Sheep Industry News April 2025

Barbados Blackbelly Awarded Livestock Conservancy Grant

T he Barbados Blackbelly Sheep Association Internation al formed a Genetics Committee in 2024 to undertake a project to increase understanding about its two breeds – the Barbados Blackbelly and American Blackbelly. Funded in part by The Livestock Conservancy’s Microgrant Program, the project is moving forward. BBSAI hopes the genetics project will help answer some of the following ques tions: 1. Do Barbados Blackbelly and

frame this project. The two organizations hope to continue their recent cooperation in the future. BBSAI members from the United States and Canada – rep resenting both BBs and ABs – have nominated sheep for the study. BBSAI also plans to include DNA samples from the BB research flock at Virginia State University, as well as Barbados and Mexico. The association is working with BB breeders in those nations in this truly international effort. Study samples will be sent to AGResearch Ge

American Blackbelly sheep have a unique genetic identity distinguishable from other sheep breeds using a DNA sample? 2. Can we distin guish between ABs and BBs using DNA testing? 3. What is the ex tent of the inbreed ing in both breeds? 4. Could we use DNA testing to

nomNZ in New Zea land using the sheep genome mid-density 60K SNP assay that they developed. Brenda Murdoch, Ph.D., with the Uni versity of Idaho and Phil Sponenberg, Ph.D., of Virginia Tech (emeritus) have generously offered to provide statistical analysis and guid ance for the project. The project is volunteer run and funded with BBSAI’s

support the admis sion of unregistered AB and BB sheep to BBSAI's Registry? 5. What is the incidence of DNA markers for heritable traits, such as disease presence/resistance genes and various congenital syndromes? Examples: twinning and muscling traits; susceptibility or resistance to scrapie and OPP; spider lamb syndrome, etc. The Caribbean hair sheep breeds – the St. Croix and the Barbados Blackbelly – are well known for their hardiness, parasite resistance and prolificacy. In the past year, BBSAI met with the leaders of the Barbados Blackbelly sister breed, the St. Croix Hair Sheep Breeders Genetics Project, which completed its landmark genome study last year. The group graciously shared its knowledge and experience with BBSAI and helped

own financial resources. The association applied for The Live stock Conservancy Microgrant as Barbados Blackbelly sheep are on TLC’s Priority Breed List. The grant will underwrite the costs of testing 50 Barbados Blackbelly sheep. BBSAI is fully committed to fund the same for American Blackbelly sheep. If fact, the association hopes to be able to obtain as many samples as possible to strengthen the project’s results. BBSAI is thankful for TLC’s generosity, and to all who have contributed their time and effort to the project. The BBSAI Genetics Project committee includes John Carlton, Pam Hand, Zeb Akers, Bru Katzenbach, Joan Eubank, Stephanie Thomp son and Bonny McKay.

24 • Sheep Industry News • sheepusa.org