Highlands & Islands Sheep Health Association (HISHA)

About Highlands and Islands Sheep Health Association

This farmer-led organisation was established in 1988 to maintain the high health status of breeding and hill sheep flocks within the Highlands and Islands of Scotland by keeping Enzootic Abortion of Ewes (EAE) out of the area. The result hardy, healthy EAE Accredited breeding sheep are available to producers throughout the country.

Highlands and Islands Sheep Health Association (HISHA) flocks are monitored by SRUC Veterinary Services and only attain EAE Accredited status after having been tested and found to be free of the disease for a minimum of 2 years. The use of EAE Vaccines is not permitted and any abortions are investigated.

HISHA board members

Kenneth Matheson, Milton of Aberarder, Strathnairn, by Dores, Inverness - Chairman
John Sutherland, Keoldale Farm, Durness, Sutherland, Vice Chairman

Board members

John MacDonald, Croft No 3, Tarskavaig, Isle of Skye
Roderick Macleod, Tiandra, Blarmhor, Banavie, Ft. William
Steven Metcalf, Work Farm, St Ola, Orkney
Donald Grant, Slattadale, Loch Maree, by Achnasheen
Kenneth Fraser, Gorthleck/Farraline, Gorthleck, Inverness
A Slimon, Breakachy, Laggan, Newtonmore, Inverness
S Ross, The Arr, Lethen, Nairn

Breeds available in HISHA

The breeds of HISHA sheep include:

Scottish Blackface
North Country Cheviot
Highland Mule
Scotch Halfbred
Shetland Cheviot
Texel and crosses such as Cheviot Mules, Texel crosses and Suffolk Crosses

Download HISHA breeds list

Abortion storms and lamb loss

EAE can cause abortion storms and lamb loss leading to huge economic loss. Unfortunately, it is a difficult disease to control for the following reasons:

Infected ewes show no signs of ill health so you could be buying in disease without realising. Animals that have been infected in one lambing season can abort on your farm in the following spring. It won’t be until lambing time when it’s too late that your ewes will either abort 2 or 3 weeks before lambing is due to start or give birth to weak non-viable lambs.

Once EAE infection is established within a flock it is persistent and difficult to eradicate. Following an abortion, ewes will lamb normally in subsequent years. However, these ewes are disease carriers and may infect their own lambs and any other sheep that they are in contact with.

Chlamydia abortus (the bacteria that causes EAE) is a zoonotic disease and can infect the human placenta resulting in abortion, stillbirth and serious maternal illness.

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

: One of the main ways to introduce EAE infection is buying in infected replacements. For this reason HISHA members screen their flocks annually for EAE in order to supply the market with breeding animals sold with high health status. Animals are tested within three months after lambing and members follow strict rules on testing and biosecurity. Purchasing these quality disease free stock reduces the risk of buying in disease.
: If you already have EAE in your flock purchasing EAE Accredited replacements and vaccinating them prior to mixing with your resident flock has the advantage of imparting immunity to the disease in these bought in sheep. Vaccinating infected sheep is less effective and some sheep will still abort whilst others may still transmit infection.
If you wish to control the disease in your flock then by implementing a vaccination programme and buying in only EAE Accredited replacements is an effective solution.

Buying EAE accredited stock and vaccinating them makes financial sense as it has been estimated that each abortion will cost from around £95 per ewe.

Where to source HISHA stock

Buying in infected sheep is the most common cause of introducing Enzootic Abortion of Ewes (EAE) into a flock. Our members flocks are monitored and tested under the Highlands and Islands Sheep Health Scheme to ensure they are free from EAE. For added assurance HISHA ewes, lambs and gimmers are also accompanied by a Health Status Report issue by SRUC Veterinary Services which officially confirms their EAE Accredited or Supervised status.

Up-to-date Heath Status Reports bearing the current year should accompany any HISHA EAE Accredited sheep you buy.

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HISHA EAE Accredited sales

HISHA EAE Accredited sales are held in the Autumn at the following marts – Dingwall, Aberdeen and Northern Marts, Kingussie and United Auctions. Contact the marts directly for sale dates and stock available for sale.

Information for HISHA members

HISHA members follow the sames rules as the EAE Accreditation Scheme.

Annual flock test

Blood samples will be collected by your veterinary surgeon. Please note that testing may be disrupted this year due to the Coronavirus. Regular updates of any changes to our services are available here.

Number to test

Please refer to the rules for further information.

A proportion of the ewes will be blood tested annually within 3 months after lambing. Only females that have bred should be tested.

The number of ewes tested will depend on the status of the flock.

Gimmering Scheme

If EAE Accredited ewe lambs are purchased with the intention of selling them the following year as EAE Accredited gimmers then an application should be made to join the Gimmering Scheme otherwise sheep will lose their EAE Accredited Status.

Contact

Address: SRUC Veterinary Services, Creycrook, St Boswells, Roxburghshire, TD6 0EQ
Telephone: 01835 822456

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