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GOD BLESS AMERICA!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 4, 2005

 

For more information contact Carrie Longwood at:

605-342-0429 or carrie.sdsga@midconetwork.com

 

SD Stockgrowers Committee Amends Trich Policy

 

The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association Animal Health Committee met for a second time in three weeks, to revisit the issue of trichomoniasis.

 

According to Committee Chairman Kenny Fox, Belvidere , S.D. , the committee decided to amend their recently adopted policy with one simple but significant change.

 

“In our previous policy, we stated that bulls over 12 months of age should be trich tested prior to sale or importation into the state. We amended that to call for testing on bulls over 16 months of age that are sold or imported into South Dakota . Additionally, bulls less than 16 months need not be tested if the owner can guarantee that the bulls are virgins.”

 

According to Fox, Stockgrower policy would not require bulls under 16 months to be tested, but certainly no rancher is prohibited from testing. “With a disease like trich, you are better safe then sorry,” says Fox. “Some seedstock producers may want to test all of their bulls just to be sure; I would certainly encourage them to do so and would expect that their customers would appreciate it too.”

 

Fox tells ranchers that the Stockgrower policy will be presented to the Animal Industry Board at their upcoming meeting. “This is the policy that the Stockgrowers have agreed to and we will encourage the Animal Industry Board to adopt similar policy.” Fox encourages ranchers to contact the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association with their thoughts and concerns about the disease.

 

Following please find the amended (current) South Dakota Stockgrowers Association policy regarding trich:

 

Definition: “Trich free” shall be defined as no less than three official consecutive negative trich tests. Second, third and any following official trich tests shall be conducted at least seven days but not more than 21 days after any previous official trich test.

 

Be it Resolved: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association Animal Health Committee strongly supports a statewide rule requiring that all bulls of breeding age sold for breeding purposes and/or imported into South Dakota from outside the state borders shall be certified “trich free” no more than 30 days prior to sale or importation.

 

Exceptions to the rule are:

 

1.   bulls guaranteed to be 16  months of age or younger and virgin,

accompanied by a signed affidavit as verification,

2.   transient rodeo or exhibition (show) bulls, which shall have no sexual

contact with a female bovine and are held in a secure facility to prevent such contact (does not include pasture) while in South Dakota ,

3.   bulls consigned directly to slaughter,

4.   bulls consigned to a feedlot for feeding purposes where they will be

isolated from all females. Bulls moved from a feedlot must be certified trich free unless consigned directly to slaughter. Any positive trich bull quarantined in a feedlot shall go directly to slaughter from such feedlot.

 

Fox urges any ranchers with questions or concerns to contact the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association. Additionally, individuals can express their opinions to the state Animal Industry Board at regular meetings.

 

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