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From the A.M.B.A. President’s Desk
As the effort to preserve and document the genetics of the Meishan breed continues we are constantly adapting to the needs of the breed. And in some cases to the needs of our trademark attorney.
Transferring Ownership of Registered Piglets:
Our current pedigree forms (Which also act as our “Authorization to Transfer Forms”) read as follows at the bottom of the page; “Transfer Application must be submitted within 60 days of initial transfer”.
To properly issue a pedigree with the owners listed, the new owner must be in the member database. Second, because several trademarks are involved, our trademark attorney suggests it makes the appropriate use of trademarked material a more well-defined area if only members are issued A.M.B.A. pedigrees. So, any transfer of a pedigreed A.M.B.A. Certified Meishan Pig is $20 for all member levels if executed within 60 days of transfer. However if the transfer is not executed within 60 days of transfer the registration fee will increase to $75 per pig.
Some of the benefits of the different levels of membership are:
Associate Member:
Certified Breeder Level:
Preserving the breed:
It is the hope that when members do transfer pedigreed stock that they inform their customers of these policies and the cost-effective benefits of membership. Please encourage them to follow through with the transfer process. In a very short time we have already seen the value the marketplace is placing on pure registered vs undocumented or Meishan influenced pigs. More importantly when transfers occur and are not properly documented the genetics of that pig are lost to the breeder database. With the unique history and narrow available genetic base of this breed losing any of the available genetics is a serious blow to the effort to preserve and document the Meishan breed in North America and world-wide.
Caveat Emptor:
Caveat Emptor is Latin for “let the buyer beware”. We feel it is important to point out that any owner/breeder selling what they claim is “A.M.B.A. registered stock” should be able to produce a pedigree both for the pig in question and for the parents (if on site). We have already been inundated with reports ,and have seen ourselves, of inaccurate and in some cases totally false claims of the availability “registered” or “can be “registered” Meishan Pigs. If a pig is registered with the A.M.B.A. the owner should have a pedigree listing them as the owner. If they do not have that document you have no assurance that they have such a pig. While a number of pigs are under consideration for inclusion in the database as “grade” or pure based on the chain of custody method the A.M.B.A.is moving slowly and cautiously on that front due to the levels of misinformation we have encountered. Please check with the A.M.B.A. at info@meishanbreeders.com if you have any questions concerning any individual “Meishan” ,its owner or its status as it relates to the registry. In addition there have been a number of inaccurate claims about the source of undocumented pigs. The most common inaccuracies can be associated with the term “Zoo Stock”. During our national herd survey when this term comes up we ask one simple question. Which zoo did it come from? And to date the responses have ranged from “I don’t know” to referencing a municipal zoo. The issue with the municipal zoo reference is that ,to date, every time we call the zoo referenced they either never had Meishans or if the did never sold them or bred them. Also bloodline claims(Illinois and USDA especially) without documentation are also almost always inaccurate or patently false. If you chose to take these claims , or the claims of an auctioneer at an exotic animal sale barn, as fact you do so at your own risk. If your long-term goal is to breed genetically healthy and pure Meishan stock there is no substitute for an A.M.B.A. pedigree. I often hear the refrain that “paper doesn’t tell me if I have a good pig my eyes do”. And I agree the primary evaluation of any livestock animal is done by looking at the animal and not the pedigree. But the pedigree allows you to make informed breeding decisions so that you can breed more pigs as good or better as the one in front of you.
Now available. Look under “Member Areas” on the home page of our website or CLICK HERE. To go to that link.
There is no charge to register a litter. This information is helpful in 2 ways.
Online Certificate of Registration Request
Now that you’ve decided what you are retaining for your breeding herd and you have sold piglets, you’re ready to register them. Use THIS FORM to do that.
If you’d like to expedite the process, go ahead and pay for your Certificate of Registration in our Online Store HERE. If you are a Lifetime or Certified Member, it’s $10 per piglet. If you are an associate level member, it’s $20 to register a piglet.
New Option to Mail New Certificates
If you’ve sold your pig and the new owner should get the Certificate of Registration, let us know! We’re happy to work with the new owner to complete the transfers internally. The ‘hard card’ or Certificate of Registration will go directly to them, once complete. Our online form will be updated to reflect this option. In the meantime, drop us a note at ambameishan@gmail.com.
In closing these are exciting times for the breed. We’re growing every day!
We hope anyone interested in supporting the effort to preserve this important, unique and endangered breed will consider joining the A.M.B.A. In the mean time remember:
The Jobs Not Over Till The Paperwork’s Done!
Happy Pig Nerding!
Laura Jensen
President
American Meishan Breeders Association
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