Inside this issue . . .
|
 Dr. Kevin Pelzer demonstrates how to deliver a lamb at the Lambing and Kidding School |
 |
Jordan
Thomas and Bev Pearsall show how to eartag a lamb/kid. |
More than 175 people attended the Lambing and Kidding School held December 10th at the Howard County Fairgrounds. Attendees were an equal mix of sheep and goat producers.
The school was sponsored by Maryland Cooperative Extension. Co-sponsors included Sheepman Supply Company, Land O’Lakes Animal Milk Products Company, and Northeast SARE. Dr. Kevin Pelzer from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech was the primary speaker.
Participants in the school received a lambing and kidding kit and a 10-lb. bag of milk replacer.
The handouts and PowerPoint presentations from the lambing and kidding school will be available on the Internet at www.sheepand goat.com/programs/lambkidschool05.html. The goal is to have the information posted to the web by January 15, 2006.
Lindsay Callahan is the
new farm manager at the University of Maryland College Park. Lindsay replaced
Jordan Thomas, who retired in 2004, after more than 30 years of service to the
University. Lindsay began her new position on June 2, 2005. She received a B.S.
degree in Animal Science from the University of Maryland in 2003. During the
past two years, she has worked at a large animal clinic at the Virginia-Maryland
Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in Blacksburg, VA, where she was a large
animal ICU and necropsy technician.
Lindsay’s primary responsibilities will be to manage the campus farm and
to serve periodically as acting coordinator of Animal Care. The Campus farm
is located immediately across from the Animal Science building and occupies
approximately 5 acres of land. The farm consists of a small ewe flock (approximately
15 Katahdin ewes), a horse stable, and a few cattle. The animals are used extensively
to support the undergraduate teaching program.
A “Lamb Watch” class is held every spring. It is a very popular
class, as students gain hands-on, real-world experience in the pre- and post-parturition
care of ewes and lambs. Lindsay will serve as the instructor for this class.
Lindsay can be reached via e-mail at lindsayeq@hotmail.com.
by Willie
Lantz
1st Vice President
The MPWV Meat
Goat Producers Association held it fall meeting on September 30, 2005. An educational
program was presented at 10:00 a.m. The program topic was on Goat Reproduction
and Artificial Insemination. Willie Lantz presented a PowerPoint presentation
on Goat Reproductive Anatomy and Hormone Control of Breeding. Cheryl Harris,
Ivy Patch Goat Farm in Jefferson, Maryland, presented a program on artificial
insemination. After the educational program, the group enjoyed barbequed goat
for lunch.
After lunch the MPWV held its Annual Membership Meeting, with president Dick
Dixon presiding. A few highlights of the meeting were a discussion of the 2005
National East Region USBGA2Show that was held in McHenry in June.
The show went well with over 250 goats being shown. The group decided to apply
to the USBGA to again hold the East Regional National Show at McHenry on June
3, 2006. Shirley Christner will be the show manager. The group decided to expand
and try to attract more vendors to this year’s show. Kris DeWitt was put
in charge of vendors for the show.
The group also set the
date of March 25th for the Spring Goat Conference and Meeting. The final item
of business was the election of officers. A moment of silence was held in memory
of Cecil Ferguson who was serving as the Treasurer and was a founding member
of the MPWV. The new officers for 2005-2006 are President, Brenda Maresh, 1st
Vice President – Willie Lantz, 2nd Vice President – Mike Lucas,
Secretary – Barbara Ferguson, and Treasurer – Pam Adams.
If anyone has an interest in joining the MPWV, applications are available on
the web at www.meatgoat.biz.
1MPWV - Maryland-Pennsylvania-West
Virginia
2USBGA - United States Boer Goat Association
The annual Virginia-North
Carolina Shepherd's Symposium will be held on Friday and Saturday, January 6
and 7, 2006, at The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center in Blacksburg,
Virginia. The program will begin at 1 p.m. on Friday and conclude at 12 noon
on Saturday. To see topics and speakers, go to the web at www.ext.vt.edu, then
click on news, livestock update, 2005 December, and Virginia-North Carolina
Shepherd's Symposium.
Following the symposium, a commercial bred ewe lamb sale will be held. Registration
deadline for the symposium is December 22. For more information, contact Dr.
Scott Greiner at (540) 231-9163 or sgreiner@vt.edu.
Three hay and pasture conferences
will be held in Maryland and Delaware January 18-20, 2006. These conferences
will address key management topics for increased yield and quality of hay, silage,
and pasture. In addition to Maryland and Delaware extension University and NRCS
personnel sharing their hay and pasture expertise, outstanding industry and
university forage experts from Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin will provide
information on the latest tools and practices for improved hay, silage, and
pasture production.
These conferences will begin in Garrett County (Tri-State) on January 18, move
to Southern Maryland on January 19, and conclude on January 20 in Delaware.
For information about the conference in Garrett County, contact Willie Lantz
at (301) 334-6969 or wlantz@umd.edu. For
information about the Southern Maryland conference, contact Ben Beale at (301)
475-4484 or bbeale@umd.edu. For information
about the Delaware conference, contact Richard Taylor at (302) 831-1383 or rtaylor@udel.edu.
Central Maryland
The Central Maryland Grazing Conference will be held on January 24th at the
Carroll County Agricultural Center in Westminster, MD. Featured speaker will
be Dr. Ed Rayburn, Extension Forage Agronomist at West Virginia University.
A wide range of topics will be covered by Dr. Rayburn, University of Maryland
educators, and a panel of producers. For further information on this conference,
contact Bryan Butler at (410) 386-2760, (888) 326-9645, or bbutlers@umd.edu.
Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Grazing and Hay & Silage Conference will be held on February
22 & 23 at the Holiday Inn in Grantville, PA. The conference, while providing
information to all forage growers, will focus on grazing/pastures on Wednesday
(Feb. 22) and then on Thursday emphasize hay & silage production and storage.
Both days feature numerous presentations and discussions focusing on forage
management. This conference is being co-sponsored by the Pennsylvania Forage
and Grassland Council and the Grazing Research and Education Center. For more
information, contact Richard Hann at (717) 832-0127.
By Marilyn Bassford, MDA
and Dr. Diane Sutton, USDA/APHIS/VS
Recently, a mailing of
8,200 letters was sent from the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) that
went to all known equine and livestock producers across the State of Maryland
to invite them to register their livestock premises in the National
Animal Identification System (NAIS). A livestock premises can be anything
from a family residence with just a few poultry, goats, sheep, or horses, to
an integrated livestock production unit. Anywhere horses, poultry, or other
livestock are housed will need a premises identification number.
The NAIS program will give us the capability to traceback an animal who had
direct contact with a foreign animal disease or a domestic disease of concern
to their birth herd and other facilities where they have resided within 48 hours
after discovery.
All are welcome to register their premises. Size does not matter. The program
will register producers with one or more farm-type animals on their property.
At this time, the NAIS program is voluntary, but will most likely become mandatory
in 2007.
In 2001, sheep and goat producers were required to officially identify their
sheep and goats when they moved in interstate commerce. Maryland is in the process
of requiring official identification of sheep and goats when they change ownership.
Putting this rule into place will allow Maryland to meet federal consistent
state requirements, thus allowing Maryland sheep and goats to continue to move
interstate with minimal requirements. To acquire official ID, sheep and goat
producers must register with USDA and get the flock identification number that
appears on most official sheep and goat tags. The flock ID number is also known
as the scrapie premises identification number. Producers may register and request
free official sheep and goat tags from USDA by calling 1-800-USDA-TAG.
It is unfortunate that both NAIS and the scrapie program used the same term
“premises identification number (PIN)” in their registration processes.
However, there is good news. The Scrapie
Program is integrating with NAIS and will use the NAIS PIN to describe the
physical location of animals and the scrapie flock ID to describe a group of
animals that is managed as a unit. All new participants (to the Scrapie program)
will be asked to register with the NAIS program when they call to register for
the scrapie program so that the NAIS PIN can be used as the premises number
to describe the flocks location in the scrapie program database.
If you have a scrapie flock number we ask that you register with the NAIS program
and provide your scrapie flock ID so that USDA can update your scrapie program
registration to include the NAIS number. You will need to do this if you wish
to purchase the new RFID3 tags and to receive any official tags once NAIS becomes
mandatory. The scrapie flock ID will continue to appear on tags.
There is another option for Maryland sheep and goat owners who have registered
with the scrapie program to be automatically registered with NAIS. To do this
we will need to hear from producer associations letting us know that this is
what is desired. If we do this and you have other species besides sheep and
goats, you will need to update the NAIS registration to include them.
You can obtain a NAIS registration form from the Maryland Department of Agriculture
Animal Health/NAIS web page www.mda.state
.md.us/animal_health/nais. Please remember to indicate your scrapie flock
ID on the form so that we can have your scrapie registration updated. For questions,
please contact Marilyn Bassford at (410) 742-6023 or nais@mda.
state.md.us.
3Radio Frequency IDentification
The Annual MD-DE Beginning
Sheep Shearing School will be held Friday and Saturday, March 17 and 18, 9:30
a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Thompson Farm in Westminster, MD. An Advanced Sheep
Shearing School will be held at the same location on Saturday, April 1. The
beginning school is open to anyone who wants to learn to shear sheep and has
the strength and willingness to do so. The minimum age is 16. The advanced school
is for persons who have attended previous schools and have sheared over 150
sheep. Participation is limited to the first 25 people who register (beginning
school); 10 for advanced school.
The registration fee payable to Carroll County Extension Advisory Council (CCEAC)
is $50 per person for the beginning school (registration deadline March 11)
and $25 per person for the advanced school (registration deadline March 25).
It should be mailed to David Greene, 2014 White Hall Road, White Hall, MD 21161-9712,
tel. (410) 329-6241, e-mail: greelamb@bcpl.net.
The New Zealand method of shearing will be taught at both shearing schools.
The instructors will be retired Carroll County Extension Agent David Greene
and Delaware State University Animal Science Professor Dr. Richard Barczewski.
Q: What is “bird flu” or Avian Influenza (AI)?
A: Bird Flu is the common name for Avian Influenza (AI), an infectious disease of birds caused by type A influenza viruses. Symptoms in birds range from mild illness to epidemics of highly contagious, rapidly fatal disease. Contact of domestic flocks with wild, migratory ducks and geese (which often carry AI virus) can cause outbreaks of the disease. Live bird markets are also believed to have a role in AI outbreaks in commercial poultry flocks.
Q: How does AI or “bird flu” affect humans?
A: Avian influenza viruses normally only infect birds and pigs. The H7 strain, that infected chickens at two farms in Delaware in 2004, is not known to infect humans. The first documented infection of humans occurred in Hong Kong in 1997, when the H5N1 strain caused severe respiratory disease in 18 humans (6 died). Extensive investigation of that outbreak found that close contact with live infected poultry was the source of human infection. Genetic studies determined that the virus had jumped directly from birds to humans. The spread of infection in birds increases the possibility for infection of humans. There is concern that as more humans become infected, the risk increases that persons infected with both avian and human influenza stains could become “mixing vessels” for the viruses, resulting in a new, dangerous strain of influenza virus that could spread easily from person to person.
Q: What do I need to know to protect my family?
A: Because of the possibility that some types of bird flu virus can jump from birds to humans, it is best to avoid visiting places like backyard poultry flocks and live bird markets. Flu shots (vaccinations) can reduce the likelihood of humans becoming infected with both avian and human influenza strains, reducing the risk of the development of a new, dangerous human flu.
Q: What is being done to protect the general public against “bird flu”?
A: Quarantine and destruction of infected or potentially exposed poultry flocks are standard control measures aimed at preventing spread to other farms and establishment of the virus in the local poultry population. Avian influenza viruses are highly contagious and are readily carried by contaminated equipment, vehicles, feed, cages, or clothing. Strict biosecurity and sanitary measures on farms are essential.
Source: Tip Sheet #TP2. Center for Agrosecurity and Emergency Management, University of Maryland.
Plans are underway to establish a pasture and progeny testing program for sheep and goats at the Western Maryland Research & Education Center (WMREC) in Keedysville in 2006. Producers would consign up to five animals, preferably from the same sire, to the test. The test would alternate between sheep and goats. In 2006, goats will be tested. The test will probably start in early June to enable kids born as late as March to be included in the test. Buck and wether kids will be eligible.
 |
Goats
grazing chicory at WMREC in 2004. |
The purpose of the test
will be to determine performance (average daily gain) on pasture (with minimal
supplementation) and measure differences in parasite resistance, as measured
by fecal egg counts, and resilience (tolerance), as measured by FAMACHA©
eye scores.
The animals will be handled every two weeks to determine FAMACHA© (eye
anemia) scores and the need for deworming individual animals. In 2005, the FAMACHA©
system was very effective in controlling losses from internal parasitism in
grazing lambs. The only death loss that occurred was due to the ineffectiveness
of Ivermectin® as a dewormer in these lambs. In addition to FAMACHA©,
the animals will be examined for other signs of parasitism (scouring, body condition,
and bottle jaw) to determine the need for deworming. Fecal egg counts will not
be used to make deworming decisions, however, fecal samples will be collected
every four weeks to determine genetic differences in parasite resistance. The
animals on test will be weighed every four weeks to determine average daily
gain.
Goats or lambs will be rotationally grazed on 10 acres of grass pasture, consisting
mostly of orchard grass and tall fescue. The will be rotated onto paddocks of
chicory and birdsfoot trefoil as a parasite control mechanism. These forage
species have been shown to have an “anthelmintic” effect. The 10
acre pasture is divided into five 2-acre paddocks. There is a central laneway
in the pasture where the animals have access to shelter. The handling system
is also contained within the central lane way.
Minimal supplementation may be provided as a means of parasite control and animal
management. Protein supplementation has been shown to reduce fecal egg counts
in grazing lambs. At the end of the test, the animals would be returned to their
farm of origin or be marketed for meat. There would be a registration fee (as
of yet, undetermined) to consign an animal to the test. The registration fee
will cover the cost of operating the test (labor, supplementation, fecal egg
tests, etc.).
Details about the pasture test will be included in the next newsletter. Some
of the details have yet to be determined. For general information, contact Susan
at (301) 432-2767 x343 or sschoen@umd.edu.
In 2006, a West Virginia
Central Ram Evaluation Program will be conducted with rams scheduled to be delivered
to the testing facility in Wardensville on April 24, 2006. The test will be
open to any breed of commercial or purebred ram. Both West Virginia and out-of-state
breeders may consign rams to the test. Producers will be able to test rams for
home use or to be consigned to an annual performance-tested ram sale.
The West Virginia Ram Evaluation program will be different from other sire testing
programs as it will utilize the “GrowSafe 4000E” system, which more
accurately measures feed efficiency than traditional methods of measurement.
In addition to the rate-of-gain and feed efficiency data that will be collected,
carcass data will also be collected using ultrsound.
The GrowSafe system utilizes a series of feeding stations that only one animal
can use at a time. Each ram will be tagged with a Radio Frequency Identification
(RFID) tag, which will determine when the ram eats and how much it consumes.
While feed efficiency is usually expressed as how much feed an animal eats compared
to how much it grows, the GrowSafe system will determine Residual Feed Intake
(RFI), the difference between expected intake vs. actual intake. RFI provides
a more accurate comparison among animals than raw feed efficiency data by taking
into account animal differences in physiological age and mature size.
In 2005, the GrowSafe system was tested using 37 commercial rams from WVU. Approximately
half of the rams were Katahdin crossbred lambs while the other half were Suffolk
or Suffolk/Dorset crosses. A 60-day test was conducted, because it is the typical
length of feeding between weaning and market. Average daily gain ranged from
0.16 to 1.05 pounds per day, with a group average of 0.64 lbs/day. Feed efficiency,
expressed as RFI, ranged from 52.77 to (-) 49.37. The ram with the RFI value
of -49.37 was more efficient and consumed 49.37 lbs. less feed than was expected,
while the least efficient ram consumed 52.77 lbs. more feed than was expected.
Thus, the difference between the most and least efficient rams was 100 lbs.
of feed (a cost of $8-$12). Since feed efficiency is a moderate to highly heritable
trait, genetic differences in RFI can be used to select more efficient rams
that will pass this trait onto their offspring.
Plans are already under progress to conduct a Meat Goat Feed Test at Wardensville.
If it is as successful as the ram feed test, the ram evaluation program will
be expanded into a West Virginia Small Ruminant Evaluation Program that would
include meat goats.
For more information about the WV Ram Evaluation Program, contact the WV Sheep
Management Project Office at (304) 358-3660 or Brad Smith at the WVU Grant County
Extension Office at (304) 257-4688 or bsmith@mail.wvu.edu.
Source: West Virginia University News Ewe Can Use, Fall 2005.
by Dr.
Niki Whitley
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
In doing our probiotics
studies in goats, two of the three studies we conducted used Boer or Kiko sired
Boer-crossbred kids. Although there was only one sire per breed with a different
Boer sire the first year and the same Kiko sire both years, the following information
is observational data about their performance in a feedlot situation. Boer-sired
kids were 75% Boer, 25% Spanish/Myotonic; Kiko-sired kids were 50% Kiko, 50%
Boer. The Kiko buck was from Kyle Jonak in Keedysville, MD; Boer bucks came
from Texas and Georgia.
In Year 1, we had 8 Kiko-sired wethers and 16 Boer-sired wethers fed a commercially
available pelleted diet (15% Meat Goat Feed, Southern States) for 56 days. Kiko-sired
kids gained 0.36 lb/day while Boer-sired kids gained 0.33 lb/day.
In Year 2, we fed the same diet and had 12 Boer-sired and 12 Kiko-sired wethers.
Kiko-sired kids again gained a bit faster than the Boer-sired kids. Kiko-sired
kids gained 0.28 lb/day while Boer-sired kids gained 0.20 lb/day during the
56-day feeding period.
We slaughtered all of the wethers in Year 2 and collected some carcass data.
For these animals, Kiko-sired kids finished faster, having more fat over the
loin (at the 12th/13th rib) at the same age, with 0.08 inches for Kiko-sired
wethers compared to 0.06 inches for Boer-sired wethers. Kiko-sired kids also
had a larger loin eye area (between the 12th/13th rib) than Boer-sired kids
(1.98 square inches for Kiko-sired kids vs 1.79 square inches for Boer-sired
kids).
Unfortunately, it seems that none of the animals gained weight very fast. Perhaps
if we fed a different diet or started the animals at a younger age, they would
have higher average daily gains. If the animals were bucks instead of wethers,
they would also grow faster.
In Ranch and Rural Living Magazine (October 2005, page 21), San Angelo State
University reported that bucks on their performance test gained an average of
0.50 lb/day during the 90-day test period, which is much higher than for our
wethers. However, the average rib eye area for the San Angelo State University
buck test was 1.90 square inches (as measured by ultrasound), and our average
was 1.89 square inches, so our kids competed just fine in the muscling area.
Susan Schoenian is hoping to have a pasture-based progeny performance test at
WMREC next year. Several Kiko breeders have expressed interest in putting animals
in the test. If we also get some Boer goats for the test, perhaps we can get
some information on Kiko compared to Boer goats raised mostly on pasture.
by Susan
Schoenian
Area Agent, Sheep and Goat Specialist
A recent New Zealand study
showed that about half of all newborn lamb deaths are attributable to dystocia,
i.e. difficulties at birth. The research showed that dystocia accounted for
60% of deaths among single lambs, 47% amongst twins, and 48% amongst triplets.
The study also dispelled several long-held myths, among them the belief that
the heavier the lamb’s birth weight the higher the survival rate and that
a substantial amount of lambs suffocate due to placenta remaining over a lamb’s
nose. In the study, lamb deaths from placenta remaining over the lamb’s
nose accounted for less than 1%.
Losses due to dystocia can be reduced by timely visits to the lambing and kidding
area and timely assistance to ewes and does.
There can be many causes of dystocia in sheep and goats.
1. Malpresentation
2. Disproportionate size of fetus and dam
3. Failure of cervix to dilate (ringwomb)
4. Disease (e.g. abortion)
5. Prolapses
6. Birth defect
One of the most difficult
aspects of shepherding is knowing when and how to assist a ewe/doe during parturition
and when to call for help. It is generally recommended that if a ewe/doe has
been straining for over an hour and has nothing to show for it, it is usually
time to lend a hand.
Before entering a ewe/doe, be sure to take off your watch, rings, and other
jewelry. Wash your hands in warm, soapy water. Wash the backside of the ewe/doe.
It is a good idea to use gloves for the examination. Coat your hand up to your
elbow with a non-irritating lubricant. The liberal use of a lubricant cannot
be overemphasized.
You should not keep pulling your hand in and out of the ewe/doe and should not
change hands without washing again. Getting the ewe/doe to stand up or elevating
her hindquarters will allow more room for repositioning and result in less vigorous
straining. If you have worked for a half hour with no progress, it is a good
idea to call a veterinarian.
 |
© Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 1999. Reproduced with
permission. |
Normal birth.
A normal presentation is when the two front feet appear with the head resting
between them. Assistance is not usually required unless the fetus is oversized.
A backwards (hind legs first) delivery is also a normal presentation and is
common among twin and triplet lambs/kids. You should never attempt to turn a
lamb/kid around.
Breech. A “true” breech birth is when the lamb/kid
is positioned backwards, with the hind legs tucked under and only the tail is
near the opening. When a ewe/doe has been straining for a long time and has
nothing to show for it (very little discharge and a small water bag), a breech
delivery could be the problem. To deliver a breech baby, you have to bring the
rear legs forward by cupping the fetlocks in your palm. Once the rear legs are
forward, the lamb needs to be delivered quickly because once the umbilical cord
breaks, the lamb/kid will begin breathing and could drown in its own fluids.
Oversized fetus. Many lambing and kidding difficulties are due to the
disproportionate size of the fetus and ewe/doe. This can be the result of a
large lamb/kid or a small pelvic opening. Either the head or the shoulders of
the baby may be too wide to be delivered by the ewe or doe on her own. Mild
soap around the head and in the birth canal may help to deliver a baby whose
head is caught in the skin and tissue of the vagina and vulva. Gradually, try
to force the skin of the vulva over the baby’s eyebrows.
If the baby is stuck at the shoulders, sometimes you can deliver it by pulling
on one leg, then the other, and rotating the baby as you pull it out.
Leg(s) back. If one or more front legs is back, you need to cup the
hooves of the leg(s) and bring the leg forward. It is possible to pull a small
baby out, with one leg back. If you are not able to bring the front leg(s) forward,
you will need to push the fetus back far enough to allow the legs to be drawn
forward. You can slip an OB rope around the leg(s) to make sure you don’t
“lose” it.
Swollen head. If the head is outside of the uterus for a very long
time, it will become very swollen. The tongue may be sticking out. While the
lamb/kid may look cold and dead, it can survive for a long time in this position.
However, the head will need to be pushed back into the uterus for delivery.
If it is covered with straw and manure, make sure you clean it first. Use plenty
of lubricant. If the lamb/kid is dead, it may be easier to cut off the head.
Head back. If the baby’s head is back, you will need to push it back into the uterus in order to turn the head around. Attach an OB rope to each leg to make sure you don’t lose them. You should never pull a lamb/kid by the jaw. A lamb/kid with a broken jaw will not be able to nurse and will most likely die. It is possible to insert a finger into the eye socket for leverage without causing damage to the lamb/kid.
 |
 |
Breech |
Tangled
twins |
©
Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 1999. Reproduced with permission. |
|
Tangled twins.
Sometimes, lambs/kids are presented with the legs intertwined. To correct these
situations, first you need to determine which legs belong to which babies. Sometimes,
one lamb will be presented normal and the other will be coming backwards. In
this case, you need to determine not only which legs belong to which baby, but
whether you are feeling front legs or back legs. It may be necessary to push
one lamb/kid back into the birth canal to allow easy delivery of another.
Ringwomb. One of the most difficult problems to deal with is
failure of the cervix to dilate (ringwomb). While the exact cause is unknown,
a selenium deficiency is believed to be a contributing factor. Ringwomb is most
commonly encountered in ewe lambs. While hormonal injections may result in further
dilation of the cervix and manual manipulation of the cervix is also possible,
a c-section is often the only recourse to save the lamb(s) and ewe.
Dead or deformed. If dead or deformed lambs cannot be extracted
from the ewe/doe in a timely fashion, veterinary assistance should be sought.
Lambs/kids that have been dead for a long period of time often need to be removed
in pieces.
Post-Parturition. After delivering a lamb/kid, place it in
front of the ewe/doe. If she is too weak or exhausted to care for her baby,
be sure to clean the mucous and amniotic bag from the face and nose of the lamb/kid.
Lambs/kids should nurse within at least one hour of birth, preferably 30 minutes.
After all assisted deliveries, you need to check to make sure there are no other
babies remaining in the uterus. You should give the assisted ewe/doe an injection
of an antibiotic.
If your flock or herd experiences excessive birthing problems, you need to consider
breeding and nutrition problems. Oversized lambs and kids can be the result
of overfeeding during late gestation. Fat females are more prone to dystocia.
Ewe lambs and doe kids should not be bred until they reach 60-70 percent of
the expected mature weight. Pregnant and lactating ewe lambs and doe kids should
be maintained and fed separately from mature females.
There are no hard and fast rules with regards to dystocia. Experience is the
best teacher. At the same time, it is important to remember that lambing and
kidding has been taking place for thousand of years and most ewe and does will
deliver without any trouble.
Good luck lambing and kidding.
Read more on the
web
[PDF]
Obstetrics and Difficult Births - Utah State University
[PDF] Dystocia (Difficult
Lambing) - Utah State University
[PDF] Dystocia (Lambing
Problems) - Iowa State University
Assisting
the Ewe at Lambing - Ontario, Canada
The Maryland
Sheep and Wool Festival will host a 4-H Sheep and Wool Skillathon in 2006.
The Skillathon will be held 8 a.m. to 12 noon on Sunday, May 7, in the new rabbit
building at the Howard County Fairgrounds.
A skillathon consists of various learning stations where participants are asked
to complete a task at each station. The stations may include identification
exercises such as identifying breeds, feeds, cuts of meat, wool, or hay samples.
Other potential activities could include judging a class of sheep, fleeces,
meat, or hay and a keep-cull exercise. A written exam is usually part of the
skillathon.
The skillathon at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival will be open to all
youth (ages 18 and under). Youth may compete as individuals or teams. Pre-registration
will be required. Awards will be given.
For more information, contact Susan at (301) 432-2767 x343 or sschoen@umd.edu.
The Animal Science Department at the University of Maryland offers programs related to agricultural and other domestic animal species, wildlife, and zoo animals. The department is committed to the development and application of new knowledge in biology for the humane use of animals for food production, recreation, and conservation. Dr. Richard Erdman serves as the department chair. The department’s web site includes sections on academics, research, and Extension.
January
6-7
Virginia-North Carolina Shepherd’s Symposium (followed by commercial ewe
lamb sale)
Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
Info: Scott Greiner at (540) 231-6141 orsgreiner@vt.edu
January 13-14
Future Harvest-CASA Farming for Profit and Stewardship Conference
Hagerstown, Maryland
Info: (410) 549-7878 or fhcasa@verizon.net
January
24
Central Maryland Pasture Conference
Carroll County Ag Center
Westminster, Maryland
Info: Bryan Butler at (410) 386- 2760 or bbutlers@umd.edu
January 26-28
American Sheep Industry Association/National
Lamb Feeders Association Annual Convention
Phoenix Marriott
Phoenix, Arizona
Info: Judy Malone at (303) 771-3500 x35 or judym@sheepusa.org
March 17-18, April 1
Beginning and Advanced Shearing Schools
Ridgely Thompson Farm
Westminster, Maryland
Info: David Greene at (410) 329-6241 or greelamb@bcpl.net
March 25
Spring Meat Goat Conference and MPWV Meeting
Garrett College
McHenry, Maryland
Info: Willie Lantz at (301) 334-6960 or wlantz@umd.edu
May 6-7
Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival
Howard County Fairgrounds
West Friendship, Maryland
Info: www.sheepandwool.org
For a complete list of Sheep and Goat Events, click HERE.
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Maryland Sheep & Goat Producer is published bi-monthly by
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