Maryland Sheep & Goat Producer

Due to rising costs and budget cuts imposed to Maryland Cooperative Extension, we are going to have to start charging for mailed copies of the Maryland Sheep & Goat Producer newsletter. After the December 2003 (next) issue, the cost of receiving six issues per year will be $10. The newsletter will still be available on the Internet (HTML or PDF format) for FREE. You can have your name added to an e-mail list so that you receive an e-mail message when the latest issue of the newsletter has been posted to the web at http://www.sheep and goat.com/news/.

If you wish to continue receiving the newsletter via the mail or an e-mail reminder, please fill out and returned the enclosed form. Checks should be made payable to the MPWV Meat Goat Producers Association and sent to Sheep and Goat Newsletter, Western Maryland Research & Education Center, 18330 Keedysville Road, Keedysville, MD 21756, (301) 432-4089 (fax).

1st 4-H State Fair Meat Goat Show

This was the first year of the 4-H/FFA Meat Goat Show at the Maryland State Fair. For the past several years, market goat classes have been held in conjunction with the dairy goat show, but this year, meat goats branched off into a separate division and added fitting and showing competition and a commercial meat goat breeding show, in addition to the market classes. The number of goats sold in the 4-H/FFA Livestock Auction was increased from two to six.

Forty-six (46) goats were entered in the market goat classes (only three failed to make the minimum weight of 40 lbs.). The Grand Champion Market Goat was a 81-lb. ¾ Boer doe kid exhibited by Claire Bennett from Carroll County. The Reserve Champion Market Goat was a 101-lb. 7/8 Boer wether kid exhibited by Aaron Lantz from Garrett County. Aaron's wether also had the highest average daily gain, gaining 0.68 lbs. per day between county weigh-in and state fair. The forty-six market goats gained on-average 0.31 lbs. per day, which is similar to what goats have done in feed trials. The Maryland-Pennsylvania-West Virginia (MPWV) Meat Goat Producers Association sponsored the trophy for the market goat with the highest average daily gain (ADG). The Garrett College Alternative Agriculture Center sponsored the Champion Market Goat Trophy.

The breeding goat show featured classes for doe kids (junior and senior), yearling does, does 2 years of age and over, and buck kids, with all breeds competing together and commercial, non-registered goats competing alongside registered goats. Next year, the breeding show will be split into separate shows for registered (percentage and full blood) and non-registered animals, with all breeds still competing together. At this year's show, the Champion Meat Goat Doe was the doe 2 years of age or older exhibited by Kyle Hudson from St. Mary's County. Kyle received a trophy sponsored by the Lower (Eastern) Shore Goat and Sheep Producers Association. Other breeding class winners included Grace Garst (2 classes) and Mandi Ramsburg, both from Frederick County. Elly Hoff from Carroll County exhibited the first place buck kid. Frey's Show Supply (Quarryville, PA) and Sheepman Supply Company (Frederick) donated prizes for the first place winners in each of the breeding classes.

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) sponsored a trophy for the Grand Champion Meat Goat Showman. Senior Fitting and Showing Champion Jennifer Linton from Cecil County, won the honors, besting the intermediate winner, Claire Bennett, and the junior champion, Aaron Lantz.

Market goat classes are open to doe and wether kids less than one year of age, weighing between 40 and 110 lbs. The upper weight limit may be increased to 120 lbs. next year, so as not to limit goats which have the genetic potential to reach heavier weights without getting too fat. The wide range of weight acceptability is due to the large variation in demand for meat goats; however, heavier weight goats (> 70 lbs.) are likely to be more competitive in market goat classes. A rate of gain requirement will not be implemented until more is known about feeding meat goats for the market.

To be eligible to show at Maryland State Fair, market goats must be tagged with 4-H ear tags and weighed in the Maryland county of 4-H membership. The meat goat breeding show is open to all breeds and crossbreeds of goats which are raised for meat, though Boer and other meat breeds (Kiko, Spanish, Myotonic) and their crosses will be most competitive in both breeding and market classes. As with market goats and commercial breeding ewes and heifers, commercial, non-registered breeding meat goats must be tagged with 4-H ear tags to verify ownership. Registered goats do not require additional identification or paperwork.

All meat goats entered in the state fair are allowed to carry horns, though the horns should be blunted (or tipped) for safety reasons. Blunting simply means removing the pointy tip of the horn. This can be done with a pair of hoof trimmers. Only a small amount of horn should be removed to prevent bleeding.

I served as superintendent of this year's 4-H/ FFA Meat Goat Show at Maryland State Fair, with assistance from Willie Lantz from Garrett College. Special thanks is extended to my mom, who recorded the results of the judging and to our judge, Dr. Robert Herr, a Boer goat breeder and goat and lamb order buyer from Narvon, PA. The first show was a success, and we hope to see the Maryland State Fair 4-H/ FFA Meat Goat Show grow and improve with each successive year. If you have suggestions or ideas related to the show or Maryland 4-H meat goat program, in general, please contact me at (301) 432-2767 ext. 343 or sschoen@umd.edu.

Marketing tips: Ramadan

Muslims are one of the largest consumers of lamb, mutton, and goat meat in the world. They are followers of Islam, the fastest growing and second largest religion in the U.S.

This year, Ramadan will begin on October 26. Ramadan is the month of fasting observed by Muslims. During this month, Muslims are not supposed to eat, drink, or engage in sexual activity from sunrise to sunset. During the month of Ramadan, every evening is a kind of feast (or party) for the family and community. People invite each other over for meals and celebrations. At the end of Ramadan, there is a big festival called "Eid ul Fitr" (Festival of Fast-Breaking).

Eating lamb during Ramadan is not due to religion, but rather is culturally-based. Meat consumption increases during the month of Ramadan; therefore, so does lamb and goat consumption, since lamb is favored by Middle Easterners and goat by Muslims from the Indian sub-continent. This year, the end of Ramadan will occur November 26 or earlier, depending upon the sighting of the moon. This year is unique because Ramadan and Thanksgiving will occur during the same weekend, so family gatherings may be larger. Muslim holidays occur 11 days earlier each year, since the lunar calendar is used.

The demand for lamb and goat will increase during Ramadan, but not as much as it will for the Festival of Sacrifice, which will be February 1, 2004. Ramadan shopping is done a few days before Ramadan begins. Eid shopping is done one week before the end of Ramadan.

Source: Small Ruminant Marketing Listserv. Murat Kose, Sultans Halal Cafe and Market, Syracuse, NY.

New Resources . . .

Sheep Production Handbook

The 7th Edition of the Sheep Production Handbook is now available from the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI). The seventh edition contains revised information on major subjects such as breeding, forages, handling, health, management, marketing, nutrition, predator control, reproduction, and wool. New features include an extensive dairy chapter and a hardbound cover. The handbook is the primary text used to teach sheep production in universities around the country and is used as a reference by veterinarians, consultants, advisors, and producers.

The book sells for $49.95 each (plus shipping) or $45.00 per copy (plus shipping) for orders of 10 or more. To order, call ASI at (303) 771-3500, ext. 32, between the hours of 7 am and 3 pm Mountain Standard Time.

Editor's note: This is one of the best, if not best, sheep references available!

4-H Meat Goat Curriculum

The National 4-H Meat Goat Curriculum is now available for purchase from the 4-H Cooperative Curriculum System at http://www.n4hccs.org/, order@extension.umn.edu or 1-800-876-8636. The meat goat curriculum consists of four project guides:

1) Level I: Just Browsing
2) Level II: Growing with Meat Goats
3) Level III: Meating the Future
4) Meat Goat Helper's Guide: Group Activities for Ages K-12

The guides include activities related to breeds, health care, grooming, production, reproduction, management, showmanship, marketing, and careers. The three youth manuals contain a wide range of experientially- based activities to develop and maintain the interest of youth (grades 3-12). Curriculum guides are also available for sheep, dairy goats and other 4-H livestock projects. Contact your local 4-H agent for information.

Editor's Note: Susan Schoenian served on the 2003 design team for the National 4-H Meat Goat Curriculum and authored several chapters.

Focus on Research

Carcass Characteristics of Show Lambs

Animal scientists at Utah State University conducted a mini-study to determine the carcass characteristics of show lambs. They selected fourteen (14) lambs from the Utah State Fair, representing different extremes in weight, thickness, bone, and condition (fatness). They evaluated the lambs live and in carcass form, breaking the carcasses down into wholesale cuts (rack, loin, leg, and shoulder).

Utah State University Results. Dressing percentage (carcass weight ÷ live weight) varied from 51.1% to 61.8% (after 48 hours on feed and water) for the 14 lambs. Rib eye area ranged from 1.8 to 3.4 square inches. Pounds of loin as a percentage of live weight varied from 3.26% to 5.3%. Pounds of leg as a percent of live weight ranged from 13.12% to 18.06%. The rack percentage ranged from 2.68% to 4.6%. The CTRC (closely trimmed retail cuts) percentage, determined by adding all the numbers for each lamb together, ranged from 30.7% to 43.1%.

Local prices for wholesale cuts were used to determine the value of each lamb, and this value was compared to a live price of $0.70 per pound to determine profitability. In the study, the three most valuable lambs were the thinnest lamb and the two fattest ones, though the thinnest lamb was deemed "undesirable" because the carcass dried out before it was aged and cut up. The three "hardest" conditioned lambs were the three toughest lambs. Five of the six heaviest, cleanest-fronted lambs were the lowest valued lambs. The three lambs given the highest score for bone were the most valuable. The four lightest boned lambs were the lowest value. The deep, wide-loined lambs had the highest percentages in the loin, while the long, shallow-loined lambs not only had smaller "serving sizes" in the loin, but also a lower percentage of carcass value.

A chop was taken from each lamb to determine tenderness. Values for the Warner-Bratzler test varied from 6.3 pounds to 11.1 pounds. A value of 8 or higher was considered "not tender"; nine or higher was considered "tough." Half of the lambs were considered tough.

As with previous studies, ultrasound data had a very high correlation with actual rib eye area and back fat. The researchers plan to repeat this study several times to see if they get similar results. The information will be used to train judging teams and perhaps change the way judges evaluate lambs.

Kiko vs. Boer Sires: Part I

Researchers at Virginia State University continue to evaluate the growth performance and carcass characteristics of kids sired by either Boer or Kiko bucks bred to Spanish and Myotonic does. At 3.5 months of age, 24 intact male kids (August-born) were allocated among six pens and fed a diet of moderate quality grass hay (10.6% CP) ad libitum and a corn/ cottonseed supplement (15.5% CP) at 2% of body weight. Ultrasound measurements were taken at day 156, and animals were slaughtered at day 177.

Forage intake was similar between Kiko and Boer sired kids, but decreased from 1.77 to 1.14 percent of body weight during the trial. The Kiko sired kids tended to be heavier at the start of the trial, but final body weight (76.3 lbs) and average daily gain (ADG, 0.23 lbs/day) were not different between sire groups. Final body weight and ADG were higher in kids from Spanish (81 lbs, 0.28 lbs/day) than Myotonic (71.5 lbs, 0.21 lbs/day) does. Dressing percentage was higher in Boer x Spanish kids (48%) than any other breed combination (44-45%). Back fat was greater in Boer (0.035 in) than Kiko-sired (0.018 in) kids. Rib eye area and body wall thickness (0.34 in) did not differ among sire groups. Live grades were higher in Boer than Kiko-sired kids. Results suggest similar growth performance between sire breeds, but increased fat deposition and higher live grades in Boer-sired kids.

Source: Southern Section of American Society of Animal Science Abstracts (2003)

Sore Mouth

Sore mouth is the most common skin disease affecting sheep and goats. It is an extremely contagious disease caused by a virus in the pox family. The disease goes by several other names, including contagious ecthyma, contagious pustular dermititis, scabby mouth, and orf. The virus which causes sore mouth is very resistant to disinfectants and drying and can survive for very long periods in the scabs of infected sheep which drop into the environment, which may serve as a source of infection for months to come. The live virus has been found in dry scabs up to twelve years after they have been shed.

The sore mouth virus is spread from animal to animal (and animal to person) or by contact with contaminated facilities. It penetrates through small abrasions in the skin. Lesions are most commonly observed on the mouth, lips, and nostrils, but may also occur on the udder and between the toes. Obviously, the worst time to have sore mouth would be during lambing/kidding season when lambs/kids nursing infected udders could spread the disease to other females in the flock or cause mastitis in lactating females. Affected lambs may also refuse to nurse and die from starvation. Flocks with sore mouth are excluded from exhibition until the lesions have cleared up.
lamb with soremouth

Treatment of sore mouth on a flock-wide basis is generally not effective. Like other diseases caused by viruses, sore mouth cannot be treated with antibiotics. The disease will run its natural course in 1 to 4 weeks. While extremely infectious, sore mouth rarely causes death, though it may result in a loss of condition due to the pain associated with eating. Individual lesions can be treated with antibiotic sprays or creams (e.g vaseline + iodine). Animals which become infected with sore mouth usually develop an immunity to the disease. The only way to prevent sore mouth is to maintain a closed flock. Showing substantially increases the risk of sore mouth.

Sore mouth can be prevented from occurring at inopportune times by vaccinating. The vaccine is "live," which means you need to be very careful when administering it. By vaccinating for sore mouth, you are simply causing the lesions to develop at a location of your choice (at the time of your choice), usually a hairless, protected area, such as under the leg or tail head. The skin area is scraped, and the vaccine is applied with a small brush. Sore mouth lesions will develop 1 to 3 days after vaccination. Vaccination should be done 6 weeks prior to lambing/kidding or the start of the show season. If you have never had sore mouth in your flock, it is generally recommended that you NOT vaccinate.

Sore mouth is a zoonotic disease, meaning people can get it from animals. In people, the disease is called "orf."People get sore mouth by handling infected animals or the live vaccine. The disease in humans is similar to the disease in animals with a "chicken pox" type lesion usually developing on the fingers, hands, face or forearms. The sores are usually ½ inch in diameter and produce minor discomfort. The disease takes 2-10 days to develop after exposure and lasts for 1-6 weeks. Although there is no specific treatment for the virus, some people may need treatment to prevent secondary bacterial infection.

Helping Out in Kazakhstan

Recently I spent a month in the former Soviet Republic of Kazakhstan. The University of Maryland received a university partnership grant from the US Department of State to develop a pilot Extension program there, after having carried out a similar project in neighboring Uzbekistan. Our partner in Kazakhstan is the Kazakh National Agrarian University in Almaty. Herb Reed (Agricultural Agent and County Extension Director in Calvert County) and I were sent to get the project started.

Kazakhstan (pop. 15 m) is located in Central Asia. It is bordered by the Caspian Sea (west), Russia (north), China (east), and several other Central Asian countries (south). During the Second World War, Soviet industries were moved to Kazakhstan since it did not experience any hostilities, though millions of Kazakhs (women included) perished in the Great Patriot War. Kazakhstan was an important place during the Cold War. The Soviet Union tested nuclear weapons and launched its space program from there. It was also a place to send dissidents and other "enemies of the state."

Kazakhstan has an abundance of natural resources (energy and minerals) upon which to build a modern economy, but its greatest resource is its people, a virtual melting pot of Europeans and Asians: Kazakh (52%), Russian (31%), German, Ukrainian, Uzbek, Chinese, and numerous other ethnic groups. Religion is primarily a mix of Islam and Orthodox Christianity, though religion does not play a large role in Kazakh life. Two languages are widely spoken: Russian and Kazakh. Children have a choice of attending Kazakh or Russian-language schools. Awassi ram

Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country in the world, more than four times the size of Texas, and one of the world's largest producers of wheat. But mostly, Kazakhstan has land for grazing livestock (sheep, goats, cattle, horses, and camels). Horses are very important livestock in Central Asia. Horse meat is commonly consumed, as is fermented mare's milk (called koumis). Camels are also milked. Sheep raising has always been of cultural and economic significance to the people of Kazakhstan. Per capita consumption of sheep meat is among the highest in the world at 17.2 lbs. per person (per year) compared to 1.1 lbs. in the U.S. Shashlyk (lamb or mutton shish kabobs) is a favored dish, and lamb is almost always served at traditional Kazakh celebrations. Lamb and mutton are on the menus of most restaurants. The sheep's head (eye balls, too!) is often consumed. Many wool products are available for purchase. The region is noted for hand-made rugs made mostly from wool.

Kazakhstan was the largest producer of sheep and wool in the former Soviet Union. At one time, there were over 40 million sheep in Kazakhstan. Sheep farms were generally large with more than 10,000 head on state farms. Artificial insemination (vaginal, with fresh semen) was widely practiced. Today, there are fewer than 12 million in Kazakhstan, though the sheep population has stabilized in recent years and is said to be increasing several percentage points per year. The goal is to increase the population to approximately 20 million head. All ewe lambs are retained for breeding; only ram lambs are sold for meat. Most of the sheep are raised in southern Kazakhstan, where pastures receive more annual precipitation. Sheep receive no grain, only hay during the winter feeding period. Sheep raising in most of Kazakhstan is similar to range sheep production in the western U.S. Kazakhs believe that sheep farms need to be (very) large to be economically viable.

There are three general types of sheep in Kazakhstan: Fine-Wool (Merino-type), Karakul, and native fat-tailed. Fine-Wool sheep compose the majority of the Kazakh sheep population, as the Soviet system emphasized wool production. However, in the new market economy, there is likely to be a shift in emphasis from wool to meat. Karakuls make up less than 10 percent of the sheep population. They are a fat-rumped sheep native to Central Asia that are raised primarily for the pelt production from baby lambs (Persian lamb skin). The rest of the sheep in Kazakhstan are native fat-rumped varieties, such as the Edelbuey, which are raised primarily for meat, though they do produce fleeces of coarse wool, which are suitable for rug-making and felting. Kazakh goats

In recent years, there have been importations (by the Sheep Breeding Institute, outside of Almaty) of Australian Merinos and Awassis (fat-rumped dairy sheep from Israel). The Merinos are being used to improve the wool quality of Kazakh fine-wool sheep, while the Awassis are being crossed with other fat-tailed sheep and may be used to introduce sheep dairying. At the Institute, native ewes have been inseminated with frozen semen from various U.S. sheep breeds, including the Rambouillet (carrying the high fecundity gene), Polypay, and Hampshire. In the future, Suffolk semen will be utilized for crossbreeding.

Most of the goats raised in Kazakhstan are Angora or native meat-type. They are starting to breed Cashmere goats and have imported semen from Scotland. There are no Boer goats, though the Head of the Goat Breeding Department is interested in obtaining semen to introduce the breed to Kazakhstan. Dairy goat research is also being pursued at the Research Institute.

Historically, Kazakhs were nomads, following their herds of livestock across the vast open plains (steppes) of Central Asia. They lived in "yurts," wool skin tents that provided comfortable living quarters and were easy to move. After the Russian Revolution, state and collective farms were forcibly organized in Kazakhstan, resulting in the deaths of many Kazakhs (due to famine) and putting an end to their nomadic way of life. After Kazakhstan gained its independence in 1991, the state and collective farms were dismantled and privatized. Production fell drastically in all commodity areas, as private farmers lacked the knowledge, skills, and financial resources to farm their land and livestock profitably. Sheep were often used for cash or barter, so their numbers plummeted.

Meat, milk, and crop yields remain low by western standards. Many of the things that American, Canadian, and European farmers take for granted are not available to Kazakh farmers, e.g. affordable credit, Extension expertise, and organized markets. Especially lacking is marketing infrastructure. Farmers often have no place to sell their products and must settle for very low prices. For the first time, the government has implemented a program (3 years) to help farmers by reducing the cost of some of their inputs: seed, fertilizer, animal health products, etc.

While Kazakhstan has made significant progress since gaining its independence (and since I visited in 1994), economic growth will be slower coming to the rural areas and to farmers. It is our hope that an agricultural advisory service (i.e. Cooperative Extension) will help provide farmers with some of the skills they need to build profitable, sustainable agricultural enterprises and share in their country's growing prosperity.

Featured Breed: the Alpine Goat Alpine buck

The Alpine is a breed of dairy goat that originated in the Alps. The first Alpines were bought to the U.S. in 1922 from France. All purebred Alpines in the United States descend from this importation. American Alpines are generally larger than the original French version.

The Alpine is larger and more variable in size than the other Swiss dairy goat breeds. Mature females should stand not less than 30 in. at the withers and should weigh not less than 135 lbs. Males should stand from 34 to 40 in. at the withers and should weigh not less than 170 lbs.

No distinct color pattern has been established for Alpines. Animals may range from pure white to shades of fawn, gray, black, red, bluff, piebald, or various shadings or combinations of these colors. One of the interesting things about raising Alpines is the anticipation of the color markings of each new kid. Alpine ears should be of medium size, fine texture, and preferably erect.

Alpine females are excellent milkers and usually have large, well-shaped udders with well-placed teats of desirable shape. Size and production, rather than color pattern, was stressed in development of the Alpine. Alpine production records have exceeded 4,000 pounds of milk. Alpines led all breeds in average milk production for animals on test in 1998, though generally they are considered to be second in milk production to the Saanen. In the U.S., Alpines are second in popularity to the (Anglo-) Nubian.

Breed	Milk Production	Percent Butterfat
Saanan	2,468	3.4
Alpine	2,254	3.5
La Mancha	2,097	3.9
Oberhasli	2,062	3.7
Toggenburg	2,015	3.2
Nubian	1,749	4.8
Source: Based on 2002 DHIR Individual doe records, American Dairy Goat Association.

Alpines also cross well for meat production. In a Canadian Study (1996-97), Alpine sired kids grew 15% faster than Boer sired kids when bred to Alpine, Spanish, or Saanan does. Carcass quality based on rib eye depth and fat depth at 160 day was not different between Alpine and Boer sires.

Featured Web Site: Maryland Agriculture

If it's related to Maryland Agriculture, you can find it at www.marylandagriculture.info (or .com). This web site contains listings for farms, markets, the green industry, natural resources, supplies and services, organizations, government and educational, financial, publications and software, kid's ag links, and Maryland-Made Products. It's a great place to list your farm or business or to find products or services. The site is maintained by Maryland Cooperative Extension. Listings are FREE.

Calendar of Events

Links are provided as an information service. They do not constitute an endorsement of any non-affiliated organizations, businesses, products or content of these pages by Maryland Cooperative Extension or the University of Maryland. Mention of product names is for information purposes only. It is the policy of Maryland Cooperative Extension that no person shall be subjected to discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex, disability, age, religion or national origin


The Maryland Sheep & Goat Producer is published bi-monthly by University of Maryland Cooperative Extension. It is written and edited by Susan Schoenian, Area Agent for Sheep and Goats at the Western Maryland Research & Education Center. Dr. Niki Whitley (UMES/(410) 651-6194, nwhitley@mail .umes.edu) and Willie Lantz (Garrett College/(301) 387-3331, wlantz@garrettcollege.edu) are regular contributors to the newsletter. To receive the newsletter, contact Susan at the Western Maryland Research & Education Center, 18330 Keedysville Road, Keedysville, MD 21756, (301) 432-2767 ext. 343, fax (301) 432-4089; e-mail: sschoen @umd.edu. The cost of receiving the newsletter by mail is $10 per year, payable to the MPWV Meat Goat Producers Association. Internet access is FREE. You can be added to the list to receive an e-mail message when the latest newsletter has been posted to the web at http://www.sheepandgoat.com/news/. Comments and suggestions regarding the newsletter are always welcome and appreciated.

October 2003 - Vol. 2 Issue 5

Newsletter Renewal