Disease Restrictions Mean Isle of Man Couple Shop Early
7th August 2019
Sourcing new Charollais bloodlines at the NSA Wales & Border Early Ram Sale were George and Gill Moore. They made the 48 hour round trip to the Royal Welsh Showground from the Isle of Man. It involved catching the early ferry on the Sunday morning for the two and a half hour crossing and then travelling down from Liverpool. The couple stayed overnight in Builth Wells, before an early start on Monday to appraise the available tups.
George explained that they had to buy at the early sale in order to have the new tups ready to work in the Autumn. Disease restrictions mean there is a six week lead in before the rams can be used. He said:”We have to buy them early or we can’t get them home for the mainland in time to tup in September. “They’ll have a 3 week standstill in Lancashire at a special isolation unit. Then they will be vetted within 24 hours of moving on. And when we get them home they’ll be in quarantine for 3 weeks.”
George and Gill accept that the restrictions have a positive effect in protecting the island’s livestock. The irony is that stock can be brought straight in from Ireland, but the couple particularly wanted to buy from the Welsh sale.
