Frequently Asked Questions
On Forms and Fees, and where to find information.
All forms for the Registry KSAR are under the Registry tab. Fees are listed in document 5 Work Order/Fees. They are briefly listed here:
Registration, with Application @ 5.00
Registration, Photos Only @ 10.00
No History Application @ 10.00
Transfer, per certificate @ 3.00
Duplicate Registration, per certificate @ 3.00
Pedigree, if available 3-generation @ 5.00 5 generation @ 10.00
Rush Fee – 1 week or less – Any service, per certificate @ 5.00
Priority Mail, USPS (2-4 days in route) @10.00 (old work orders still state $8)
Highly recommended for TRACKING
A Priority envelope is usually used when mailing 4+ certificates
There are no membership fees to join the Alliance in order to register sheep, not for the past eight years. But soon there will be to help the Alliance grow.
For payments and donations we take checks made out to Karakul Shepherds Alliance or KSAR, sent to KSAR, PO Box 1200, Colville WA 99114. We also take PayPal at the same name with the email: info@karakulshepherds.org. PayPal is an additional $2.00 fee per transaction over $50, $4.00 fee over $100. Thanks!
Are you seeking information on Karakul sheep? The breakdown of pages:
Articles – recent and worldwide
History – pioneer shepherds & the search for US & Canadian Karakul artifacts
Historical News – short-stories of the past
Karakul sheep – basic and scholarly papers
News – quick updates, Karakul sheep & shepherd’s news
Why did The Alliance conduct a Karakul census in 2017? We worked with the Livestock Conservancy to get a more accurate Karakul population count. We did not believe annual lamb registrations were a realistic summary of Karakul sheep numbers in the US. Many of us know at least one breeder, usually more, who has not registered lamb crops in several years, for a variety of reasons. We counted many flocks, small and large, registered and unregistered. This gave us a closer approximation of the total American Karakul sheep population. Under the Census page check out Census Results: the 2-page Census Data or the full 6-page Census Report. Although the results exceeded our expectations, we are still looking for ‘lost’ Karakul flocks. We found a few more soon after the census closed Spring 2018. If you are a Karakul shepherd reading this for the first time and would like to share your story and bloodlines, please go to the Flock Finder page and tell us a little bit about you and your sheep. Thanks!
Tell me more about The Alliance’s registrations. Our Registry’s abbreviation is KSAR. In order to register sheep from isolated flocks we need to know the history of acquisitions, where the original sheep came from in order to track Karakul bloodlines. After that, we look for identifying information on a sheep presented for registration. Advisors are aware each individual Karakul can be so unique with numerous characteristics to identify, we focus on FOUR—abbreviated C-THE, Color, Tail, Horns, Ears. The Alliance is preparing for the first-ever database for American Karakuls! We have tried to keep the registration process simple while cataloging the characteristics that make an individual Karakul distinctive, with data we can use in the future. KSAR highly encourages lamb birth coat identifiers be recorded on the application. Spring 2020 we instituted a Letter-Rating for Lamb Birth Coats to maintain the best Persian lamb genetics.
Here are 2 KSAR certificate examples:
2022 & 2023 certificates focus on C-THE identifiers – Color, Tail, Horns, Ears, with space for 4 transfers. They have more detailed Bloodline calculations and a 3-generation pedigree on the reverse. Pedigrees of ancestors must be available for the most accurate Bloodlines calculations.
Are there still two registries issuing certificates for Karakul sheep in the US?
Unfortunately yes.
The Alliance came together to find the Karakul flocks since the subsequent AKSR Registrar closed the flock book, soon after the Registry was purchased from Julia DeVlieg in late 1999. In 2005 three passionate Karakul breeders—Julia DeVlieg, Washington, Joe Schukar, Nebraska, and Deborah Hunter, Washington started brainstorming about a solution for the ‘left out’ flocks. After one start in 2007 (domain names purchased but no work completed) we launched the Karakul Shepherds Alliance website-blog in 2014, along with Letty Klein, Michigan who had joined us. We knew we would need to offer registry services.
After Registry forms were designed, then re-designed in June 2016 Deborah Hunter has been issuing registration certificates for the Karakul Shepherds Alliance Registry, now called KSAR for short. The state of Washington has licensed Karakul Shepherds Alliance as a sole proprietorship business. The Alliance will always have a team of specialized Advisors to assist with registration evaluations, drafting and editing of printed materials, research, and advice on all things related to Karakul sheep. There are no salaries for Alliance Advisors and no hierarchical, ordered positions.
Two registries cannot be good for US Karakul sheep. Are there any plans to bring everyone together? We are hopeful. We will continue to advance the coming together of US Karakul registries under one umbrella, while working with the Livestock Conservancy for guidance.
What makes The Alliance different from the other Karakul registry? We are interested in ALL Karakul flocks in North America, not just show sheep from already registered parents. We have an Open flock book because we have a special concern for flocks which have been isolated for several years without additional bloodlines. Alliance Advisors have the experience, knowledge, and sensitivities to evaluate Karakul sheep for entry into KSAR. Check out Traditional Flocks or our Registry Policy. At the same time we would like to get in touch with shepherds of Karakul flocks who have not registered their sheep for a number of years—to reconnect, get a Karakul count, exchange information, and offer a Registry service, should they have a need or desire for certificates. At this time, there are no membership fees as our primary goal is to FIND Karakul flocks and for shepherds to find each other.
Why is The Alliance interested in these isolated flocks? The possibilities of finding ‘new bloodlines’ makes these isolated flocks especially interesting, but also because it brings shepherds into the fold. That’s how it was with the AKSR (American Karakul Sheep Registry) before 2000; it was started by Julia DeVlieg in 1985. She found several breeders had isolated flocks and very few of them knew more than two other shepherds who had Karakuls. Most of these isolated flocks were beautiful Karakul sheep, line-bred for generations.
Why do you ask about other sheep breeds and crossbreeding on the Farm & Flock Finder and the Karakul Census? Because The Alliance has an Open Registry and we are evaluating non-registered Karakuls for entry into our flock book, we need to do the best job we can to make sure they are as pure-blooded as possible. Karakuls are a very distinctive sheep breed and many of their characteristics dominate genetically. However, when outcrossed with another breed the Central Asian fat-tail and lamb birth coat disappear for a generation or two. This is part of the evaluation process that Alliance Advisors will undertake when evaluating new sheep from unregistered or isolated flocks for possible entry into the KSAR flock book. We took the advice from the Livestock Conservancy – We would like to know if there is another breed of sheep on the farm.
Is there a membership fee to join The Alliance? No. At the present time we do not see the need for monetary fees to join our group of breeders. In lieu of a membership fee we are asking for a little information on your flock and farm. If you would like to be part of the Karakul Shepherds Alliance, we hope you will provide this information via the Farm & Flock Finder form or online at Flock Finder. At the bottom a question asks if you would like your farm contact information listed on the Alliance Breeders page. Answering Yes will give your farm or ranch free advertising on our Website. You do not need to register individual sheep to have your flock listed. We sure appreciate donations → (see side bar at top) to the Karakul Shepherds Alliance, which will be put towards website costs, programming the database, and advertising in sheep and agriculture publications.
Please spread the word. Tell every Karakul breeder you know about the Alliance and ask them to join us at the Flock Finder and tell us their history with American and Canadian Karakul sheep. Thank you!
Advisors are interested in comments, suggestions, and ideas you have regarding the Alliance. Please connect with us via a Blog post or email in private: info@karakulshepherds.org Thank you.
Page last updated January 2023
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