Herdwick Sheep Breeders' Association of North America, Inc.

15/09/2026

Hello folks! I am reaching out to anyone who has been having laparoscopic artificial insemination done with your ewes to ask if you could share with us the name and contact of the veterinarian used. We are working on creating a resource for our Herdwick breeders that will be added to our website. If you have any questions please contact us!

Thank you!

Pic for a pic, as these old photos are so neat.

10/09/2026

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

It has been brought to our attention that the first purebred Herdwick sheep may likely have arrived in the United States as early as the 1980's!

At that time, being prior to the Foot and Mouth outbreak of 2001, live animals could still be imported, so it is very much a possibility.

HSBANA staff is looking into this matter carefully, and will update data accordingly.

If you or someone you know has information regarding this possible event, please reach out by DM. Thank you!

(Pic for further interest).

13/08/2026

Attention fellow shepherds...

13/08/2026

A Note from American Sheep Industry’s Animal Health Committee Co-Chairs:

As sheep producers, we are responsible for officially identifying cull ewes and rams, breeding stock of all ages being sold, sheep going to shows, and, in some states, lambs sold through auction markets. Requirements vary depending on the animal and state regulations, but official identification remains an important part of protecting our industry’s markets. This requirement has been in place since 2001, when the National Scrapie Eradication Program was launched. Although most of the industry follows these regulations, there is still room to improve compliance. Recent events highlight why official ID is so important.

With New World Screwworm (NWS) detections affecting animal movement, states without NWS cases are requiring and inspecting official identification on sheep moving from affected states. These states are working to protect their livestock industries by verifying where incoming animals originate. In addition, the recent detection of scrapie in ewe at a slaughter facility in Oregon through routine slaughter surveillance is a reminder that disease traceability is essential. Official USDA-approved ear tags are available in several types, and the costs are quite reasonable.

Tags can be applied at any point in an animal’s life. Some operations find it easiest to tag lambs at birth and use those tags for management purposes, while others tag sheep in chutes or trailers as animals leave the ranch of origin. Sheep may also be tagged at auction markets. Official identification, along with producer and sale records, help keep market channels open for our industry giving animal health officials the ability to respond quickly when disease is detected while minimizing disruptions to producers. We should be proud of these efforts because they have helped protect our industry and will continue to do so in the future.

Learn more about ASI Scrapie resources here. >>https://champ.ly/tKcfEYx8

10/08/2026

Another beautiful, true to breed standards ram.

Another gorgeous UK ram! Congratulations to the shepherds.

Follow us for more info on imports of frozen semen from REGISTERED Herdwick Rams, and embryos. Reach out if you are interested in signing up to receive genetics in our next import.

07/08/2026

The first case of Scrapie in the five years since the disease was essentially eradicated from the U.S.

Helder Herdwyck Farm, The American Herdwick Sheep, and Rolleston Veterinary Services are working hard to ensure only USDA/APHIS approved, quality HSBA REGISTERED Herdwick rams and HSBA Inspected Herdwick ewes will be utilized for frozen genetics imports.

New to sheep in general? Because the generic sheep in this particular case did not have an ear tag, its place of birth - which apparently houses Scrapie in the soil, is not readily known.

Please ensure you are utilizing USDA certified Scrapie eartags on any animals leaving your property. Contact your veterinarian for more information on scrapie ear tag necessity.

A scrapie case has surfaced in an Oregon sheep at slaughter. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and Oregon animal health officials are conducting an epidemiological investigation to determine the flock of origin.

04/07/2026

Happy Independence Day, USA

21/04/2026

It is with disappointment that I find myself needing to post about this unfortunate situation, but I am hopeful doing so will enlighten followers and will stop this person's antics.

It has been brought to my attention more than once now that there is a conflict of interest that has arisen with a U.S. breeder who is sharing false and/or misleading information to individuals interested in Herdwick sheep, or potential or existing Herdwick breeders, for their own personal gain.

How? This person has been stating that their own sheep they are marketing "introduce a new set of genetics" to the U.S. This implies their sheep are somehow 100% different than the genetics previously imported in 2022, which is primarily false. Their claims are misleading, especially to those new to breed up programs, at best.

What makes the situation sadder is something it appears this person does NOT share though, which is that the animals they are marketing were actually sired primarily by the SAME rams whose semen was imported in 2022. Essentially this person's sheep have actually bottlenecked the long awaited genetic pool we had finally just gained, instead of an actual “new set" of genetics. Resulting lambs introduce new ewe genetics whether it is from the imported straws or this person’s rams.

Given history, this is actually the fourth strike by this same individual against the Herdwick breeding program, in attempt of their personal gain, at least that I am or have been made aware of.

Otherwise, there are currently still available purebred Herdwick frozen semen that was imported in 2022 for the purpose of increasing the Herdwick genetics percentage for American flocks and to use to start new breed up flocks. Contact Helder Herdwyck Farm, The American Herdwick Sheep. They have some available at a highly reasonable price - including from the ram who was sold out in 2022. And, they are working on another import, but this time coordinating with farms directly, and are working with new collection and import entities who are supportive and very professional. For the next import, there are no minimum orders per person/farm, but we do need combined orders with paid deposits to proceed. All info is available at HHF's site.

AND - Stay tuned for some great updates with HSBANA!

11/04/2026

The Cumberland Show, of course by popular demand, the Herdwick are back.

Per a recent conversation, pictured are examples of natural horn variation in Herdwick rams. Also, prime specimens of proper body type.