NSA Breed Society Forum: Sheep breeding for the future: Honouring tradition and embracing innovation.

Around 20 of NSA’s 83 affiliated sheep breed societies joined the NSA Breed Society Forum on Wednesday, hosted by Nottingham University Vet School. Phil Stocker reports: “It felt good to be back for a face-to-face meeting with some of our breed societies this week for what was a topical and very positive event. We talked a lot about the value of taking our industry forward together, recognising the part that all our various breeds play, and discussing in detail ways we can all work to improve and understand genetic traits. Gordon Hickman, Defra, kicked off the event updating people on the past and current BTV3 situation, and the movement controls and protection strategies relating to forthcoming shows and sales. Three different models of breed societies then spoke about collaborating for a common purpose to seek efficiencies in an ever-tightening world. This session saw presentations from Barrie Turner, Native British Lamb 365, a group of societies promoting the sustainability of the UK’s Stratified Sheep system, Kate Phillips, Performance Recorded Lleyn Breeders, and Steph and Andy Ryder, Pedigree Livestock Services, looking at efficient and collaborative delivery of breed society activities.

“We went on for an in depth look by Janet Roden, Innovis, at the work of Breed for Ch4nge and how its learnings will support the sheep industry in its entirety, before wrapping the morning up with a talk from Sam Boon of Signet exploring the role of genotyping and genomics.  The afternoon was spent in the hands of a number of enthusiastic professionals working at Nottingham Vet School where we looked at their on-site abattoir and their liver and lung pathology workshop and were treated to presentations on work being undertaken on MV, footrot, BTV and Schmallenberg, navel dressings and alternatives to iodine, and the work of the Sheep Antibiotic Guardian Group. It was a fascinating, informative and friendly day and my thanks go to everyone who was involved and attended.”