Secretary’s Column It all began as an idea some one hundred and forty years ago that purebred livestock, either cattle, hogs, or sheep, in this instance, should have a form of their pedigree or heritage recorded. Much was going on at this time in the agricultural history of America, new farming practices were being discovered and animal husbandry was seeing a new day. In the Preface of Volume 1 of the American Southdown record it states, “The American Southdown Association was incorporated under the laws of Illinois June 23, 1882. The collection and verification of the pedigrees of Southdown Sheep was immediately begun.” It also states further in the preface that, “… the purity of their breeding has long been guarded with the most jealous care.” Most individuals are not students of history, so the past is not of great interest to many. Certainly, something that happened over a hundred years ago could not be relevant, or is it? Could the words that are the foundation of this Association still be relevant? Can they still have purpose? We fast forward to 2016, technology is available today that was not even a dream in the 1800’s. Be it DNA testing to determine parentage, genetic defects, or genetic resistance or five generation registry papers, or registry work done in a matter of minutes rather than weeks were not even envisioned. Certainly many things have changed, but some things have not. Breeding purebred livestock is not easy. With over 5 million genes to choose from in an individual, it sometimes seems that taking positive steps to move your flock forward can be difficult. So enters in the short cuts to make a “better” individual. One does not realize that the short term benefit is soon over weighted by the new addition of 5 million genes and all of its consequences, both good and bad. Thus enters the purpose of an accurate pedigree. How often has a person seen the wink of an eye, the shrug of the shoulder, or the grin of a face when talking about the pedigree of a sheep? In this world of agriculture a person’s handshake or the pedigree on a registry paper should be his word. It should be accurate. It should be truthful. I encourage you as breeders of purebred sheep to invest in Southdowns with accurate pedigrees, I encourage you to work closely with breeders whose pedigrees are his word. I encourage you to understand that the registry paper represents the integrity and reputation of your flock. As we all try to breed better purebred livestock, it will only make the experience more satisfying and worthwhile. Enjoy your travels though this great world of the Southdown breed.
Gary Jennings
ASBA Executive Secretary
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