Effective January 1, 2025:

All sires used to register Berkshire litters must be DNA banked and tested for the stress (HAL-1843) and Redement Napole (RN) genes. The sire’s stress and Redement Napole results must be negative for litter registrations, however if the status of the boar is a negative mating and the boar does not test negative, we will follow the Standard Procedures for DNA Testing and Report of Results.

Effective January 1, 2022, all sires used to register Berkshire litters need to be DNA banked and tested for the stress (HAL-1843) and Redement Napole (RN) genes. The RN test results can be negative, carrier, or positive for recording purposes.

The Redement Napole gene has been found to lower ultimate pH and water holding capacity in pork. The Berkshire breed has been the staple of pork quality for over a century and the ABA believes requiring sires to have a known RN status provides additional value when making breeding and purchasing decisions. 

This policy does not affect any boars that have already been RN tested. If you have a boar that has already been DNA banked with a known stress status and has already sired registered litters in the past, you will still need to have those boars RN tested effective January 1, 2022. It is the responsibility of the owner to ensure their boar is RN tested. The cost of the RN test alone is $28 and the cost for both HAL-1843 and RN together is $53. The ABA office staff is available to assist you as we work toward continued breed improvement and education. 

Effective January 1, 2012, the ABA requires all sires used to register Berkshire litters be stress tested (in addition to being DNA banked). The stress results can be negative, carrier or positive for recording purposes, however if the pedigree says the boar is a negative mating and the boar does not test negative, we will follow the Standard Procedures for DNA Testing and Report of Results (found later in this handbook).

Effective January 1, 2005, the ABA requires all sires used to register Berkshire litters have a DNA sample on file at the office before the litter will be recorded. The steps to fulfill this requirement are: 1. Order a blotter card (for each boar you use) from the ABA office (you cannot use a Genalysis card for this requirement). The cost is $5/card. 2. Follow the directions that come with the card. This involves pricking the boar’s ear, putting a few drops of blood in each circle on the card, allow card to dry completely and mail to the ABA office. A sire only needs to have one sample on file, no matter how many litters he sires or who uses the boar.  If you artificially inseminate, make sure the person/firm you purchase semen from has sent a blood sample to the ABA office. Testing may be done on these samples at the time they are sent in or later. If you are a certified herd for the 100% Pure Berkshire meat program, you already meet this qualification. When you send a blood sample on a herd boar to the office to be tested for the stress and Napole genes, the card is returned to the office to be put on file.

All DNA samples will remain property of the ABA and will be stored at the national office. Genetic tests may be required as the Executive Committee or Board of Directors determines, including, but not limited to parentage verification. If there is justifiable cause to question the parentage of a pig, the Executive Committee and/or Board of Directors may require the pig, sire and dam’s sire to be genetically tested, the expenses of which shall be allocated as the Committee/Board determines. The results of this test, together with other available information, may be taken into consideration by the Committee/Board in its determination of the pig’s parentage as recognized by the ABA. Such genetic testing shall be done by an organization approved by the ABA. Effective January 1, 2005 no litters will be recorded if a DNA sample is not available from the sire. The ABA Board encourages breeders to test all sires for the stress gene to verify the stress status.