NEWS
SAC launches’ new website to protect sheep
03 Feb 2012
SAC has launched a new online resource to help sheep and goat producers
avoid introducing disease into their flocks and herds when purchasing
livestock. The new website lists the health status of flocks and
herds currently registered with SAC’s Premium Sheep and Goat Health
Scheme. [more]
NI Texel Club Recognizes Charitable Activities at 2011/12
AGM
27 Jan 2012
Members of the NI Texel Club gathered at Greenmount College
this week for their Annual General Meeting. The Chairman
Victor Chestnutt was delighted to welcome Club members and
friends to the meeting before presenting his report of the
year’s events. [full
report]
Performance Recording your Texel flock
25 Jan 2012
The Texel Society in conjunction with Eblex have issued the latest
Signet recruitment and breed benchmark leaflets for the membership.
If you would like further information on Performance Recording
your Texel flock this year then visit the Performance Recorded
Texel section
http://www.texel.co.uk/thebreed/signet.php or
call Signet directly on 0247 647 8829.
British Texel breeders drive towards increased loin muscling
Press Release 24 Jan 2012
Commercial sheep farmers using recorded Texel sires to produce
prime lambs will see an increase in the lean meat yields in the
most expensive primal loin cuts in their lambs thanks to some recent
adjustments to the Signet Texel index. [more]
Schmallenberg Virus
24 Jan 2012
Defra and AHVLA have confirmed today that surveillance has identified
the presence of Schmallenberg Virus (SBV) in samples from four
sheep farms in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and East Sussex.
It is likely that these cases are linked back to infections that
would have taken place in late summer and Autumn 2011. There are
currently no implications regarding trade. Symptoms appear to manifest
themselves in foetal abnormalities and abortion. Any producers
with immediate concerns should consult with their vet and AHVLA.
A full briefing with further details and information will follow
tomorrow.
The following link will take you to details in the AHVLA website
http://www.defra.gov.uk/ahvla/2012/01/23/schmallenberg-virus-results-uk-testing/
NSA Briefing on the discovery of Schmallenberg virus in England 
$12,000 Texel ram will pay for dream kitchen
20 Jan 2012
NZ Texel breeder Sharon Paterson
will be able to build her dream kitchen now. The Waikaka farmer achieved
the top price of $12,000 for her Waikaka Texel Stud ram at the Gore
Ram Fair. [more]
2012 CT Scanning update
18 Jan 2012
As you will see from the following file (CT update), which was
shown at SBRT 2011, there has been an increase in the number of
pedigree lambs being CT scanned with Texel members offering the
greatest influence, since the introduction of the mobile scanning
service in 2009. The service has also opened up a few new research
possibilities for the breed which has been very positive. SAC are
still able to offer the mobile service alongside their normal service
at Edinburgh. SAC will be sending out a list of the dates, sites
(once confirmed by the scanner company), subsidies (once confirmed
by the devolved bodies) and charges for the 2012 scanning season
hopefully by the end of January. These will also be sent to individual
farmers.
The Society will also be supporting the 2012 CT scanning with financial support
for the mobile scanner and will be advised shortly.
 CT
update poster SBRT 2011
Olympian Backs Sheep Meat Consumption
17 Jan 2012
A leading Olympic athlete has given his backing to meat consumption
after confirming his support for the healthy role that red meat plays in the
diet. [more]
Texel Sheep exported to Bulgaria
16 Jan 2012
Aubrey and Sue Andrew of the Miserden flock are celebrating
having exported a batch of shearling ewes, along with a ram to
Bulgaria to join the farming enterprise of Adrian Thayler, a
British farmer now settled in Bulgaria. [more]
British Texel Society Embraces Social Media
12 Jan 2012
The British Texel Sheep Society, the UK’s largest breed society
is embracing the world of social media, with the Society now to
be found on Facebook and Twitter. [more]
Bluetongue vaccination strategy gets go-ahead
9 Jan 2012
The European Agriculture Council has agreed to allow vaccination
in bluetongue-free zones, marking the culmination of a concerted
lobbying campaign by the NFU and DEFRA.
The NFU will now work
with DEFRA and the EU commission to make sure the changes to
the legislation can be implemented in the UK as soon as possible.
This change will mean producers can make a commercial decision
to vaccinate their animals without affecting Great Britain’s
bluetongue free status.
At the council meeting in December it was
agreed that bluetongue preventative vaccination strategies would
now be permitted in areas that are free of the disease and that
farmers will be able to use ‘inactivated’ vaccines. Great Britain
was officially declared free of the disease on 5th July 2011, which
meant producers were no longer able to protect their animals against
the disease, as legislation does not allow vaccination within a
free zone.
The last confirmed case of bluetongue in Great Britain
was in 2008, which is due largely to a very successful campaign
by farmers, Government and vets to get rid of the disease from
our shores.
Texel shearling ewes sell to 2500gns at Chelford
Saturday’s (7 January 2012) sale of Texel females at Chelford
for the North West Texel Breeders Club saw an eager crowd compete
for the females on offer. [report]
Enhanced Surveillance for the Risk of Incursion of a New
Virus Infection (‘Schmallenberg Virus’) into Great Britain
We have received reports of the detection of a novel virus, tentatively
named “Schmallenberg virus” (SBV) in Germany and The Netherlands.
The virus is related to a known virus called Akabane, which is
spread by insects and which classically causes foetal malformations,
particularly deformities of the limbs and brain defects. more
New webpages for Imports, Exports and EU trade in animals and
animal products
Defra have issued the following update:
Purpose
1. To notify stakeholders that Defra has launched a new
set of webpages for animal and public health aspects of imports,
exports and EU trade in animals and animal products.
Background
2. As you may be aware, Defra has been reviewing the
information provided on the department’s website. Basic information
on international trade moved over some time ago but detailed information
has been held on the Defra archive site. The main pages for international
trade have now moved over and the remainder will be transferred
over in the next few weeks. The old site will still be available
in the meantime.
3. From 19 December, Customer Information Notes
will only be published on the new site and not on the archive site.
CINs will not be listed in a table but there is a search facility
using key words which should enable stakeholders to find relevant
information easily. To do this click on one of the categories/tag
on the right-hand side of the page. Importer Information Notes
will be transferred over the new few weeks but links to the archive
site will be provided on the new site until the transfer is complete.
4. Stakeholders should note the link below for Customer Information
Notes on the new webpages.
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animal-trade/cins/
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