Some of you know that I’ve been working for several years to document and register all Canadian purebred Black Welsh Mountain sheep. Once things really started to get underway, I realized how critical they were genetically. They’re in a precarious situation in terms of numbers and bloodlines. About four years ago, I started working to get the border open and to ship sheep or semen to them.
We went through the comments on border regulations posted by the USDA, the mad cow problems, the political tit for tat that stopped us cold for months at a time, the inability to ship semen because I wasn’t Scrapie certified, and more. The border finally opened in July 2007, and I started asking in August which rams I could send. The restrictions on shipping ewes were unfortunately so ridiculous that there was no way I or any other breeder could do it.
I never did get an answer to my request to send a UK-sired ram to Canada, even after asking my federal representative for help. Eventually, we did sort out 11 US-sired rams that could be shipped – 8 ram lambs and 3 adults.
The paperwork was incredible. Things were touch and go until the 14th of December, when we finally had the final US paperwork in hand. This was after faxing a copy for approval, getting verbal approval, sending the real certificate, having it rejected, Fedex-ing a replacement, having to send additional certifications, and so on. And that was just on the US side! The Canadian side also required significant work. Becky Bemus is the Canadian member who did all the paperwork on her end. By this time, the hauler was already committed to the trip. On our end, we had to tattoo all the boys, as well as double tag.
On Sunday, we had to go rescue the hauler, which had a significant mechanical problem about 40 miles from us. We helped arrange for a tow truck for his vehicle, then hauled the trailer, full of livestock, to the mechanic to wait until Monday morning. It took until today for him to get parts. They had to be overnighted from Denver, as there were none in western Colorado. We finally loaded the last of the sheep today, and he left the driveway at 5:15 PM.
While the trip is not yet over, the sheep are on their way to Sweetgrass, MT, where they will be transferred to another trailer. Canadian member Lois Heslop will bring them across the border. We are under a deadline since the sheep still have to clear US customs, a US vet inspection, Canadian customs, and a Canadian vet inspection. All that needs to be done by Friday, or the border shuts down until the 28th of December. I don’t even want to get into the fact that Lois needs a passport, or she won’t be allowed back across the border. Plus, they all need Canadian tags before they travel too far into Canada.
The last documented export of Black Welsh Mountain sheep was Tom Wyman’s flock in 1998 or 1999.
Dr. Sponenberg from ALBC is working with the Canadian breeders who are getting rams from this importation. They’ll be used to develop breeding programs that will help solve their inbreeding problems. If used effectively, they can do so without swamping critical Canadian bloodlines.
I hope to work with Becky, Lois, and all the others involved to write a detailed article for the club newsletter, just in case anyone else wishes to export sheep in the future. For now, though, the sheep are on the way (and out of my hands).
In related efforts, 10 ewes are traveling in the same trailer to flocks in Washington, providing them with new blood from Wye Geights Ysgawn, the ram I got from Tom Wyman.
To top it all off, both Ken and I are sick with the Christmas cold that is going around Paonia. We’re not feeling great after lifting nearly a ton of sheep shoulder-high and into the top deck of a trailer.
But the sheep are shipped, and that’s what matters!