Growing the U.S. Sheep Flock

The U.S. sheep industry is finding itself amidst an encouraging time: lamb prices are at an all-time high, the wool market is the highest it’s been since 1989 and the cull ewe and pelt markets are very lucrative.

However, from the farm gate through to the lamb and wool processing level, there is a shared concern about meeting the demand for lamb and wool production in the United States. Lamb processors, from the commercial market channel to the rapidly growing non-traditional markets, are clamoring for a greater supply of lamb.

The American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) is calling on sheep producers, both large and small, from east to west, to help accomplish the goal of growing our flock. ASI has come up with a formula to address these shortages within just a few years, it’s called Let’s Grow with two PLUS.

With three goals in mind, the primary objective of this campaign is to encourage current producers to expand their sheep numbers by 2014.

1. Encourage producers to increase the size of their operation by two ewes per operation or by two ewes per 100 by 2014.
2. Encourage sheep producers to increase the average birthrate per ewe to two lambs per year.
   
3. Encourage producers to increase the harvested lamb crop by 2 percent – from 108 percent to 110 percent.

ASI has developed a web site (www.growourflock.org) and materials to help spread the word of the initiative.

New Interactive Lamb Dashboard

The U.S. Department of Agriculture released a new interactive dashboard which allow users to view data for slaughter lamb markets in an easy-to-use, customizable way.

Dashboards provide users with quick, easy access to volume and price information that can be customized and downloaded.

Dashboards are user-friendly visualization tools that bring market data to life and complement the existing data available through the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Market News site.

Modeled after the Cattle Dashboard, the new Lamb Dashboard includes the same types of interactive features for querying and viewing slaughter lamb market information, such as navigation tabs, maps, slide bars, drop down menus, graphs, tables, daily market tickers and download capabilities. For example, users can opt to view data on a national basis, or sort by regions.

To check out the Lamb Dashboard, visit the AMS Market News site at http://marketnews.usda.gov/portal/lg. A users' guide is also available that provides a feature-by-feature overview of the dashboard.

http://mpr.datamart.ams.usda.gov/amsdashboard/lamb/Lamb_Dashboard.html

Editor's note: It is not known if a similar dashboard will be developed for goat prices. The goat market is a much harder market to quantify, since it is composed of mostly non-traditional markets that USDA has never been good at tracking.

Largest buck test ever

Ninety-one (91) bucklings from twenty-three (23) consigners representing eleven states were delivered to the Western Maryland Research & Education Center in Keedysville, MD on June 1-4. Eighty (80) of the goats will participate in the annual pasture performance test. Consigners provided an additional eleven (11) goats for pen-feeding and carcass comparison.

Sixth annual test
This is the sixth year of the Western Maryland Pasture-Based Meat Goat Performance Test and the most bucks ever consigned. While on test, the bucks will consume a pasture-only diet.

Supplemental feed, in the form of hay or nutritional tubs, will only be provided if drought conditions necessitate their use. No concentrates will be fed to the goats.

The eleven additional bucks, contemporaries to the ones on test, will be fed a diet of grass hay and grain. They will be harvested, along with 10 goats from the pasture test, to compare the carcasses (meat yield and quality) of pen vs. pasture-fed goats.

The test officially started on June 10 when starting weights were recorded. The starting weights of the 80 test goats ranged from 29 to 70 lbs. and averaged 36.4 lbs. (or 16.5 kg). The 11 penned goats ranged in weight from 38 to 61 lbs. and averaged 42.8 lbs. (or 19.5 kg).

While on test, the goats will be handled every two weeks (using low stress livestock handling techniques) to determine their weights, FAMACHA© eye anemia scores, body condition scores, coat condition scores, and dag scores.

Deworming

Only goats with FAMACHA© scores of 4 or 5 will be dewormed. Goats with FAMACHA© scores of 3 may or may not be determined, depending upon other criteria. Goats with FAMACHA© scores of 1 or 2 will not be dewormed unless they present with bottle jaw. The test utilizes the new Five Point Check© for making deworming decisions.

All the goats were dewormed with anthelmintics from two different chemical families on June 10: moxidectin (Cydectin® sheep drench @ 2 ml/11 lbs.) + levamisole (Prohibit® sheep drench @ 3 ml/50 lbs.). In the past, this combination has reduced fecal egg counts by 95 percent or more.

Last year’s double dosing with moxidectin and albendazole (Valbazen® @ 3 ml/50 lbs.) only reduced fecal egg counts by 35 percent. The injectable from of Cydectin® is no longer being used in the test, due to its long slaughter withdrawal (120-130 days).

The purpose of the double-deworming is to rid the goats of worms so that they will start the test equally. One of the main purposes of the performance test is to see how the bucks respond to a natural parasite challenge.

FAMACHA© scores (and the need for deworming) are indicative of a goat’s tolerance for a parasite burden, whereas bi-weekly fecal egg counts will measure the goat’s resistance to internal parasites. It is important to select goats (and sheep) that are both resistant and resilient to internal parasites.

Pooled fecal samples will be collected every 4 weeks to determine the type of internal parasites that are infecting the goats. In all previous years of the test, the barber pole worm (Haemonchus contortus) has comprised more than 80 percent of the worm load; often more than 90 percent of the worm load.

Towards the end of the test, the goats will be scanned to determine their rib eye areas and back fat thickness (negligible). They will be evaluated for reproductive soundness and structural correctness.

Sale and Field Day

The test will conclude on September 17. Bucks meeting Gold, Silver, and Bronze standards of performance and minimum standards for reproductive soundness and structural correctness will be offered for sale via silent auction on September 24th. Does will be available via private treaty.

The sale will be held in conjunction with the annual Western Maryland Goat Field Day on Saturday, September 24 at the Washington County Agricultural Education Center near Boonsboro, Maryland.

The invited speaker for the field day (9 a.m. to 12 noon) is Dr. Ken Turner. Dr. Turner is a research scientist from ARS’s Appalachian Farming Systems Research Center in Beckley, WV. Dr. Turner’s research emphasis in on low-input, forage-based livestock production.

Junior Goat Skillathon

The field day will also feature a Junior Goat Skillathon for youth ages 8 to 18. Youth from any county or state may participate. The skillathon will cover all aspects of goat production: meat, dairy, and fiber.

To follow this year's pasture test, visit the blog at http://mdgoattest.blogspot.com.

Coccidiosis: deadly scourge of young lambs and kids

by Susan Schoenian

Coccidiosis is a parasitic disease affecting a variety of animals, especially mammals and birds. The causative organism is a microscopic, spore-forming, single-cell protozoa called coccidia. Coccidia are sub-classified into many genera.

In sheep and goats, coccidiosis is caused by the genus Eimeria. Within this genus, there are more than ten species of coccidia that are known to infect sheep or goats. Not all of the species are pathogenic or have the same level of pathogenicity. In fact, only a few are usually responsible for disease outbreaks.

Coccidia are host-specific, meaning the species of coccidia that affect poultry (and other animals) do not affect sheep and goats and vice-versa. Even cross-infection between sheep and goats is limited.

Life cycle

Coccidia have a complicated life cycle, with many developmental stages. Their egg-like structure is called an oocyte. It is passed in the feces of infected sheep and goats. When first passed, the oocyst is not infective. It must undergo a period of development called sporulation (hatching) .

When a sheep or goat ingests a sporulated oocyst, “sporozoites” are released and enter the cells lining the small intestines. The damage done to the host is essentially that of intestinal cell destruction. The host cells affected most often are epithelial cells lining the gut which transport nutrients and fluids into the body.
The duration of the coccidia life cycle is approximately 21 days.

Transmission

Almost all sheep and goats are exposed to coccidia. Sheep and goats routinely ingest oocytes each day through feces, contaminated feed and water, or by licking themselves or another animal. Mature animals (sheep more so than goats) are largely immune to the effects of the parasite, but they serve as reservoirs of infection.

Lambs and kids between the ages of 1 and 6 months are most commonly affected by coccidia. Many disease outbreaks occur shortly after weaning, as this is a very stressful period in the lamb or kid's young life. Bad weather may also trigger disease outbreaks.

Coccidiosis is mostly associated with intensive production systems in which sheep and goats are housed in barns and dry lots. Fecal material is more concentrated in these production environments than if the livestock are kept on pasture. At the same time, outbreaks of coccidiosis are not uncommon in pasture rearing environments, especially those which allow animals to congregate around shade and watering areas.

Clinical signs

There are both clinical and sub-clinical forms of coccidiosis. Sheep and goats with subclinical disease do not show obvious signs of the disease. They appear outwardly normal, but suffer from reduced feed consumption, feed conversion, and growth performance. Most cases of coccidiosis are subclinical and from an economic stand point, subclinical coccidiosis is probably the most costly.

Clinical coccidiosis can be deadly and usually requires prompt treatment. The first sign of coccidiosis is that lambs and kids may not be thriving as well as expected. Lambs may appear open fleeced. Kids may have a rough hair coats. Dirtiness around the tail may be observed, a result of mild diarrhea.

Soon, lambs and kids begin to lose their appetite and become weak and unthrifty. Lambs and kids may become anemic and strain to pass feces. As the disease condition worsens, affected lambs and kids may experience severe diarrhea, with streaks of blood, followed by severe dehydration and death. Left untreated, mortality can be high.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of clinical coccidiosis is usually based on flock history and observation of clinical signs, usually diarrhea. Fecal testing is of limited diagnostic value. While an oocyst count of 5,000 (oocysts per gram of feces) is considered clinically significant, not all coccidia are disease-causing or equally pathogenic. In addition, lambs and kids may become clinically-parasitized before shedding any oocytes. Therefore, a negative fecal test does not rule out coccidiosis, anymore than a positive test is indicative of disease.

It is important to realize that diarrhea is a generic symptom that may be caused by diseases other than coccidia: stomach (round) worms, overeating disease, salmonellosis, E. coli scours, crptosporididium, and viral infections. Nor is it uncommon for lambs and kids to have mixed parasitic infections.

Treatment

For sheep and goats exhibiting clinical signs of coccidiosis, there are several treatment options, including sulfa drugs, tetracyclines, and amprolium. Conventional anthelmintics (dewormers) have no effect on coccidiosis.

Amprolium (Corid®) can be used as both a treatment and preventative for coccidiosis. It is sold in liquid or powder form. When coccidia ingest Corid®, they experience a thiamine deficiency and die from malnourishment Though rare, polioencephalomalacia (thiamine deficiency) has been reported as a side effect of treatment with amprolium.

Many sulfanamide medications can be used to treat coccidiosis. Sufla medications are sold in liquid or powder form. Sulfa medication can be bitter tasting, so products may include flavoring, or jello can be added to reduce the bitter taste and promote adequate consumption by the animals.

Whenever medications are administered in the water, it is important that the medicated water be the only source of water. One of the limitations of water treatments is that there is no guarantee that every animal will receive the necessary amount of the medication.

This is particularly true of an animal that may already be feeling poorly due to coccidia infection. For this reason, it is usually better to individual treat each animal with the medication. Severely parasitized animals should be penned separately, drenched individually with the medication, and receive necessary supportive treatment.

The medications used to treat coccidiosis are not FDA-approved for use in sheep and goats. Extra-label drug use by a licensed veterinarian is required. Producers must understand that just because a product can be purchased over-the-counter doesn't mean it can be used legally without the advice of a veterinarian.

Prevention

As with other diseases, it is far better to prevent coccidiosis than to treat it. By the time clinical signs have been observed, much of the damage has already occurred. Lambs and kids that survive a clinical infection may never recover from the performance set-back. They may always lack the capacity to efficiently handle feed and fluids. Coccidiosis may be the reason a lamb or kid is a chronic poor-doer.

There are many management techniques that can help to prevent outbreaks of coccidiosis and minimize the effects of subclinical coccidiosis. Management should be aimed at reducing the fecal-to-oral transmission of the pathogen. Good sanitation and hygiene are essential. Maternity areas should be kept clean and dry. Lambing and kidding jugs should be cleaned between litters.

Pens should not be overcrowded. They should be dry and well-bedded. No feed should be fed on the ground or floor of a pen. Feeders should be elevated or located on the outside of the pen. Water receptacles should be kept clean and free from fecal matter.

Good nutrition is essential to maintaining high levels of immunity in the flock or herd. Balanced rations, with proper vitamin and mineral supplementation, should be fed. Colostrum will provide immunity to coccidiosis for the first several weeks of the neonate's life. An adequate intake of colostrum will help lambs and kids cope with coccidial infection.

It is best not to mix batches of young animals with batches of older animals or to have young animals follow older animals in a grazing rotation. Older animals serve as reservoirs of infection.

Stress is another contributing factor to outbreaks of coccidiosis. Sheep and goats should be handled minimally and handled calmly and gently. It is particularly important to minimize stress at weaning. Females should be weaned from their offspring, not vice versa. Lambs and kids should remain in familiar surroundings and in the same groupings. Fence line contact may reduce the stress at weaning.

The ration of weanlings should not be changed drastically for the two weeks preceding or following weaning. When lambs and kids are to be transported, they should not go without feed or water for very long.

Coccidiostats

There are several feed additives that can be used to help prevent coccidiosis in sheep and goats. Bovatec® (lasalocid) is FDA-approved for confined sheep. Rumensin® (monensin) is FDA-approved for confined goats. Deccox® (decoquinate) is FDA-approved for young, non-lactating sheep and goats.

Rumensin® can be toxic to dogs and equines. It can also be toxic to sheep and goats if it is not mixed properly. Always use a feed mill to mix any feed containing a coccidiostat. Feed mills have a much greater margin for mixing error.

Coccidiostats differ from treatment medications in that they do not kill the coccidial organisms. Instead they slow down the shedding of coccidia into the environment. For this reason, they need to be fed well in advance of the risk period, at least 21 days before they are effective.

Many producers feed a coccidiostat to ewes and does during the late gestation period. This practice will help to lower the level of environmental contamination. Coccidiostats should be included in creep feeds and milk replacers. Lambs and kids reared on pasture should be fed a coccidiostat at least 21 days prior to weaning.

Coccidiostats should be used strategically. They should not be fed year-round to all animals. As with conventional anthelmintics (dewormers), resistance will likely develop with continuous use. Nor should coccidiostats be considered a "cure-all" for coccidiosis. Their use needs to be combined with good management and sanitation.

Read full article at http://www.sheepandgoat.com/articles/coccidiosis2011.html.

Junior Sheep & Wool Skillathon Results

Sixty-five youth from several states and many Maryland counties competed in the 2011 Junior Sheep & Wool Skillathon, held May 8 at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival.

Caleb Boden from Frederick County, Virginia, was the first place junior individual. Nicole King and Rebecca Herriots from Howard County placed second and third, respectively. The first place junior team was the Frederick County (Maryland) team composed of Kallan Latham, Karianna Strickhouser, and Laura Dutton.

Top Individuals: Julie King (Sr), Helen King (Int), and Caleb Boden (Jr)

Helen King from Queen Anne's County was the first place intermediate individual. Charles Sasscer from Calvert/St. Mary's County was the second place intermediate. Katie Burroughs from Calvert County placed third. The Howard County team composed of Maggie Goodmuth and Dean and Audrey Bennett was the first place intermediate team.

In the senior competition, Julia King from Queen Anne's County was the winning individual. The second place senior was Christine Herriotts from Howard County. Tyler Thorne from Charles County was the third place senior. The team from Charles County was the first place senior team. Its members included Tyler Thorne, Brett Bucci, and Colby Mohler.

Top senior team from Charles County (back row, L-R): Colby Mohler, Brett Bucci, and Tyler Thorne. Also pictured: Caitlyn Olejnik and Cody Thorne

Thanks is extended to the festival committee of the Maryland Sheep Breeders Association for providing ribbons, premiums, and t-shirts to the winning individuals and teams. Additional awards and lunch were provided by the University of Maryland Extension Small Ruminant Program. Thanks to everyone who helped with the skillathon and congratulations to all the youth that participated.

The Junior Sheep & Wool Skillathon is held every year at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival. The competition is open to individual and teams of youth, ages 8 to 18, from any county or state.

http://www.sheepandgoat.com/programs/skillathon/skillathon.html

2011 Junior Goat Skillathon

There will be a Junior Goat Skillathon on Saturday, September 24, 2011 at the Washington County Agricultural Education Center near Boonsboro, Maryland. The skillathon will be held in conjunction with the annual Western Maryland Goat Field Day & Sale.

The Junior Goat Skillathon is open to any youth between the ages of 8 and 18. Youth compete according to their age as of January, 1, 2011:  juniors, 8-10; intermediates, 11-13; and seniors, 14-18.

The skillathon will cover all aspects of goat production: meat, dairy, and fiber. Last year’s skillathon stations included:  breed ID, feed and forage ID, equipment ID, body parts, potluck, judging, and a written test.

To register for the goat skillathon, send your name, age (or birth date), and contact information to Susan Schoenian at the Western Maryland Research & Education Center, 18330 Keedysville Road, Keedysville, MD 21756; (301) 432-2767 x343; or sschoen@umd.edu. Pre-registration is requested by Monday, September 19, 2011.

A series of online quizzes has been developed to help youth study for livestock skillathon competitions. They can be accessed on the web at http://www.sheepandgoat.com/onlinequizzes.html.

http://www.sheepandgoat.com/programs/skillathon/goatskillathon.html

Goats: Meat, Milk, and Cheese

Goat is ready for the spotlight. It’s kosher; it’s good for the environment; it’s tasty and lean. Making appearances everywhere from high-end restaurants to street food carts, goat meat and dairy products are being lauded as the next big thing.

From bestselling authors Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough comes Goat: Meat, Milk, Cheese a lusciously illustrated collection of recipes and anecdotes all centered on this ubiquitous and versatile food.

The most comprehensive and accessible cookbook on the subject, Goat will revolutionize the way American cooks think about “these bearded head-butters.”

The cookbook can be purchased at www.amazon.com.

Goats vs. Weeds

Adkins Arboretum is a 400-acre native garden and preserve on Maryland's Eastern Shore dedicated to promoting the appreciation and conservation of the region's native plants.

Through a grant from Shared Earth Foundation, the Arboretum is partnering with University of Maryland Eastern Shore and University of Maryland Agricultural Extension in a three-year program to test the effect of goat grazing in eradicating aggressive invasive species in targeted areas of the Arboretum’s meadows.

The Arboretum hosted several educational events in June to demonstrate how targeted grazing with goats could be a cost-effective and environmentally-friendly method of controlling invasive plants.

News release

Goats and Gardens

The Public Health Garden at the University of Maryland, College Park, is a student teaching and community garden demonstrating sustainable agriculture and environmental best practices in support of public, environmental and community health.

This year, goats were used to eat unwanted vegetation at the garden site. The Public Health Garden held several educational events in May to highlight the role of goats in sustainable agriculture and landscape management. To learn more, visit the public garden blog at http://publichealthgarden.blogspot.com/.

The Public Health Garden is located on the College Park campus, between the School of Public Health and the Eppley Recreation Center. The goats were from Eco-Goats (www.eco-goats.com), a business that leases goats for targeted grazing jobs.

Future webinars

Registration will no longer be required for webinars hosted by the University of Maryland Extension Small Ruminant Program (Susan Schoenian). All webinars will be open to the first 80 people who log on to participate.

Notification for upcoming webinars, as well as instructions for participation, will be available via an e-mail reflector list. To be added to the webinar e-mail reflector list, contact Susan Schoenian at sschoen@umd.edu.

If you participated in the Ewe and Doe Management webinars (held this past winter) or the worm webinars (held in May), you are already on the e-mail list.

The webinars will also be publicized via the Shepherd’s Notebook blog, this newsletter, and the Maryland Small Ruminant Page (www.sheepandgoat.com)

Please contact Susan if you have ideas for topics that you’d like to see covered in future webinars.

A webinar is a seminar conducted over the Internet. High speed access to the internet is recommended. Interaction is via a chat box.

Recipe: American Lamb Caesar Salad

Ingredients

For the Lamb
1.5 lbs American Lamb blade chops
1.5 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
2 1/4 tsp Fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt to taste
Crushed red pepper flakes to taste
4 Stalks Fresh rosemary
For the Pita
4 Pita Breads
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
2 1/4 tsp Olive oil or melted butter

For Salad
Caesar Dressing
1 Heart of romaine
3 Tbsp Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated
1 1/2 tsp Tomatoes, diced
1 1/2 tsp Kalamata olives, quartered
1 1/2 tsp Feta cheese, crumbled
1 1/2 tsp Extra virgin olive oil

Directions

For the Lamb:
Trim lamb of any extra fat and remove bones. Pound lamb chops until thin; cut into 4 cutlets. Season with oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper flakes. Place one-half of the rosemary on a baking dish; place lamb cutlets on the rosemary. Place remaining rosemary on top; marinate for 20 minutes. Grill lamb cutlets over high heat for 2 minutes on each side; reserve.

For the Pita:
Season each side with kosher salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil or melted butter. Place bread onto a wire rack then onto a baking sheet. Toast at 350ºF until golden brown. Reserve for service.

For the Romaine:
Holding the heart of romaine lettuce upright, squirt Caesar dressing the inside and outside of the lettuce. Wrap the dressed romaine heart in plastic wrap tightly to form a cylinder. Refrigerate 1/2 hour to hold its shape.

For the Salad Mix:
Mix tomatoes, olives, feta cheese and olive oil well.

To Assemble

Place a pita in the center of each plate. Top with grilled lamb cutlet. Cut each head of romaine into 4 equal slices about 1-1/2 to 2 inches thick. Place a romaine round on top of each lamb slice. Top each romaine with the salad mix. Drizzle with remaining Caesar dressing and extra virgin olive oil.

Source: http://www.superiorfarms.com/pages/recipes.htm

Sheep Dairy Tour

Forty-six people boarded a bus in Taneytown, Maryland, on April 27 to travel to Valley Shepherd Creamery in Long Valley, New Jersey. Valley Shepherd milks approximately 600 ewes and has the only carousel (rotating) milking parlor (for sheep) in the United States.

Valley Shepherd makes a variety of delicious cheeses and other products from sheep, goat, and cow milk. Their farm is located only 40 miles from New York City, where they market much of their product via farmer's markets and other retail establishments. Product may also be purchased online at http://www.valleyshepherd.com.

Valley Shepherd Creamery is open to the public for tours. Their Sheep Shoppe merchandises dairy products and many other unique items pertaining to sheep. The farm hosts an annual Shearing Festival.

http://www.valleyshepherd.com/

Special thanks is extended to Teresa Ridinger for organizing the tour of Valley Shepherd Creamery.

Integrated Parasite Management (FAMACHA) Workshops

There will be two Integrated Parasite Management (IPM) workshops in Maryland in July:

Sheepman Supply Company
8102 Liberty Road
Frederick, Maryland
Saturday, July 16, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

University of Maryland Extension-Baltimore County
1114 Shawan Road, Suite 2
Cockeysville, Maryland
Saturday, July 30, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Workshop participants will become certified in the use of the FAMACHA© eye anemia system and learn the new Five Point Check© for making deworming decisions. The workshop will consist of two hours of lecture/discussion and two hours of hands-on training (FAMACHA© and fecal egg counting).  The instructor will be Susan Schoenian, University of Maryland Extension Sheep & Goat Specialist.

The registration fee is $35 per person, farm, or family. The fee includes a laminated FAMACHA© card and reference booklet and covers other workshop expenses. Pre-registration is required.

To register for the workshop at Sheepman Supply Company (Frederick), send your name, contact information, and registration fee (checks payable to the University of Maryland) to Susan Schoenian, Western Maryland Research & Education Center, 18330 Keedysville, MD  21736. For information, contact Susan at (301) 432-2767 x343 or sschoen@umd.edu.

To register for the workshop in Baltimore County, send your name, contact information, and registration fee (checks payable to Baltimore County EAC) to Baltimore County Extension Office, 1114 Shawan  Road, Suite 2, Cockeysville, MD  21030.  For more information, contact the Baltimore County Extension Office at abrady@umd.edu or (410) 771-1761.

Good Prices for Wool

The 54th annual Maryland Wool Pool was held on June 15, 2011, at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium. The pool took in slightly more wool than last year, 23,822 lbs.

Wool prices are the highest they’ve been in 20 years and the medium-term outlook for wool is good. This year’s prices are well-above the support price for ungraded wool (40 cents per lb.), so loan deficiency payments (LDPs) are not available for this year’s clip.

The Maryland Wool Pool is managed by Dr. Richard Barzcewski.

Recordings of Spring Worm Webinars

A series of Spring Worm Webinars was held in May. The webinars were well-attended by sheep and goat producers from many regions of the U.S. Recordings of the webinars are available for public viewing. Links to the recordings can be found at http://www.sheepandgoat.com/recordings.html.

Links to the PowerPoint presentations are available at the same site. The PowerPoint presentations may be viewed or downloaded from SlideShare.com. Registration (required for downloading) is free.

2011 Lambing & Kidding School

The 4th Biennial Lambing and Kidding School will be held Saturday, November 19, at Chesapeake College in Wye Mills, Maryland.

Dr. Susan Kerr from Washington State University will be the featured speaker. Dr. Kerr is both a 4-H educator and a veterinarian.

This year's Lambing and Kidding school will feature a separate educational tract for youth.

More information, including how to register, will be provided in the Fall (September issue) of Wild & Woolly and via the Shepherd’s Notebook blog and Maryland Small Ruminant Page (www.sheepandgoat.com).

Small Ruminant Dairy Conference

A Small Ruminant Dairy Conference has been scheduled for Saturday, October 8, 2011, at the Carroll County Ag Center in Westminster, Maryland.

The conference will have concurrent sessions to serve multiple interests: persons wanting to establish commercial goat or sheep dairies, as well as hobbyists or 4-Hers milking a few goats or sheep in the backyard.

More information, including how to register, will be provided in the Fall (September issue) of Wild & Woolly and via the Shepherd’s Notebook blog and Maryland Small Ruminant Page (www.sheepandgoat.com).

The new Five Point Check©

Worm parasites are the primary health problem affecting sheep and goats, and the barber pole worm is the species that causes the most problems. In fact, data from the Western Maryland Pasture-Based Meat Goat Performance Test has shown that barber pole worms comprise 80 to 95 percent of the worm load carried by goats grazing summer pastures.

The barber pole worm (Haemonchus contortus) is a voracious blood-feeder that sucks blood from the lining of the ruminant's 4th stomach or abomasum. The primary symptom of barber pole worm infection is anemia (blood and protein loss). Another common symptom is edema, an accumulation of fluid under the jaw called "bottle jaw." Left unchecked, the barber pole worm can kill quickly.

By now, hopefully most sheep and goat producers are familiar with the FAMACHA© system, which can be used to assess the level of anemia in the live animal and the need for administering anthelmintic treatment. The FAMACHA© system utilizes a laminated, color eye chart that depicts five eye scores and treatment recommendations.

The five eye scores correspond to packed cell volumes (PCVs), the laboratory measurement for anemia and the diagnostic test for barber pole worm infection. Producers can compare the colors of the eye scores on the card to the color of the inside eyelid of their sheep and/or goats to assess their level of anemia and need for anthelmintic treatment.

FAMACHA© is an easy and practical tool for use on any sheep and goat farm. It will also work with llamas and alpacas. However, there are several limitations to the FAMACHA© system.

The FAMACHA© system is only useful where the barber pole worm is the primary parasite, as other important worm parasites do not cause anemia. It must be used correctly. Additional criteria should be considered when making deworming decisions, especially when the animals have a FAMACHA© score of 3 or display other symptoms common to parasitized animals.

To address these concerns, the developers of the FAMACHA© system (researchers in South Africa) developed the Five Point Check©. The Five Point Check© is another tool that producers can use to make selective deworming decisions.

The Five Point Check© encompasses five “check points” on the animal's body: 1) eye (FAMACHA© score; 2) jaw (edema or bottle jaw); 3) back (body condition score); 4) rear (dag score, fecal soiling, diarrhea, etc). and 5) nose (nasal discharge). These five check points provide evaluation criteria for other parasites that can affect sheep and goats, especially those causing scours. Nasal discharge is an indicator of nasal bots.

Calendar of Events

July 16
Integrated Parasite Management (IPM) Workshop
Sheepman Supply Company, Frederick, MD
Info:  Susan Schoenian at (301) 432-2767 x343 or sschoen@umd.edu

July 30
Integrated Parasite Management (IPM) Workshop
University of Maryland Extension-Baltimore County, Cockeysville, MD
Info: (410) 771-1761 or abrady@umd.edu

August 6
Pennsylvania Performance Test Ram and Buck Sale
PA’s Livestock Evaluation Center, PA Furnace, PA
Info: Greg Hubbard at (814) 238-2527 or ghubbard@state.pa.us

August 27
Virginia Performance Tested Ram Sale
Virginia Sheep Evaluation Center, Steele’s Tavern, VA
Info: Scott Greiner at (540) 231-9159 or sgreiner@vt.edu

September 24
Western Maryland Goat Day (field day, sale, and junior skillathon)
Washington County Agricultural Education Center, Boonsboro, MD
Info: Susan Schoenian at (301) 432-2767 x343 or sschoen@umd.edu

October 8
Small Ruminant Dairy Conference
Carroll County Ag Center, Westminster, MD
Info: Susan Schoenian at (301) 432-2767 x343 or sschoen@umd.edu

November 19
Bi-annual Lambing & Kidding School
Chesapeake College, Wye Mills, MD
Info: Susan Schoenian at (301) 432-2767 x343 or sschoen@umd.edu

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Inside this issue ...

• Growing the flock
• Lamb dashboard
• Buck test
• Coccidiosis
• Sheep & Wool
  Skillathon Results
• Junior Goat Skillathon
• New recipe book
• Goats vs. weeds
• Goats and gardens
• Future webinars
• Recipe: Lamb
  Caesar's Salad
• Sheep dairy tour
• IPM Workshops
• Wool Pool
• Webinar recordings
• Lambing & Kidding School
• Small Ruminant Dairy Workshop
• The Five Point Check©
• Calendar of Events
  
  Last issue
  Previous issues
  
  

Contact Us ...

• SUSAN SCHOENIAN
  
• Dr. E. Nelson Escobar
• Jeff Semler
• Dr. Dahlia O'Brien
• David Gordon
• Willie Lantz
• Chris Anderson
• Erroll Mattox
• Pam Thomas

SUGGESTED LINKS ...

MD Small Ruminant Page
Shepherd's Notebook Blog
Meat Goat Test Blog
SheepGoatMarketing.info
Sheep 101 | Sheep 201
Flickr™ sheep, goat images
Univ. of Maryland Extension
MPWV Meat Goat Assoc.
MD Dairy Goat Assoc.
Maryland State Fair
MD Dept. of Agriculture
MarylandAgriculture.info
MD Ag Marketing
MD Rural Enterprise
U. Maine Sheep Foot Health
eXtension

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University of Maryland Extension programs are open to all citizens without regard to race, color, gender, disability, religion, age, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, or national origin.