Membership Policies

ABA MEMBER CONDUCT POLICY

ABA expects all members to maintain a level of personal conduct that will not reflect negatively on themselves or the association. ABA expects all of its members to be courteous at all times and to convey a friendly, approachable image to ABA employees. Members exhibiting boisterous or disruptive activity, swearing, using insulting or abusive language, derogatory remarks of any kind including statements of a sexual or racial nature, fighting, threat of harm and/or physical intimidation and other acts of unprofessional behavior are strictly forbidden in all ABA work-related situations and ABA sponsored events. Failure to comply with this policy will result in disciplinary action, up to and including suspension and/or expulsion.

Approved by the ABA Board of Directors on 8/24/21

Buyers breeding animals (boars and gilts) buy them to be breed­ers. Many factors may affect an animal’s breeding capabilities. Many of these are not visible at the time of purchase. Some problems may be the result of management before the sale. Some the result of handling and management by the buyer after the purchase. Some may be hereditary. Because of this, adjustments need to be a sharing of responsibilities. All adjustments are a matter between buyer and seller.

The National Association of Swine Records or individual registries as­sume no responsibilities for enforcement of these recommendations.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of SWINE RECORDS CODE OF FAIR PRACTICE AND WARRANTY GUIDELINES UPDATED MAY 2007

 A code of ethics prepared for any swine breed association sponsored sale is intended to guide its members and associates in fair dealings. The recommendations set forth in these guidelines are solely intended for swine sold within the continental bounds of the United States of America. All purebred breeders should develop an understanding and appreciation not only for the opportunities and benefits of fair practice, but also of their obligation to it. The effectiveness of purebred swine organizations is dependent upon cooperative relationships. Individual animals are quite variable products of the livestock industry. Their success is largely based upon successful reproduction. Therefore, breeding guarantees fall largely up the seller, but it is expected that the purchaser also abide by fair practices by providing the animal good care and management.

SUGGESTED BOAR AND OPEN GILT WARRANTY ADJUSTMENT

(These are suggestions recommended by the National Association of Swine Records. Other adjustments may be made if satisfactory to both the buyer and seller). 1. The seller must transfer all purebred, registered hogs to the buyer on the registration certificate with the seller incurring all costs. 2. All animals over five (5) months of age (not used for breeding under seven (7) months of age), sold as breeding animals for breeding purposes are sold with a warranty that they are capable of breeding and will breed. Animals purchased at less than five (5) months of age and used for breeding at less than seven (7) months of age are not warranted. 3. If and when any said animal does prove to be a non-breeder then an adjustment should be made as follows: a. The buyer in writing must make breeding problem notification to the seller, and a copy of the letter must be sent to the respective breed association. b. If the seller want to check a problem breeding animal the seller and the buyer should be willing to transport the animal at least one-half the distance between the buyer’s farm and the seller’s farm. c. The seller reserves the right of a trial period of breeding a problem animal. Animal must be returned in a healthy and vigorous condition or this warranty is null and void. Seller must notify the buyer of the results of this inspection of problem within thirty (30) days of animal being returned to seller. d. Seller will refund 100% of the cash purchase price, replace the non-breeding animal or give the buyer credit to be used at a future time. e. The pedigree of a non-breeding animal will be deleted from the breed association’s registration files and no pedigrees will be issued on the offspring of a non-breeding animal when 100% cash refund has been made. f. In the event the seller declares an animal a breeder and the buyer disagrees, then the buyer must file a written grievance to the respective breed association. The breed association’s appointed grievance committee will make the final decision of animal in question. The grievance committee should be used only as a last resort to reach settlement. BOARS 1. A breeding boar is one that will breed naturally and settle females of comparable size without assistance or mount a dummy and produce viable semen. If a boar does not do this, then an adjustment should be made according to suggested warranty adjustments outlined in these guidelines. Boar must also be free of physical defects. 2. Buyer must initially notify the seller of breeding problem within ninety (90) days after an animal is seven (7) months old, or within ninety (90) days after purchase of the animal, if animal is seven (7) months or older at time of purchase. 3. If buyer is unsatisfied with the percent of sows settled or the total sperm cells per ejaculate by a given boar during the boar’s first breeding season, and the buyer and seller cannot agree on satisfactory adjustment, then the buyer should file a written grievance with the respective breed association. The grievance committee will make the final settlement recommendation.

OPEN FEMALES

1. A non-breeding female is a gilt that fails to come into heat or which fails to settle within three (3) services (over three (3) heat periods). If a female is a non-breeding animal, then an adjustment should be made according to suggested warranty adjustments outline in these guidelines. 2. The seller shall have the right to defer adjustment on any open gilt for forty-five (45) days pending evidence that said gilt is not with pig. Should the gilt prove to be safely settled, she shall be returned to the purchaser at the purchaser’s expense. The buyer or seller shall make no charge for feed or maintenance. 3. All adjustments that are unsatisfactory should be referred to the grievance committee. Again, this action should be used only as a last resort.

BRED FEMALES

1. All bred females are guaranteed to the specified boar at the specified date of breeding service. All farrowing dates shall be calculated at one hundred fourteen (114) days from the date of breeding service, but it is accepted by both buyer and seller that a sow may farrow as much as eight (8) days before or eight (8) days after that one hundred fourteen (114) day period. No guarantee is made as to the number of pigs a bred sow will farrow or raise. A bred sow conclusively showing to be safely settled at time of sale is eligible only for incorrect breeding date or incorrect sire. 16/24 2. If buyer and seller can’t agree on satisfactory adjustment, then buyer should file a grievance with the respective breed association, and the association’s grievance committee will make the final adjustment recommendation. This action should be used only as a last resort. HANDLING

THE BOAR

 1. Keep boar in isolation from other hogs for thirty (30) days and use state approved retesting procedures before introduction into breeding herd. 2. Don’t use a young boar until seven months or more of age. 3. Give a boar fence line contact with females prior to use. 4. Hand mate one (1) to three (3) gilts in standing heat to start boar. 5. Keep boars cool in warm weather and warm in cold weather. 6. When pen mating, allow one young boar to 10 to 12 gilts 7. Use good herd management practices in regard to internal and external parasites. 8. Do not let young boars run with older sows.

HANDLING GILTS BEFORE BREEDING

1. Keep gilt in isolation from other hogs for thirty (30) days and use state approved retesting procedures before introduction into breeding herd. 2. Don’t breed gilt until she is at least seven (7) months old. 3. Expose gilts to boar by fence line contact. 4. Feed added energy to gilts prior to and immediately after breeding. 5. Don’t let young gilts run with older sows.

HANDLING BRED GILTS OR SOWS

1. Keep gilt or sow in isolation from other hogs for thirty (30) days and use state approved retesting procedures before introduction into breeding herd. 2. Transport or move bred females with caution. 3. Don’t let purchased bred females run with home-raised females

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