2007
Meat Goat Pasture-Based
Performance Test
Forty-seven (47) Kiko, Boer, Kiko x Boer, and meat x dairy male
goats finished the 2nd annual Western Maryland Pasture-Based Meat
Goat Performance Test on October 6, 2007. The goats were consigned
by ten (10) producers from Maryland and four other states (VA, DE,
PA, and KY).
Growth performance
The average starting weight of the goats was 54.9 lbs. The goats
were weighed every 14 days. Average daily gain ranged from 0.103
to 0.338 lbs. per day and averaged 0.253 lbs. per day. During a
two week period in August, the goats lost an average of 0.19 lbs.
per day. The weight loss was attributed to the poor pasture and
grazing conditions caused by the drought. Nutritional tubs were
introduced to improve forage utilization.
Parasite resistance/resilience
While on test, the goats were handled every 14 days to determine
FAMACHA©
eye anemia and body condition scores and the need for deworming.
Fecal samples were collected four times. Only four goats required
deworming during the test period and their needs were marginal.
No FAMACHA© scores below 3 were observed, despite high fecal
egg counts. The lack of parasitism was attributed to the drought
conditions and ample grazing heights of the pasture.
Carcass merit
Towards the end of the test, realtime ultrasound was used to determine
carcass traits: ribeye area and backfat thickness. Among the 47
goats, ribeye area ranged from 1.01 to 2.28 square inches and averaged
1.52 square inches. Backfat measurements did not vary significantly.
They ranged from 0.04 to 0.07 inches and averaged 0.053 inches.
It is important to note that goats fatten differently than most
other livestock. They deposit their fat internally around their
organs vs. externally over their bones. Thus, a goat with much external
backfat is usually a VERY fat goat.
Scrotal circumference
Scrotal measurements were also taken towards the end of the test.
Scrotal circumference ranged from 22 to 32 centimeters and averaged
26.2 cm. A 7 to 8 month old breeding buck should have a scrotal
circumference of at least 25 cm.
 Top-performing
goats
The top-performing goat in the test was a 94% Kiko buck consigned
by Don Smith (Virginia). This goat did not require deworming while
on test. Only 0.02 lbs. per day separated the top two goats. The
second highest gaining goat was a Kiko x Boer buck consigned by
Bill Lowe (Pennsylvania). This goat also did not require deworming.
Both goats were sold via private treaty for breeding, as were several
other bucks.
2008 Test
The 2008 Western Maryland Pasture-Based Meat Goat Performance Test
will begin on June 7 and end on October 4. A field day and sale
will be held in conjunction with the test.
Up to 50 male goats may be consigned to the test. The consignment
period is April 1-May 15. Eligible goats must be between 3 and 5
months of age and weigh between 35 and 70 lbs. at the start of the
test. Any breed or breed cross is eligible. Consigners are limited
to 5 goats; at least 2 is suggested. The testing fee was $75 per
goat in 2007.
Additional information about the test can be found on the blog
at http://mdgoattest.blogspot.com.
The purpose of the Western Maryland Pasture-Based Meat Goat Performance
Test is to measure genetic differences in meat goats consuming a
pasture diet with natural exposure to internal parasites. The test
also provides the opportunity to evaluate the performance of meat
goats under typical Mid-Atlantic production conditions. While on
test, the goats are evaluated for growth performance, parasite resistance
and resilience, and carcass merit.
The test is conducted at the University
of Maryland's Western Maryland Research & Education Center
in Keedysville, MD (approximately 9 miles south of Hagerstown, MD).
Ten (10) acres of pasture is utilized for the test.
The meat goat test committee includes Susan Schoenian, Jeanne Dietz-Band,
Jeff Semler, Mary Beth Bennett (West Virginia), Willie Lantz, Dr.
Niki Whitley, Dr. Dahlia Jackson (Delaware), and Dr. Kevin Pelzer
(Virginia). Cindy Mason and Pam Thomas provide administrative support.
|
Table of Contents
New Ag Marketing Program
 Ginger
S. Myers began work for the University of Maryland Cooperative Extension
(UMCE) as the Regional Ag Marketing Specialist at the beginning
of September. She is stationed at the University of Maryland, Western
Maryland Research and Education Center (WMREC) in Keedysville.
The Ag Marketing Program’s mission is to assist individuals
with marketing plans, develop profitable, sustainable marketing
opportunities, and work in coordination with other supporting agencies
to enhance Maryland’s agricultural economy.
Ginger publishes a quarterly newsletter, "Mastering
Marketing"that includes tips for producers, grant opportunities,
upcoming programs, and other information to help producers.
For more information or to join the e-mail list for the newsletter,
please contact Ginger Myers at 301-432-2767 x338 or gsmyers@umd.edu.
Note: Ginger raises sheep on her farm in Carroll County.
|
Table of Contents
Another Successful Lambing & Kidding School
 Approximately
130 people attended the Lambing and Kidding School held December
8th at Carroll Community College in Westminster, MD. The first school
was held in 2005 at the Howard County Fairgrounds. Participants
of both schools were an equal mix of sheep and goat producers.
The Lambing and Kidding School was sponsored by University of Maryland
Cooperative Extension, with support from Sheepman
Supply Company (Frederick, MD). Door prizes were donated by
Premier 1 Supplies,
La Belle Colostrum, and
the University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Lambing and kidding pocket record keeping booklets were provided
by Shepherd Magazine and University of Missouri Cooperative Extension.
Participants in the school received a lambing and kidding kit and
resource notebook.
Dr. Kevin Pelzer, a Production Management Medicine Specialist from
the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at
Virginia Tech was the featured speaker. Breakout sessions covered
a variety of topics.
The next lambing and kidding school will be held
in 2009.
|
Table of Contents
#1 Producing Dairy Goat in Maryland
 A
Hagerstown, Maryland farm had the nation's #1 milk-producing goat.
"Stargate," a 3-year old Saanen doe produced 5,150 pounds
of milk between March 2006 and March 2007. The American Dairy Goat
Association listed Stargate as the country's No. 1 milker in July,
according to a written release from the farm.
Stargate is owned by Alice Orzechowski and Scott Hoyman, whose
Caprikorn Farms recently
received a license to sell cheese. The dairy sends its milk to a
Pennsylvania cheese maker and then sells it at the Middletown
Farmer's Market. According to Orzechowski, "the market
for goat's milk continues to grow."
Source: The Delmarva
Farmer, August 21, 2007
|
Table of Contents
Just
for Youth:
2008 Maryland 4-H Tail Docking Policy
The 2008 Maryland 4-H Tail Docking Policy remains virtually unchanged
from 2007. 4-H lambs should be docked no shorter than the distal
end of the caudal tail fold. The caudal fold is a flap of skin attached
to the underside of the tail near the rectum and is clearly visible
when the tail is lifted.
Lambs docked in this manner will have a minimum tail length of
0.7 inches at the time of show, as determined by the approved measuring
device.
Purchased lambs should have a minimum tail length of 1.4 inches
at the time of "weaning." This gives a high probability that the
lamb's tail will measure at least 0.7 inches at the time of show.
4-Hers should use the DeTail
device to select lambs that have been properly docked.
Voluntary compliance
 In
2008, compliance with the Maryland 4-H Tail Docking Policy will
be VOLUNTARY. Lamb tails (docks) will not be officially
measured at Maryland 4-H activities. No lambs will be disqualified
from showing due to tail length, unless the short dock results in
a rectal prolapse.
The policy will be re-evaluated at the end of 2008.
Rectal prolapses
Any sheep or lamb that exhibits a rectal prolapse at a 4-H activity
will be ineligible for the activity and sent home by the Extension
Educator, Sheep Superintendent, or other appropriately deemed individual.
The following will be used as a guideline to determine the occurrence
of a rectal prolapse:
"A rectal prolapse is defined as an inversion of the rectum
that protrudes 4 cm (1.6 in.) or more outside the body and remains
exterior to the body while the animal is standing." (Journal of
Animal Science, 2003).
If a lamb is observed with a rectal prolapse (by one of the above
people) and in the future is not observed with a rectal prolapse,
it is still classified as having a rectal prolapse. This was the
criteria used in the 2003 multi-year study that established a link
between tail length and the incidence of rectal prolapses in lambs
fed concentrate diets.
Questions about Maryland's 2008 4-H Tail Docking Policy should
be directed to Susan Schoenian at (301) 432-2767 x343 or sschoen@umd.edu.
|
Table of Contents
Compensation
for Natural Disasters
The USDA's Farm Service Agency
(FSA) Livestock Compensation Program (LCP) 2005-2007 provides benefits
to livestock producers who suffered feed losses or incurred additional
feed costs directly resulting from natural disasters (e.g. drought)
occurring between January 1, 2005, and February 28, 2007.
To be eligible under LCP, livestock must have been maintained for
commercial use in an eligible county on the beginning date of the
disaster period. Producers incurring a loss in more than one year,
must choose only one year for which to receive benefits.
FSA will calculate payments by multiplying the national payment
rate for each livestock category (sheep and goats, $2.67; adult
beef, $10.66; non-adult beef, $8.00; and some equine, $7.89) by
the number of eligible livestock in each category. Camelids (llamas
and alpacas) are not included. For more information about LCP and
to find out if you are eligible for payments, visit your local
Farm Service Agency (FSA) office.
Source: USDA-FSA Fact Sheet: Livestock Compensation Program
2005-2007 (September 2007).
http://www.fsa.usda.gov/Internet/FSA_File/lcp07.pdf
|
Table of Contents
No Link Found Between Ca
and Vaginal Prolapses
A vaginal prolapse is a protrusion of the vagina through the vulva.
In New Zealand, it occurs on-average 13 days before lambing and
is estimated to cost the New Zealand sheep industry $30-50 million
per year. It is a troublesome problem in many U.S. sheep flocks.
It is less common in goats.
 Calcium
(Ca) status has been implicated as one of the causes of vaginal
prolapses, so New Zealand researchers conducted a series of experiments
to evaluate the role of Ca and the incidence of vaginal prolapses
in ewes.
In one experiment, researchers monitored the calcium status of
old twin bearing ewes under normal commercial conditions. They sampled
the ewes' blood at 60, 30, and 7 days prior to lambing. While 11
to 41 percent of the ewes had marginal serum Ca and magnesium status
60 and 30 days prior to lambing, no relationship was found between
serum minerals and the incidence of vaginal prolapses.
In the second experiment, the researchers manipulated the Ca status
of twin bearing ewes in flocks with a history of vaginal prolapses.
However, neither the feeding of anionic salts in mid-pregnancy (to
reduce urine losses of Ca) nor Ca or vitamin D supplements in late
pregnancy consistently changed serum Ca concentration or the incidence
of vaginal prolapses.
The researchers concluded that there is a strong "environmental"
component associated with vaginal prolapses, not associated with
feeding level; and that "the factors or combination of factors
which make up this environmental component remain frustratingly
elusive."
Read full article in 2007 Proceedings of New Zealand Society of
Animal Production on the web at http://chuckstuff.org/nzsap/2007/ab07011.pdf
|
Table of Contents
Wethers vs. Short-Scrotum vs. Intact Rams
A comparison of wethers (WTH), short scrotum (SSC), and intact
rams (RAM) was made on 552 crossbred Romney lambs in New Zealand.
A short scrotum is a ram whose testicles have been pushed into the
body and had its scrotum removed. It is also called a cryptorchid.
 The
experiment began when the lambs were five weeks old. They were grazed
on ryegrass/white clover pastures in New Zealand's hill country.
The lambs were weighed at day 0, 81, 120, 154, and 192 and slaughtered
when they weighed approximately 36 kg (79.2 lbs.).
WTH lambs grew slower than SSC and RAM lambs. Due to higher dressing
percentages, WTH and SSC lambs had heavier carcasses than RAM lambs.
The carcasses of WTH lambs were fatter than the carcasses of SSC
and RAM lambs.
Due to fatter carcasses and extra costs of feeding and drenching
(deworming), researchers deemed the WTH lambs to be less profitable
than SCR and RAM lambs. They found no difference in growth, carcass,
and value traits for SSC and RAM lambs.
Read full article from the 2007 Proceedings of the New Zealand
Society of Animal Science on the internet at http://chuckstuff.org/nzsap/2007/ab07008.pdf
|
Table of Contents
A Yule Goat?
Prior to Christianity's arrival in Scandinavia, the Yule Goat was
used to celebrate the arrival of winter solstice - around the same
time of year Christmas is celebrated.
The Yule Goat was a person disguised as a goat who went from house
to house entertaining families with songs and dances, receiving
drink and food in exchange for the entertainment.
Visit http://mdsheepgoat.blogspot.com/2007/11/yule-goat.html
to find out more about this Scandinavian tradition!
|
Table of Contents
Featured Web Site: AgMarketing.umd.edu
 The
University of Maryland Cooperative Extension web site, AgMarketing.umd.edu,
provides information on alternative enterprises, marketing outlets
and tools, value-added products, resources for new farmers, and
the quarterly newsletter, "Mastering Marketing."
The Marketing 101 section covers all aspects of developing a marketing
plan and will steer your business in the right direction.
"Marketing Mania"is a blog that will soon be online to
complement the web site. Both the web site and blog are still in
the development stages, but will provide important information to
help your business grow.
|
Table of Contents
USDA Publishes "Grass-Fed" Standard
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued a voluntary
standard for grass (forage) fed marketing claims. The standard has
been published as a Notice in the Federal Register and is titled
the U.S. Standard for Livestock and Meat Marketing Claim, Grass
(Forage) Fed Claim for Ruminant Livestock and the Meat Products
Derived from Such Livestock.
The grass-fed standard states that grass and/or forage shall be
the feed source consumed for the lifetime of the ruminant animal,
with the exception of milk consumed prior to weaning. The diet shall
be derived solely from forage, and animals cannot be fed grain or
grain by-products and must have continuous access to pasture during
the growing season.
The standard may be obtained from the web at http://www.ams.usda.gov/lsg/stand/claim.htm.
Source: USDA-AMS news release, October 15, 2007.
Read Grass-fed lamb and goat at http://www.sheepandgoat.com/articles/grassfed.html
|
Table of Contents
Effects of Concentrate Feeding
 Forty-six
(46) crossbred Boer goats were used by researchers at Kansas State
University to assess the effects of concentrate feeding on the carcass
composition of goats.
The goats were fed ab libitum, with no concentrate (range) or with
one of three levels of concentrate (low, 50%; medium, 70%; and high,
90%) for 126 days before slaughter. Carcasses were fabricated according
to the Institutional
Meat Purchase Specifications (IMPS).
Overall, goats fed concentrate-based diets had heavier carcasses
and primal weights, but lower percentages of trimmed primal cuts
and less off-flavor intensity compared to range-fed goats.
Longissimus (ribeye) samples from concentrate-fed goats had higher percentages of total, saturated, monosaturated and n-6 FA; but lower percentages of n-3 FA, compared to longissimus samples from range-fed goats.
Source: Abstract from Small Ruminant Research, November 2007
- Volume 73, Issues 1-3, Pages 67-76.
|
Table of Contents
DSU Update from Dr. Dahlia Jackson
Dewormer Resistance in a Small Goat Herd in Delaware
Despite the intense dry weather this past summer, Delaware State
University's goat herd had a hard time dealing with heavy parasite
infestations, especially the kids. For example, fecal parasite egg
counts from fecal samples taken from the entire herd in July indicated
that the average parasite load of our adult goats was 764.8 eggs
per gram (epg) and ranged from 0 – 4450 epg. For our goat
kids, initial fecal egg counts averaged 2827 epg and ranged from
0 - 24,150 epg.
With the help of undergraduate students working at Hickory Hill
(DSU's Ruminant Farm), a study was conducted in July to determine
the levels of dewormer resistance in DSU goats. To determine resistance,
we used the Fecal Egg Count Reduction Test (FECRT) to test three
dewormers that we already had at the farm.
Forty-four goats were separated into four groups according to age,
production status, and initial fecal egg counts. The four groups
included a Cydectin® (CYD), Ivermectin® (IVR), Valbazen®
(VAL) and a control (CON) group. A CON group should always be included
when conducting a FECRT to help ensure that nothing else (but the
dewormer) is accounting for the reduction in fecal egg counts.
 The
FECRT involves taking an initial fecal sample, deworming at the
same time, and then taking another fecal sample 7-14 days after
to determine reduction. A dewormer is deemed effective if it results
in a > 90% fecal egg count reduction.
According to the results, CYD was the only effective dewormer resulting
in a 98% reduction in fecal egg counts. Both IVR and VAL failed
to reduce fecal egg counts in this study. The results of using either
of these drugs were similar to not treating the goats or simply
giving them water.
This result makes it imperative for us at DSU to integrate techniques
such as FAMACHA, fecal egg counts, good nutrition, and pasture management
into our plans to control internal parasites and prolong the efficacy
of Cydectin®.
For 2008, we plan on submitting fecal samples for the Larval Development
Assay (LDA) conducted at the University of Georgia in order to see
how well our results correlate with this alternative, more sensitive
test. This is also a good time to remind subscribers about the opportunity
to get free LDA tests on their flock.
Participating producers will be asked to collect fecal samples
from their animals and submit to the University of Georgia (UGA).
Results will indicate dewormer resistance on your farm and which
drug/drugs is still effective at no cost to you. This study is a
collaborative effort between DSU, University of Maryland Eastern
Shore (UMES), and UGA to characterize levels of dewormer resistance
(AR) in gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) of small ruminants in the
Mid-Atlantic U.S (USDA funded). The information will help sheep
and goat producers in implementing a chemical deworming strategy
that is most effective on their farm in order to prolong the efficacy
of available chemical treatments.
If you would like more information on worm control in sheep and
goats and for more information on the project mentioned above please
do not hesitate to contact me at (302) 857 – 6490 or djjackson@desu.edu.
Dr. Dahlia Jackson is the small ruminant specialist at Delaware
State University. She received her Ph.D. from the University
of Maryland Eastern Shore. |
Table of Contents
Try this
goat milk recipe:
Cajeta (Mexican Caramel Candy)
3 quarts goat milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Dissolve baking soda and cornstarch into 1 cup milk. Stir well
to dissolve any lumps. Add rest of milk and add sugar. Bring mixture
to boil, stirring constantly while cooking. Cook until the mixture
is thick and looks like caramel sauce. Pour into jars, cool, and
refrigerate. This makes a great topping for ice cream and makes
a delicious apple dip!
Source: American Dairy Goat Association web site: http://adga.org
|
Table of Contents
UMES Update from Dr. Niki Whitley
We split breedings again this year at UMES so that
we will have some goats and sheep at different ages. Nearly all
of our early breedings (due Jan/Feb) are purebred or high percentage
Suffolk and Fullblood or high percentage Boer, though I did breed
a few Kiko cross females to a Kiko buck as well. The rest of the
sheep and goats are due anywhere from March until June.
Tammy Holler, a graduate student at West Virginia University came
to UMES the first week in December to ultrasound (sonogram) our
ewes for a project and found that over half the ewes with the only
Dorper ram I kept (a black headed one) were either open or less
than 2 weeks bred.
So we put the Texel ram she had brought back (she
borrowed it for an out-of-season breeding study this summer) in
with them to "clean up.” So we "might" have
some half Texel, half Katahdin lambs again this year along with
our high percentage Suffolk, Katahdin, and Katahdin x Dorper lambs.
 We
finished the first round of our "Wild Bird" study at UMES.
Virginia State University (VSU) is conducting a similar study with
an animal portion there as well as here at UMES. We are trying to
determine if and how often wild birds, especially migratory birds,
pass on Salmonella, Campylobacter and E. coli to sheep
and goats grazing on pasture.
We have four pastures with open water containers and four with
nipple waterers (like for pigs and dogs in kennels). The purpose
is to see if the open water containers attract more birds than the
nipples. We plan to conduct the study in the fall and spring for
two years, with the first fall already completed. The microbiology
data (bacteria) is being collected by VSU and they have not yet
compiled all the results for this first study.
UMES will have some lambs and goats for potential 4-H Youth projects
(a few wether projects possibly) or producers interested in breeding
stock. For more information on the research studies or other items
in this article, please contact me at 410-651-6194 or nwhitley@umes.edu. |
Table of Contents
Not All Masses in Goats
are Contagious Abscesses
Most goat owners assume that all external masses in goats are contagious
abscesses caused by Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis. Although
this bacteria leads to a significant number of herd infections,
not all masses are abscesses and not all abscesses are contagious.
Determining the correct origin of an external mass requires a detailed
history, thorough physical examination, and aspiration or biopsy.
Once the correct diagnosis has been made, an appropriate therapy
can be chosen and prognosis for recovery determined.
Numerous bacteria live on the surface of healthy skin and mucous
membranes and can be introduced into body tissues through small
ulcers or puncture wounds. Coarse hay, grass awns, wood splinters,
used injection needles, and trauma introduce bacteria into tissue.
Once inside the body and deprived of oxygen, bacteria replicate
rapidly, destroy healthy tissue, and attract white blood cells to
fight infection.
 Fibrous
connective tissue surrounds the infection to prevent its spread
throughout the body. In most cases the immune system functions properly
to destroy the bacteria, and the abscess is either resorbed or breaks
through the skin to the outside. Some abscesses interfere with body
functions due to their location or size and may need to be surgically
drained or removed.
In order to select an appropriate treatment, the cause of the abscess
should be determined by bacteriologic culture. The skin is clipped
and aseptically prepared, and the aspirated sample should be refrigerated
until delivered to a diagnostic laboratory for culture.
Abscesses caused by common bacteria such as Staphylococcus,
Streptococcus, or Pasteurella usually do not require
treatment unless the goat shows symptoms of systemic involvement
such as swelling, anorexia, or fever. Lancing superficial abscesses
caused by common skin bacteria may shorten the course of the disease
and yield a more cosmetically pleasing scar. This type of abscess
commonly occurs around the mouth, lips, cheeks, and injection sites,
and does not spread between animals.
Abscesses caused by Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis spread
from one animal to another and are referred to as caseous lymphadenitis.
These bacteria are found in the thick pustular discharge from ruptured
abscesses and can survive for many years in contaminated soil, barns
and on equipment or instruments.
While the bacteria may find easy entrance into the body through
wounds, they may also penetrate intact skin. C. pseudotuberculosis
produces a toxin called phospholipase D that allows it to spread
from lymph node to lymph node throughout the body. The immune system
tries to encapsulate the infection with layers of connective tissue,
but the enzyme allows the bacteria to escape.
The vast majority of lesions begin in the head and neck and then
travel to internal lymph nodes around the lungs, heart, liver, kidneys
and small intestine. Corynebacterium abscesses frequently increase
in size with age and interfere with body function. Because these
abscesses interfere with normal organ function, Caseous lymphadenitis
is the most common cause of wasting or chronic weight loss in goats.
Goats infected with Corynebacterium are permanently infected and
shed the organism in body fluids, abscess contents, and coughed
aerosol droplets. One study indicated goats can develop clinical
disease within three months of exposure, and the organism can be
spread from open abscesses for as long as three weeks.
Careful interpretation of the SHI test at the University of California,
Davis may be useful in determining which animals in an infected
herd have internal abscesses. Herds infected with Caseous lymphadenitis
should work to eliminate the disease through culling affected animals,
careful screening, and isolation of purchased animals, and raising
young stock away from adults on a pasteurization program.
Colorado Serum Company produces two sheep vaccines, Case-Bac and
Caseous DT, for use in infected sheep flocks. The manufacturer recommends
two doses of two milliliters administered subcutaneously in the
auxiliary space two weeks apart, followed by a single annual booster.
The company suggests that the vaccine should be used only in herds
that currently suffer from Caseous lymphadenitis or those that are
at extreme risk for infection. Because this vaccine is not labeled
for use in goats, goat producers who use these vaccines in goats
do so at their own risk, as reactions have been reported when the
sheep vaccine was used in goats.
Careful physical examination, aspiration, and biopsy can be used
to determine the cause of external masses in goats. Accurate diagnosis
can lead to correctly chosen treatment and prevention programs.
Although not all causes of external masses can be prevented, their
incidence can be markedly reduced through good management practices.
Source: Summer 2007 Sheep & Goat Health Report, a FREE
publication of the National Institute for Animal Agriculture.
|
Table of Contents
Rich Barczewski
is MSBA's
Shepherd of the Year
 The
Maryland Sheep Breeders Association (MSBA) held its annual meeting
and banquet on October 20 at the Carroll County Ag Center in Westminster.
Dr. Mara Mullinix is MSBA's new vice president. She is joined on
the executive board by returning officers: Joe Frey, President;
Connie DeLamater, Treasurer; and Jordan Thomas, Secretary. New directors
include Greg Thorne, Patty Loun, Steve Archer, and Jeff Hevner.
During the meeting, Dr. Richard Barczewski was presented with MSBA's
"Shepherd of the Year" award. Dr. Barczewski manages the
Maryland Wool Pool, co-instructs the beginning and advanced sheep
shearing schools, and presents beginning shepherd seminars at the
Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival. He is the Chair of the Department
of Agriculture at Delaware State University.
Bev Pearsall named MACAA’s Honorary County Agent
 Bev
Pearsall was presented with the "Honorary County Agent"
award from the Maryland Association of County Agricultural Agents
(MACAA). The award was presented by David Greene, retired county
agent from Carroll County and life member of MACAA. Pearsall is
a sheep breeder in Frederick County. Her Texel sheep typically win
the carcass contest at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival.
Join MSBA
Membership in the Maryland Sheep Breeders Association is $25 per
year and includes a subscription to the quarterly Maryland Sheep
News. Checks made payable to MSBA should be sent to Jordan Thomas,
MSBA Secretary, 447 E. Catherine Street, Chambersburg, PA 17201.
|
Table of Contents
Calendar
of Events
January 8 – Small Ruminant Session at Delaware Ag
Week
Speaker: Dr. Ray Kaplan, Parasitologist
6 to 9 p.m., Delaware State Fairgrounds, Harrington, DE
Contact: Dr. Dahlia Jackson at (302) 857-6490 or djjackson@desu.edu
January 11-12 - VA-NC Shepherd's Symposium
Alphin Stuart Livestock Arena, Blacksburg, VA
Contact: Dr. Scott Greiner at (540) 231-9159 or sgreiner@vt.edu
January 12 – Virginia Commercial Bred Ewe Lamb Sale
Alphin Stuart Livestock Arena, Blacksburg, VA
Contact: Dr. Scott Greiner at (540) 231-9159 or sgreiner@vt.edu
January 18-19 – 9th
Future Harvest CASA Annual Farming for Profit & Stewardship
Conference
Sheraton Four Points Hotel, Hagerstown, MD
Call (410) 549-7878 or visit their web site, www.futureharvestcasa.org
January 23-26 – American
Sheep Industry Association (ASI) and National Lamb Feeders Association
(NLFA) Annual Convention
Riviera Hotel and Casino. Las Vegas, Nevada
Contact: ASI at (303) 771-3500 x35 or judym@sheepusa.org
January 24 & 31 – Sheep & Goat Nutrition &
Feeding Short Course
7 to 9:30 p.m., Washington County
Extension Office, Boonsboro, MD
Contact: Jeff Semler at (301) 791-1304 or jsemler@umd.edu
February 7-9 – PASA
Farming for the Future Conference
Penn State Conference Center, State College, PA
Contact: PASA at (814) 349-9856 or info@pasafarming.org
Calendar of Events at SheepGoatMarketing.info
|
Table of Contents
 Wild
& Woolly (formerly 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,
Sheep and Goat Specialist, at the Western Maryland Research &
Education Center. To receive the newsletter, contact the Western
Maryland Research & Education Center: 18330 Keedysville Road,
Keedysville, MD 21756, (301) 432-2767 ext. 343 or 301, fax (301)
432-4089; or e-mail: sschoen@umd.edu
or Cindy Mason, administrative assistant, at cmason@umd.edu.
The cost of receiving the newsletter by mail is $10 per year payable
to the University of Maryland. The newsletter is free when accessed
via the Internet.
You
can be added to a list to receive an e-mail message when a new
newsletter has been posted to the web at www.sheepandgoat.com/news/index.html.
Comments and suggestions regarding the newsletter are always welcome.
References to commercial products or trade names are made with
the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement
by Maryland Cooperative Extension is implied.
Articles
may be reprinted with permission of the author(s). More information
on sheep and goats can be accessed at http://mdsheepgoat.blogspot.com
and http://www.sheepgoatmarketing.info.
Article submissions are encouraged. Articles may be reprinted
with permission of author.
|
|
|
