[Cazzie]

The Ouessant Society of Great Britain had their AGM recently and it has been decided to allow any unregistered Ouessant sheep currently in the U.K. to be accepted onto the Ouessant Society of Great Britain, registry subject to passing a veterinary and phenotypic examination. 
Any animal that enters the Society’s registry through the Amnesty Scheme will carry the history of the route through which it attained registration - this will not dilute the integrity of the animals already on the Society’s registry.
Anyone intending to register their Ouessants must be paid up members; membership currently is £30 per annum and due on 1st January 2013 and every January thereafter.
The Society is currently putting together a simple form to be filled in by your own veterinarian, and will be available on request.
We hope that all of our members new and old will recognize the unique opportunity available to them and participate in the programme, we also hope that as a member and supporter of the Society and the Ouessant breed you will understand the reasons for an amnesty as well as the benefits to the membership, the Society and most importantly ‘The Ouessant Sheep’
PLEASE NOTE - ELIGIBILITY FOR REGISTRATION UNDER THE AMNESTY WILL RUN UNTIL MAY 1ST 2013. ANY APPLICATIONS AFTER THIS DATE WILL BE REJECTED.  THIS AMNESTY WILL NOT BE REPEATED.
 

[kanisha]

Nice one  I know a number of Ouessants have been imported directly from France who haven't been previously accepted onto the UK register including a GEMO national champion. This is in part due to the system here of breed confirmation which takes place at adulthood ( when fully grown to ensure they don't exceed the height requirement) . Am I to assume that the ammnesty will be only for adult sheep? How would yearlings be assessed?

[woollyval]

Yes!!! Good is it not!!! Means all my lot will be legal !!! Actually can you confirm Kanisha whether adults are only measured at the National show or if GEMO measure adults at other times? Is it up tp keepers to measure their adult stock and what hapens if ram lambs are used for breeding before attaining their adult height?

[kanisha]

Hi Val, the differences that exist between the breed socieities can be sumarised as such.

France all are measured at the shows yearlings and adults ONLY those adults that meet the height standard  plus everything else can attain confirmation of breed and therefore registration. This is the same for dogs and here even if an animal is born to registered parents it cannot be sold as LOF ( Livre origin français which is like KC reg)  until it has passed its confirmation exam. Registration only takes place for animals that conform. There is no incentive to use rams whose heights are likely to be over ( as determined by parentage) as this is likely to result in unregistrable offspring.

Holland only measures adults at the shows or breeder meetings youngsters are measured by their owners and their height declared at the show however there is automatic registration for all offspring so unlesss they are examined for studbook entry all and sundry are registered.

Belgium I'm not sure if they measure adults and youngsters at shows but only offspring of rams that have met the adult height requirement can be registered. This requires breeders to wait until the ram has reached adult height prior to registration of offspring.

If there is a current amnesty open to register unregistered Ouessants in the UK  I can see no benefit to the breed in registering animals that don't conform to the standard particularly if after that there is no further control to ensure that they are breeding to the standard.

 Is there going to be a provisional registration for offspring to ensure they conform?