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On July 6, sheep and goat
producers may bring up to five lambs and/or meat goat kids to have them scanned
(using realtime ultrasound) for back fat and rib eye area. The event will take
place between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. at either the Western Maryland Research &
Education Center (Keedysville) or the Washington County Ag Expo/fairgrounds
(Boonsboro). These are adjacent facilities. 
It is recommended that lambs/kids be near market weight. A scale will be available
for weighing. Willard Lemaster, 4-H Animal
Science Specialist for Maryland Cooperative Extension, will do the scanning.
There may be a small fee charged for each animal. Pre-registration will be required
to make sure we have enough animals to hold the event and not too many to scan
in four hours. In addition to scanning, blood samples can be collected from
animals to use for scrapie genotyping or other disease screening (e.g. CAE or
OPP). The activity will include a cook-out. Tours of the research farm will
also be conducted.
Final details and registration information will be contained in the June newsletter.
There will be a Lamb
Carcass and Performance Contest at the Maryland
Sheep & Wool Festival on May 7 at 3 p.m. Carcass data will be collected
via realtime ultrasound. The contest is open to any breed or sex of lamb. Lambs
must weigh at least 80 lbs. and be less than one year of age (i.e. still have
all their milk teeth). They should be slick shorn within five days of scanning.
Lambs will be awarded blue, red, and white premiums based on their carcass scores
and performance data. The registration deadline for the contest is April 20.
The entry fee is $10 per lamb. Exhibitors will be limited to two entries. Contact
Susan or Niki
for more information.
Click HERE to read the rules of the Lamb Carcass and Performance Contest.
Sheep numbers increased
for the first time since 1990, as the number of replacement ewe lambs increased
by 10 percent. The National Agricultural Statistical Service (NASS) conducted
an annual goat survey for the first time.
All sheep and lamb inventory in the United States on January 1, 2005 totaled
6.14 million head, up slightly from 2004, but 3 percent below two years ago.
The inventory has leveled off and is showing a slight increase for the first
time since 1990. Breeding sheep inventory increased to 4.53 million head on
January 1, 2005, up 1 percent from 4.50 million head on January 1, 2004.
The 2004 lamb crop of 4.10 million head, a record low, was down 1 percent from
2003. The 2004 lambing rate was 113 lambs per 100 ewes one year old and older
on January 1, 2004, up 3 percent from 2003.
The average price paid for wool sold in 2004 was $0.80 per lb., up from $0.73
per lb. in 2003. The value of U.S. wool sold in 2004 increased 6 percent. The
average fleece weight was 7.4 lbs.
The goat inventory in the United States on January 1, 2005, totaled 2.5 million
head. Breeding goat inventory totaled 2.1 million head. On January 1, 2005,
meat and all other goats totaled 1.97 million head, milk goats totaled 283,500
head, and Angora Goats totaled 274,000 head. The 2004 kid crop was 1.67 million
head for all goats. Mohair price was $1.97 per pound. Average weight per clip
was 7.2 lbs.
Source: USDA NASS. January 28, 2005.
Click HERE to read the entire USDA-NASS report.
Washington
DC, April 1, 2005 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced
the continuation of the Lamb Promotion, Research, and Information Order. Lamb
producers, feeders, seedstock producers, and first handlers of lamb and lamb
products participating in a national referendum from Jan. 31 through Feb. 28
voted in favor of the order.
Of the 3,490 valid ballots cast, 2,807 or 80 percent, favored the program; while
683 or 20 percent opposed. Additionally, of those persons who cast valid ballots
in the referendum, those who favored the continuing of the program accounted
for 84 percent of the total production voted, and those opposed accounted for
16 percent of the total production voted. For the program to continue, it must
have been approved by at least a majority of those persons voting for approval
who were engaged in the production, feeding, or slaughter of lambs during calendar
year 2004 and who also represent a majority of the volume of lambs produced,
fed or slaughtered.
The goal of the program is to strengthen the position of, and to develop and
expand the markets for sheep and sheep products. Under the program, producers,
seedstock producers (breeders), feeders, and exporters are required to pay an
assessment of one-half cent ($.005) per pound when live sheep are sold. The
first handler, primarily packers, will pay an additional 30 cents per head on
sheep animals purchased for slaughter. Importers are not assessed.
Web Site: American lamb Board
The 2005 Maryland-Delaware
Wool Pool will be held on June 22 and 23 at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in
Timonium. Wool will be received on Wednesday, June 22, from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The second day of the wool pool will be for packaging the wool only. Volunteer
labor is needed to help run the pool and keep the operating costs low.
The only change for this year’s pool is that all wool in the "white-faced"
or "non white-faced" grades must be at least 3 inches long. Wool shorter
than 3 inches will be graded “short.” Previously, non-white-faced
wool only had to be 2.5 inches long.
Wool should be brought to the pool in large square bales and not burlap "sausage"
bags. Smaller consigners can put their wool in plastic garbage bags or carry
it loose in their vehicles. Wool should not be tied. Wet wool and black or colored
wool will be rejected. The wool pool does not accept "fleeces" from
hair sheep or hair x wool crosses. Hair damages the entire clip.
Maryland Sheep Breeders
Association dues will be deducted from all wool sales over $30. There will
be no exceptions. For more information about the pool or to volunteer to help,
contact Wool Pool manager Dr. Rich Barczewski at (302) 857-6410 or rbarczew@desu.edu.
Click HERE to see pictures of the Maryland Wool Pool.
Now that the shearing season
is upon us, the American Sheep Industry Association would like to remind producers
to go to their local Farm Service Agency office to apply for their wool loan
deficiency payments (LDP).
All growers interested in applying for either a loan or a LDP must complete
the application prior to losing beneficial interest or selling the wool. Producers
who sell their wool the day of shearing should complete a 709 Form prior to
shearing to protect their eligibility.
Source: ASI News, Feb. 18, 2005.
Click HERE for East Region LDP Rates.
According to the Maryland
Department of Agriculture (MDA), approximately 48 percent of Maryland farmland
is being managed in accordance with the Water Quality Improvement Act of 1998,
which requires all farmers grossing $2,500 a year or more or livestock producers
with 8,000 pounds or more of live animal weight to run their operations using
a nutrient management plan that addresses both nitrogen and phosphorus inputs.
Farmers are required to update their nutrient management plans and take new
soil samples a minimum of once every three years.
In mid-April, MDA will begin delivering certified warning letters to those who
have not met requirements. Failure to respond to the warning will result in
fines. Farm operators who had submitted their nutrient management plan information
to MDA before 2005 should have received an Annual Implementation Report and
instruction sheet in the mail.
Maryland producers should contact a nutrient management advisor at their local
county Extension office for more information about nutrient management planning
and compliance with the law.
Source: MDA, 3/21/05.
By
now, most sheep and goat producers are familiar with the two major Muslim holidays
in which lamb and/or goat are commonly consumed: Eid al-Fitr (end of Ramadan)
and Eid al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice). But, in addition to these holidays,
it is also customary for Muslims to sacrifice sheep and/or goats to celebrate
the birth of a baby.
Seven days after a baby is born, a special ceremony called "aqeeqah"is
performed as a thanksgiving to Allah (God) and to safeguard the child from anything
detrimental or painful. If aqeeqah is not performed, it is believed that the
child will grow up to be disobedient to his/her parents. The aqeeqah ceremony
includes naming the baby, shaving the baby's head, and sacrificial offerings
of lambs or goats.
The baby is named by the mother or father. If there is disagreement, the father
has the right to name the baby or give his wife the right. The baby's head is
shaved, and it is customary to give the value of the baby's weight of hair in
silver to charity. Shaving the head cleanses the baby of all impurities. A sacrifice
is then made; two offerings for a boy and one for a girl.
The sheep or goats should be of good quality, over 1 year of age, but if not,
healthy enough to be one year old. The animals should not be weak or deficient
in any way. The animals can be male or female. While sheep and goats are preferred,
a calf or camel may also be sacrificed. The sacrifice should be done by the
father or a close relative. The meat should be divided into three sections,
with one third going to charity and the remaining two thirds being distributed
among friends and relatives. It is optional as to whether the meat is distributed
raw or cooked.
Source: When a Child is Born: (www.inter-islam.org)
Click HERE to see an ethnic holiday calendar.
Ranchers'Lamb of Texas,
Inc., in San Angelo, Texas, closed its doors in late February. Brian May, board
secretary of the producer-owned packing plant, indicated the plant shutdown
was a result of a diminished supply of slaughter lambs.
The 7-year-old plant dismissed all 45 employees. Employees at the plant were
slaughtering about 2,500 lambs a week compared to as many as 8,000 head six
years ago. The inadequate supply of animals left the plant unprofitable.
Source: ASI Weekly, February 25, 2005.
Editor's Note: Ranchers’ Lamb was the first rancher-owned plant of its kind. It was started in 1997 by a group of 300 West Texas investors, including ranchers. The plant also processed goats. I had the opportunity to tour Ranchers’ Lamb on several occasions. It was an impressive plant, very modern, with an automatic pelt remover (from New Zealand) and separate chutes and rooms for by-products to be further processed for market. Hopefully, some entity will buy this plant and put it back into production processing lambs and goats.
The incidence of scrapie
in goats in the U.S. is considered to be low. Only thirteen cases of scrapie
have been reported in goats since 1990. One new case was reported in 2004. However,
the incidence could be higher than we think, simply because we are not looking
for it. For example, a sheep slaughter surveillance study conducted from February
2001 to March 2002 revealed a higher incidence of scrapie in the U.S. sheep
population than previously thought: 0.20 percent vs. 0.07 percent.
Experts claim that it will be harder to determine the incidence of scrapie in
the U.S. goat population since a significant portion of goats are not slaughtered
in USDA-inspected plants. According to Dr. Diane Sutton (National Scrapie Program
Coordinator, USDA-APHIS) surveillance of goat scrapie will begin in 2006.
The recent discovery of a French goat with BSE1 (mad cow disease) is putting
more emphasis on goats in the BSE/scrapie discussion. The goat, which was slaughtered
in 2002, was originally thought to have had scrapie. It was a healthy goat discovered
during normal disease surveillance. Another goat that died in 1990 in Scotland
may also have had BSE, but this has not been confirmed. It takes several years
to confirm BSE.
Beginning in April 2002, the European Union increased its level of testing to
determine the prevalence of scrapie in the EU. Since then, over 140,000 goats
have been tested using the TSE-rapid test. The results have revealed a very
low incidence of TSE in the goat population. Only 134 animals have tested positive
for a TSE2. In the United Kingdom, where the incidence of sheep scrapie is highest,
only two cases of scrapie have been confirmed in goats since 1997. In France,
which has a much larger goat population, only 19 positives were recorded among
21,000 goats tested in 2003.
BSE has never been found in a sheep under natural conditions in any country,
though it was suspected in sheep in Vermont in 2000 (but never confirmed). In
goats, scrapie is similar to sheep, though goats scratch less against fixed
objects. They tend to scratch vigorously with their horns or feet.
In sheep, genetic testing is being used as a means of scrapie eradication. While
scrapie is not a genetic disease, an animal's genotype determines if it will
get scrapie if it is exposed to the infective agent. In goats, not much research
has been done pertaining to genetic resistance, and currently there is no clear
evidence to suggest that there are resistant genotypes in goats. USDA-ARS3
maintains a flock of infected goats and is currently studying the relationship
between goat genotype and scrapie incidence. So far, goats get scrapie at a
higher rate than sheep in general and a similar rate as Suffolk sheep in the
same flock. Goats inoculated with scrapie get scrapie 75-100 percent of the
time, so they appear to be quite susceptible (e-mail, Dr. Diane Sutton)
1Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
2Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy. TSE's are a family of diseases
in man and animals that are characterized by a degeneration of the brain tissue
giving a sponge-like appearance. They are always fatal.
3Agricultural Research Service
by Dr.
Niki Whitley
University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES)
Lambing season is mostly
over for UMES. The sires used again this year were Suffolk, White Dorper, Texel,
or Katahdin in single-sire groups, though they are different sires this year.
We left the rams in with the adult ewes for 21 days so we lambed for exactly
21 days. I like that. I did not like, however, the few problems we had during
lambing. At the time, it seemed like we were having a lot of problems, but it
was mostly just that they all seemed to occur at the same time.
Last year, we had to pull a few and graft a few but that was all; it was relatively
peaceful, especially considering we lambed over 100 ewes. The year before that
was wrought with C-sections, uterine prolapses, and abortions, and that was
with only 56 ewes bred. This year was not as smooth as last year, but nothing
like the year before. We lambed 75 ewes (9 ewe lambs bred later are due in April).
We had a couple of C-sections this year, 2 or 3 ketosis cases that are doing
fine now, some lambs we pulled and, because I was too busy to deal with grafting
when we would still end up with a few bottle babies to feed anyway. We now have
10 or so bottle babies.
A few of our bottle babies are triplets that a ewe tried to steal and the "real"
dam wouldn't take it back after the thief ewe had her own triplets. Instead
of letting the thieves raise quads, we made them bottle babies. I gave up trying
to give back a black Suffolk-cross twin stolen by a ewe who then had her own
solid white Dorper-cross twins. That thief ewe wanted that lamb so badly that
I didn't have the heart to take it from her when she had plenty of milk for
the three. So we have a ewe raising a nearly solid black lamb with her 2 white
lambs (she loves them all the same though, unlike a ewe that had 2 brown babies
and refused to take her own white baby). A couple of the bottle babies were
lambs I took from ketosis ewes who recovered enough to raise one but not three,
and a couple were ones that I felt the dam did not have enough milk to raise.
We had a set of quads this year and only 3 singles. The rest were twins and
triplets. The total was 176 total born with 7 stillbirths/deaths just after
birth so we had 169 live born. The average was 2.25 born live per ewe lambing.
We lost 1 ewe in mid-gestation, so we have to count her as not lambing, so we
had 2.22 born live per ewe exposed. The average birth weight was 9.6 pounds
per lamb. The average age of the ewes is 3 years and the average parity (lambings-
counting this one) is 3.
Well, that's the update on lambing at UMES. I hope your lambing season is going
(or has gone) smoothly.
All the does left at UMES
are purebred or fullblood Boer, except one super-producing Myotonic (Fainting
Goat). This year, we kidded the first part of January so that we could have
the goats finished before we began lambing. We had 18 adult does exposed 22
days in August. Half the does were exposed to a fullblood Boer buck loaded with
"Eggs" genetics in his sire's pedigree while the other half were exposed
to a fullblood Boer buck that had Pipeline in his grandsire's genetics.
Beginning November 1, 2004, the same time we put the ram in with the ewe lambs,
we put the doe kids in with the adult does and exposed them all to the "Pipeline"
buck. This allowed “clean up” (breeding) of any does not bred the
first time and breeding of the doe kids when they were 8-9 months old. We did
the same thing with our ewe lambs/ewes, but all ewes had been bred in the first
21- day breeding period, while 2 does did not get bred in the 22-day period
when we first exposed them.
One adult doe acted cystic (she was "always"in heat), and we did not
treat her, so she did not get bred during either time period. One adult doe
was missed the first time but got bred during "clean up"(she is due
any time now), and one adult doe died of listerosis before kidding (the lab
said she had triplets in her). So out of 17 does, 15 kidded in January. One
died shortly after we pulled a kid from her (we always had problems with her
during kidding and should have culled her 2 years ago).
We had singles from 2 first timers, a 9-year old doe, and one other doe. There
were 28 live kids and the one stillborn we pulled. That's only 1.6 live kids
per doe exposed (18 exposed), but 1.9 live kids per doe kidding in January.
We are collaborating with the New Jersey Department of Agriculture on their
meat goat marketing project aimed at youth, so all the males were castrated
within a week of birth (what a shame, they are gorgeous). All the kids will
be sent to New Jersey except a few that will be kept for showing at the Somerset
County Fair Open Livestock Show July 23 (come out and see them).
The progeny (offspring) of both bucks all look great and are very similar. They
have been raised indoors because foot scald prohibits us from leaving the does
out on muddy pastures. The kids were creep fed beginning at a couple of weeks
of age with Southern States 15% Meat Goat pellet with Deccox. We have not weaned
them yet, so we do not have weights on them. On March 18, we weighed 4 of the
"biggest"and they ranged from 40-46 pounds.
At Tennessee State University,
Spanish x Boer (n=16) and Spanish x Kiko (n=18) wethers (7 months of age) and
bucklings (5 months of age) were slaughtered to evaluate the effect of dam breed
on carcass traits of crossbred kids. Boer and Kiko dams originated from five
and seven seedstock farms, respectively. Each dam was purebred or fullblood
(93.75% to 100%). They were bred to Spanish billies.
Kiko kids were heavier than Boer kids: 56.3 lbs. vs. 50.5 lbs. Hot carcass weight,
cold carcass weight, and dressing percentage tended to be greater for Kiko than
for Boer F1 kids. Kids out of Boer dams had similar live conformation scores
as Kiko kids. Carcass grade scores tended to be better for Kiko F1 kids. Edible
meat yields and meat-to-bone ratios from shoulder, lion, and hind leg were not
affected by breed of dam.
The results suggest that breed of dam may affect carcass traits from crossbred
kids.
Source: Journal of Animal Science. Volume 82, Supplement 1.
A behavior neuro-scientist
at the University of Buffalo (UB) contends the ingestion of afterbirth by a
mother, a feature of pregnancy in nearly all non-human animals, not only relieves
postpartum pain, but optimizes the onset of maternal behavior by mediating the
activity of specific opioid activity circuits in the brain.
In 1986, Mark Kristal, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at UB, discovered an opioid-enhancing
molecule he called the Placental Opioid-Enhancing Factor of POEF. POEF is found
in amniotic fluid and afterbirth. Dr. Kristal believes that POEF operates on
two specific brain centers to influence maternal behavior. Increased opioid
activity in the ventral tegmental area facilitates the onset of maternal behavior,
whereas increased opioid activity in the medial pre-optic area, disrupts maternal
behavior. Dr. Kristal’s hypothesis is that ingestion of the afterbirth
modifies specific opioid-receptor systems in these two brain systems, but in
different ways. His test subjects are mice.
Dr. Kristal’s research could lead to novel ways to treat addiction and
pain in humans. It is not known what affect POEF would have on human mothers,
since humans do not ingest the afterbirth.
Source: University of Buffalo News Services. February 11, 2005.
John
Hall, of Chestertown, MD, received a Northeast SARE grant to use ultrasound
scanning and performance testing technology to increase loin eye area in lamb.
A New York producer received a grant to develop management strategies for improving
aseasonal reproduction of sheep.
The Northeast SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education) Program
has a competitive grants program for farmers-growers. Grants are typically between
$1,000 and $15,000 and are used to conduct research, marketing, and demonstration
projects and share the results with other farmers.
For information about SARE and farmer-grower grants, visit www.uvm.edu/~nesare/.
By Gerrit
Rietveld
Animal Care Specialist
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food
The decision to humanely
end the life of an animal may be necessary in cases of severe injury or disease
or as a result of disasters such as fire or flood. On-farm euthanasia may be
the most practical and humane way for a livestock producer to relieve an animal’s
pain and suffering if it is unfit to travel or to prevent drug residues from
entering the food supply.
Whenever possible, livestock producers should consult with a veterinarian before
deciding to euthanize an animal. A broken leg with exposed bone or exposed internal
organs are examples of severe conditions that might call for euthanasia. The
following questions will help in deciding whether to treat, slaughter, or euthanize
an animal that is injured, extremely weak, or disabled.
Methods of Euthanasia
Euthanasia must be performed in a way that minimizes fear and anxiety in the
animal. Good stockmanship practice dictates that producer have an ethical and
moral responsibility to provide a humane death for animals in their care, without
causing additional pain or suffering.
There are three basic methods appropriate for on-farm euthanasia: overdose by
barbiturate; stunning with a penetrating captive bolt, followed by bleed-out;
and gunshot. Each method has advantages and disadvantages. Euthanasia by barbiturate
overdose must be performed by a veterinarian. Producers who choose the captive
bolt pistol or gunshot method must take precautions to prevent serious injury
to themselves and others.
To choose the most appropriate method for your operation, consider human safety,
animal welfare, required skills, costs, and other factors.
Penetrating Captive
Bolt and Gunshot
An experienced person can produce rapid unconsciousness in an animal using a
penetrating-type captive bolt or shot from a firearm which is aimed at the correct
target site and penetration angle for the species and age of the animal. The
same anatomical targets and penetration angles are used for both a penetrating
captive bolt pistol and a firearm.
Target Site and
Penetration Angle
The target site for euthanizing sheep and goats without horns is at a point
on the forehead at the mid-line, just above the eyes, as shown in Figure 1..
The shot must be directed at an angle down the line of the spine and into the
bulk of the body (or where the body would be if the animal were standing normally).
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Figure
1
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Figure
2
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Heavily horned sheep and
goats should be shot behind the poll, directing the shot in a path downward
just behind the eyes and toward the nose, as shown in Figure 2.
Confirmation of
Death
It is essential that you confirm the animal's death directly following euthanasia.
A standing animal should immediately collapse. Its muscles may involuntarily
contract, usually for no longer than 20 seconds. After this, it may show some
poorly coordinated kicking or paddling movements before muscles completely relax.
Check the animal for breathing, heartbeat, and blinking response (corneal reflex).
There should be none. The eyes should be fixed and dilated. To check the blinking
response, touch the surface of the animal's eye (the cornea). Any eye movement
or blinking shows sustained or recovering brain activity. If there is any sign
of breathing, heartbeat, or blinking, repeat the euthanasia method or use an
alternate procedure.
Disposal of Mortalities
The proper disposal of livestock mortalities is critical in preventing environmental
contamination and the spread of disease.
Conclusion
Human safety and animal welfare must over-ride economic considerations when
deciding if, how, when and where an animal must be humanely destroyed.
Euthanasia, although an unpleasant task, is an inevitable component of animal husbandry. Careful planning and training can help to minimize a person's stress associated with carrying out this necessary act, and prevent the unnecessary suffering of animals. Discuss euthanasia options for your farm operation with your veterinarian, then develop an action plan and update it annually as part of your flock or herd health program.
Reprinted with permission of the author.
Pennington Seed (Georgia)
and Ag-Research Limited (New Zealand) were victorious in a lawsuit protecting
their patent rights to MaxQ® technology. MaxQ® is a tall fescue with
a non-toxic endophyte. MaxQ® eliminates fescue toxicosis, which causes health
problems in horses, cattle, and other grazing livestock.
Due to the outcome of the lawsuit, the defendants will no longer be able to
market ArkPlus™ tall fescue, another tall fescue that contains the novel
endophyte. Pennington Seed will once again be the sole source of friendly or
novel, endophyte-infected varieties of tall fescue. Seed prices will likely
remain high as a result.
The American
Sheep Industry Association (ASI) and National
Lamb Feeders Association held a joint annual meeting on January 26-29 in
Reno, Nevada. There was great enthusiasm for the sheep industry at the meeting,
which was attended by more than 360 persons.
Maryland sheep producer David Greene
concluded his term as ASI Director for Region I (Southeast, which includes Maryland,
Delaware, and south). He was replaced by Bill
Sparrow, Jr. From Durham, North Carolina. Region II (Northeast, Pennsylvania,
and north) is represented by Brant Miller
from Bowdoinham, Maine.
The ASI Board of Directors approved increases in ASI dues for FY 2006-2007.
Stock sheep will be assessed $0.035 (up from $0.03). Member dues will increase
from $6 to $8 per member. The minimum state dues will be $400. The result of
the dues increases will be a 22-percent increase in funding for ASI.
ASI is a national trade organization supported by 42 state sheep associations,
benefitting the interests of nearly 67,000 producers. Delaware was reinstated
as a member of ASI after a several year’s absence. Members of the Maryland
Sheep Breeders Association are automatic members of ASI. Other states, such
as Virginia and West Virginia, offer combined state/ASI memberships.
Source: ASI Weekly News
Next year's ASI-NLFA joint convention will be held January 26-28, 2006 in Phoenix, Arizona.
The Somerset County Fair
(MD) has added a one-day open show for livestock on Saturday, July 23 . There
will be classes for hair and wool sheep, dairy and meat goats, dairy and beef
cattle, and pigs. Premiums are $15, $10, $5, and $2 for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th
places, respectively. Entry fees are $5 per animal, double for animals registered
the day of the show. For more information, contact Dr. Niki Whitley at (410)
651-6194 or nwhitley@umes.edu.
The Somerset County Fair will be held July 18-24 at the Somerset County Fairgrounds
in Princess Anne, MD. A class listing and registration form will be available
on the web at http://www.somersetcountyfair.org/.
The U.S. Department of
Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) launched a
new web site to inform producers about the National Animal Identification System
(NAIS). The web site is available at www.usda.gov/nais
on the World Wide Web.
It is the intent of the site to be a one-stop resource for facts about NAIS.
In addition to providing national news, contact information for state and tribal
animal health authorities can be accessed. Over time, APHIS plans to add to
the new site resources targeted to specific species and industry-segment groups.
It is the goal of the NAIS to provide a 48-hour trace-back system for all animals
and premises that have had contact with a foreign or domestic animal disease
of concern.
Source: ASI News, 2.11.05.
National Sheep
and Goat Producers Database
www.sheepgoatmarketing.info
Click on Producer Directory
Note: The Maryland Sheep & Goat Directory is being combined with the producer database from the Northeast Sheep & Goat Marketing Program to form a National Directory.
Mid-Atlantic Small
Farm Success
www.smallfarmsuccess.info
Click on Farmer Web Sites graphic
Maryland Agriculture
www.marylandagriculture.com/site_form.cfm
U.S. Sheep Breeders
Online Directory
www.nebraskasheep.com/directory
Boer Goat Breeders
www.jackmauldin.com/Breeders.htm
April 9
Shenandoah Valley Boer Goat Sale
Wytheville, VA
Info: Michael Witmer at (540) 434-1986
April 9
Meat Goat Producers' Educational Seminar
PA Furnace, PA
Info: Sandra Miller at (717) 423-5663 or PMGPA@yahoo.com
May 4
Marketing 101 for Meat Products
Charlottesville, VA
Info: Melissa Ball at (804) 786-5448 or melissa.ball@vdacs.virginia.gov
May 7-8
Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival
Howard County Fairgrounds, West Friendship, MD.
Info: (410) 531-3647 or sheepandwool.org.
May 14
1st Annual Old Dominion Open Boer Goat Show
Harrisonburg, VA
Info: David and Sheila Carter or (804) 445-5969 or Northviewgoats@aol.com
June 3-5
Boer and Meat Goat Judging School
Garrett County Fairgrounds, McHenry, Maryland.
Sponsored by MPWV Meat Goat
Producers Association.
Info: Willie Lantz at (301) 334-6960 or wlantz@umd.edu.
June 4
Mt. Top Boer Goat Show and Sale (USBGA National Regional Show)
Garrett County Fairgrounds, McHenry, Maryland.
Sponsored by MPWV Meat Goat
Producers Association.
Info: Willie Lantz at (301) 334-6960 or wlantz@umd.edu.
June 18
3rd Annual Scott County Hair Sheep Sale
Gate City, VA
Info: Pete Odle at (276) 452-2772 or jodle@vt.edu
June 22-23
Hair Sheep Workshop
Virginia State University, Petersburg, VA
Info: Dr. Stephan Wildeus at (804) 524-6716 or swildeus@vsu.edu
June 22-23
(wool accepted June 22 only)
Maryland-Delaware Wool Pool
Maryland State Fairgrounds, Timonium, MD
Info: Dr. Richard Barczewski at (302) 857-6410 or rbarczew@desu.edu
July 6
Ultrasound Scanning Day in Western Maryland
Info: Susan at (301) 432-2767 x343 or sschoen@umd.edu.
For a complete list of Sheep and Goat Events, click HERE.
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 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 from the University
of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) is a regular contributor to the newsletter.
She can be reached at (410) 651-6194 or nwhitley@umes.edu.
To receive the newsletter, contact the Western Maryland Research &
Education Center: 18330 Keedysville Road, Keedysville, MD 21756, (301)
432-2767 ext. 343 or 315, fax (301) 432-4089; or e-mail: sschoen@umd.edu
or smorren@umd.edu. The cost of receiving
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