welsh Halfbred ewe (Welsh ewe crossed with a Border Leicester) with Texel cross lambs from Messrs Evans of Halton. A pair of Border Leicester cross hoggs demonstrated the versatility of the breed. These were produced by Mr. Davies of Wem. A big thank you to all concerned! The stand was very busy with a constant stream of admirers for both the ram and his produce. North Sheep Next stop was North Sheep which was held in the North West at Laund Farm near Clitheroe in Lancashire, the heart of Swaledale/North Country Mule territory. On display we had a Blackface ewe with Border Greyface twins which were kindly loaned to us by Jim Jeffrey from his Deuchrie Farm in East Lothian. This was an exceptional ewe with a tremendous pair of lambs and they attracted a steady stream of admirers. Again there was a steady stream of mule breeders who stood at the pen admiring the lambs. Border Leicester rams have been purchased in the past in North Yorkshire to put onto Swaledales to improve them which they did indeed. The Border gave a better conformation and skin and produced very good breeding ewes. Wethers also finished quite quickly. We have done our best to show what the Border can produce and, undoubtedly, he does produce superb breeding stock. We should be buying British and promoting everything British and here is a superb crossing sire who improves everything he touches. Shouldn't you be trying one on your stock?
Combating CLA
Caseous lymphadenitis has now been established within the United Kingdom for more than 15 years. In that time the bacterial disease known more commonly as CLA, has spread widely through both the sheep and goat industries. The disease is now present in all parts of the country, with the condition still being most common within the terminal sire breeds of sheep. A survey carried out in 2001 suggested that as many as 18% of flocks in that sector were affected. Latterly other sheep breeds including hill and upland have been affected and further spread of the condition seems inevitable.
In sheep and goats the infection is characterised by the formation of abscesses within the lymph nodes and other internal organs, most notably the lungs. Whilst the majority of infected animal remains clinically healthy, most go on to develop visible external swellings. These chronic abscesses often discharge thick pus on to the skin and leave characteristic scars. In the last two years there have been several reports of the internal or visceral form of CLA being associated with chronic wasting in affected flocks. This is an established form of the disease in other parts of the world, and the emergence of such a syndrome in the UK is a worrying development that will be closely monitored by SAC Veterinary Services.
The widespread use of commercial vaccines to control CLA is still not possible, since none is yet licensed for use in the UK . However, the production of an autogenous CLA vaccine and the emergency importation of commercial vaccines, is possible in affected flocks under special license from the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, a division of DEFRA.
An encouraging development in the fight against CLA is a new "ELISA" blood test for the condition in sheep. This test detects antibodies to Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, the bacterium that causes the condition. It can identify infected animals before they develop the characteristic external abscesses, and is effective in finding sheep with only the internal form of the disease. Such animals would otherwise carry the infection without detection and represent the greatest threat in spreading the disease from one flock to another.
Initial experience with the blood test suggests that it can be very effective in reducing the number of infected animals within a flock, with the ultimate aim being that of total disease eradication. Another use for the test is in screening purchased animals before they are introduced to a new flock, and this forms the basis of the CLA Monitoring Scheme, recently launched by SAC.
The CLA Monitoring Scheme, which was piloted at Kelso and Lairg Ram Sales in 2005, has now been made available to all UK producers of breeding hoggs, gimmers and tups. The Scheme is designed to provide confidence for purchasers and vendors that sheep offered for sale carry a low risk of CLA infection.
The Scheme employs the highly specific ELISA blood test for CLA infection, developed by the Moredun Research Institute and SAC. This is used in conjunction with two veterinary clinical inspections and a three-month period of quarantine during the run-up to the autumn sales. In addition, a second test known as a Western Blot is now available for use as part of the Scheme in cases where the results of the ELISA are unclear.
To become "CLA Monitored" in 2006, a group rams, hoggs or gimmers must fulfil a number of conditions:
- At least twelve weeks of isolation from all other sheep on the premises prior to the sale.
- Two veterinary visits during the isolation period - for physical examination by a vet and for blood sampling. These visits should be a minimum of six weeks apart.
- Enhanced precautions in flocks that have previously experienced CLA
- The total charge testing and certification in the Scheme is £8.00 per head.
Taken together, the requirements of the Scheme provide a much more reliable assurance of freedom from disease than the testing of individual purchased animals before they are introduced to a new flock. This strategy cannot provide an absolute guarantee of freedom from the disease and no certification to that effect will be provided. However, when animals are tested as required and maintained under the rules of the programme, the chance that they might carry infection to a purchaser’s flock is greatly reduced. Vendors will therefore be encouraged to display a signed declaration of CLA Monitored Status at the sale pen and show this certificate to potential private buyers.
Farmers wishing to obtain further details of the Scheme can go to the SAC website at www.sac.ac.uk/cla or call the Sheep and Goat Health Schemes office on 01463 226 995.
G Baird, SAC Veterinary Services, St Boswells
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