Friday, October 24, 2014

I Know What a Spot Test Is, Do You?

In my three years as your Registrar, I am still surprised by the number of members that don't understand what a spot test is or why they are important.

Every 200th registered animal is selected for a spot test. The selection is random; we are unable to force registration numbers so if you are lucky enough to get one every year, my guess is you register a fair number of calves. Secondly, it is the calf that needs to be tested, the registered animal with a registration number ending in 200, 400, 600 etc. The spot test animal is not the dam.

Why do we do spot tests? Well, very simply it is to correct and maintain herd book purity. It is the simplest way to randomly "spot check" our registered cattle.

What do you do if the calf or dam has been sold or is dead?
We can set up an alternate calf for your spot test if the original calf chosen has been sold or died, but you need to contact us to inform us of this. The alternate, same calendar year calf must be one for which you also have access to the dam. We will then set up a new test. You will be charged to set up the calf test and the Association will pay for the dam test.

What is the deadline for completing a spot test?
In the past, we have allowed up to one year for members to complete their spot tests, but I will honestly say that if you haven't completed it within the first 4 months, we know that you tend to forget about it. Starting in 2015, all spot tests for the prior year need to be completed by April 15 of the following year or a hold will put on your account until the spot test is completed. This means that all 2014 spot tests must be completed by April 15, 2015.

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact your registry team.

Posted by Stacy Price
Feedback: sprice@cdnangus.ca