Stay Updated with the ABA
Don't miss Berkshire news sent right to your inbox! Sign up for ABA text messages and emails below.
DNA Policies
The American Berkshire Association assumes no liability for any purchases that are made of Berkshire pigs that have unknown Stress or Napole status of any DNA status that is not permitted for registration. The American Berkshire Association makes no warranty regarding the stress gene, Napole or other DNA status not permitted for registration.
Effective January 1st, 2026 all animals submitted to genomic testing will be required to pass a sex and parentage check along with Stress and Napole gene status. Failure of either sex or Parentage checks will require the breeder to retest the animal. In the case of a boar being tested, litters sired by the boar in question cannot be registered until the animal passes both tests.
ABA has updated the policy on sire DNA requirements for recorded litters, effective Jan. 1, 2019. This change applies primarily to situations where a sire has died or was culled before DNA was collected, but also to instances where the DNA lab is unable to obtain a test result due to poor DNA quality. Since Jan. 1, the following must be met to satisfy the sire DNA requirement in stances where a quality sire DNA sample is not available:
a. A minimum of four (4) pigs from the litter from the dead sire must be DNA banked and tested according to the breed's current DNA requirements. If there are less than five (5) head in the litter, 100 percent of the litter must be tested.
b. OR, if the dam of the dead boar is available, a sample from her may be tested.
Tests cannot be done overnight, so plan accordingly for registrations and show or sale deadlines.
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.
Download guidelines here.
Download guidelines here.
______________________________
ABA Guidelines for boars sold for A.I. collection
a. These are only recommendations and the relationship between the buyer and the seller is the most important part of the whole process.
b. If a boar is determined to have a physical defect (including but not limited to an adhered or tied penis, limp penis, infantile penis, and coiling of the penis in the diverticulum), which would hinder proper delivery of semen, a full refund would be due the buyer. i. The boar must extend his penis without physical manipulation excluding the expression of the sheath fluid.
c. If semen quality of a boar is not up to the suggested performance standards listed below; the seller will be notified of the problem within 60 days of purchase and/or 60 days after the animal reaches 7 months of age, and the semen will be monitored up to 120 days following the date of notification. The seller may have 30 days out of the 120-day period to prove the animal reproductively sound.
d. Using a third party reproductive specialist as a consultant may be needed. This reproductive specialist would be agreed upon by the buyer and the seller. All costs involved with the use of the reproductive specialist would be divided equally between the buyer and the seller. e. If the boar does not satisfactorily meet the suggested performance standards listed below; the seller would refund 100 percent of the purchase price less the dollar value of the semen that has been sold, or an agreed upon settlement with the buyer. i. Suggested Performance Standards 1. 40 billion sperm cells (total) per week by 8 months of age. 2. 60 billion sperm cells (total) per week by 11 months of age. 3. 70 percent viable sperm produced. (This figure is a composite, calculation of motility times (x) normal morphology [normal heads, normal tails and proximal drops]).