News from the American Berkshire Association CHANGES TO REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS
the ABA office. If the sow is not in your name when you send in the litter registrations it will delay your papers. Also, please be sure to have the registration In June of 2019 the American Berkshire Association number of the sire. Furthermore, please order a A.I. (ABA) held their 144th Annual Membership Meeting in Certificate from the stud who owns the boar or have Springfield, Ill. On the ballot were three proposed by- sent in DNA on the sire. If the office doesn’t have DNA law changes. All three items on the ballot were passed on the sire, your litters cannot be registered. by the membership. These updates to the constitution and bylaws take effect with pigs farrowed January 1, DNA TESTING CHEAT SHEET 2020 and after. Registration Requirements: All Sires must be DNA banked and stress tested—a negative mating does not Item one amended article I, section 3 to add another fulfill this requirement (all stress genotypes are eligible option to how good-standing members can vote: for registration, but EVERY sire MUST have a DNA “through a secured electronic voting system approved test result on file at ABA office). The card to DNA bank by the ABA.” This change allows members to have the must come from the ABA office (cannot be a Genalysis option to submit their votes for the Board of Directors card). There is no need to complete two cards, as the candidates on-line on the Association’s website. The same card is used for banking and testing. second approved change allows members to vote “through a secured electronic voting system approved Show requirements: All animals must be stress by the ABA.” This change is reflected in article XIV, negative on the pedigree (HAL-1843* nm will be section 4. printed under the pigs name). This can either be from a test or a negative mating. This is also a requirement Members voted to approve an amendment of article at all Team Purebred events. XIX, section 4 of the ABA by-laws. The bylaws now read: “Disqualification for Registration of Breeding 100% Pure Berkshire Pork® Program: All sires must animals. The presence of one or more of the following be tested negative for both the stress and Napole are disqualifications for registration: a) less than 6 genes. functional teats on each side...” The section used to read “...12 functional teats”. This section of the ABA If you are unsure if you have DNA banked a boar, you by-laws is now consistent with an already current can do a pedigree search from the ABA website (you show rule of a minimum of 6 functional teats on each set up your own login information—click on New User side of Berkshire pigs. Any boars or gilts that do not to get set up). If you are unsure if your sire has been have 6 functional teats on each side that are already in stress tested, please contact Katie Brummet, breeding production are grand-fathered in to comply katie@americanberkshire.com, if you have with this change. questions or need assistance on DNA testing , A.I. Certifications, transfers or litter registrations. REMINDER: A.I. CERTIFICATIONS Please be sure to include the registration number of The ABA requires a separate A.I. Certificate for each the animal in question. litter. Before the office can record any litter out of a boar that you do not own, you must obtain an A.I. BOARD OF DIRECTORS NOMINATIONS Certificate by contacting the boar stud where you If you are interested in nominating a member to purchased the semen. Please be sure to get the ear notch and the registration number of your litters sire. run for the ABA Board of Directors, please contact The boar’s information is needed to match the correct Nominating Committee Chair Jeff Wippel by email at AI certificate to the correct litter. All A.I. Certificates oink.berks@gmail.com by March 14. must be completed online.
REMINDER: LITTER REGISTRATIONS When you send in litter registrations be sure that you are the owner of the sow—if you are not, please include a transfer as they are not completed automatically by Experience Berkshire / 9
