December 2002 |
 docking policy for 4-H shows will go into effect. |
http://www.futureharvestcasa.org/conf.html
The state fair meat goat show will consist of fitting and showing competition (three age divisions) and classes for market goats and commercial breeding animals. Market goat classes will be divided into approximately equal-sized classes after weigh-in. The number of classes may vary from year to year. Market goats may be any breed or breed cross. They may be doe or wether kids weighing between 40 and 110 lbs. The large weight range of eligibility represents the wide variation of demand for goat kids. Market goats must be less than one year of age and have all of their milk teeth, showing no breaking or eruption of either of the two permanent front teeth. Though disbudding is encouraged, it is not required. Meat goats may have horns, so long as they are tipped blunt so the risk of injury is lessened. Although there will be no rate of gain requirement for market goats, an award will be presented to the exhibitor of the market goat with the Highest Rate of Gain. An award will also be presented for the "Best" meat goat educational exhibit.
As with other 4-H livestock exhibited at the state fair, all market goats must be the bona fide property of the exhibitor and registered in the exhibitor's name only by June 1 of the current year. All market goats (except La Manchas) must be tagged with a Maryland 4-H Livestock Tag prior to arrival at the state fairgrounds. La Mancha market goats must have an assigned 4-H Livestock Ear Tag and the number of the ear tag tattooed in the tail web.
The breeding show will be open to all breeds and crossbreeds of goats. There are no registration requirements. All breeds will compete together, until numbers justify separation of breeds or types into different shows. Breeding goats must be the bona fide property of the 4-H exhibitor by July 1 of the current year. They must be registered with the county extension office and be tagged with a MD 4-H Livestock Tag prior to arrival at the state fair. The breeding show will include classes for junior and senior doe kids, yearling does, production does (>2 years of age), and buck kids (less than 1 year).
For the 4-H Meat Goat Show at the state fair to be successful, it will require entries in both the market and breeding classes and participation of youth from throughout the state. In addition, sponsors are needed for special awards. If you know of a individual, farm, or business that would like to sponsor an award, please contact show superintendent Susan Schoenian at ss80@umail.umd. edu or (301) 432-2767 ext. 343. The MD-PA-WV Meat Goat Producers Association will be sponsoring the award for the market goat with the Highest Rate of Gain. Other sponsors will include the Garrett College Alternative Ag Center and A.L.L. Boer Goats – The Lantz's. Sponsors are needed for champion fitting and showing, champion market goat, champion meat doe, and best educational exhibit, as well as smaller awards, such as divisional winners in fitting and showing.
State Fair web site: http://www.bcpl.net/~mdstfair/
Editor's notes: The National 4-H Curriculum Committee is piloting five (5) meat goat project activity guides that should be available next summer/fall. These are similar to the ones used for other livestock species, and available to 4-H clubs at county extension offices. Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia are also in the process of developing a 4-H meat goat project book that will provide basic information on raising market goats.
While tail docking is done for hygienic purposes and limits the incidence of fly strike, "extreme" tail docking, as is common among show sheep, has been associated with a 10-fold increase in the incidences of rectal prolapses in lambs finished on high-energy diets, as is typical for show lambs. Extreme tail docking is unacceptable for the health and welfare of sheep. The proper procedure for docking a lamb is to remove the tail at the distal end of the caudal tail fold. The distal end is the farthest point from the body. The caudal fold is a flap of skin attached to the underside of the tail near the rectum that is clearly visible when the tail is lifted. The caudal fold can easily be seen in lambs that have not yet been docked When lambs are properly docked, the remaining tail should cover the vulva of a ewe and the rectum of a ram. Hair sheep do not require docking. Markets goats should not be docked.
Other states that have developed similar policies on tail docking include California, Wyoming, Washington, and West Virginia. This past year, Ohio carried out an educational demonstration of industry-recommended tail docking practices.
Head – The head should combine the beauty of eyes, nose, ears, and overall form with strength and refinement. It should have a balance of length, width, and substance that insures the ability to consume large amounts of forage with ease.
Rump – The goat's rump should be long, wide, and level, cleanly fleshed, and have a very slight slope from hook to pins. The shape of the rump is important as it affects leg set, kidding ease, and potential udder attachment in does.
Hind Legs – The goat's rear legs should be wide apart and straight when viewed from the rear, with clean hocks and a good combination of bone size and strength. Observed from the side, the plumb line originating at the pin bone would fall parallel to the leg bone from hock to pastern and touch the ground behind the heel of the foot. The resulting angles produced at the hock and stifle joint will be most ideal for easy walking and a minimum of joint problems.
Feet – Meat goats need strong pasterns and strong, well-formed feet with tight toes, deep heel, and level sole. Such feet are highly resistant to injury or infection and easy to keep trimmed. Goats with uneven toes and extremely weak pasterns should be culled.
Front End – The front end is a combination of chest and shoulder features. The goat should have a wide chest floor and prominent brisket with a smooth blending of shoulder blades and sharp withers. This insures room for the heart and lungs to do their work with ease and also is evidence of proper muscle and ligament strength. The goat's front legs should be straight, perpendicular to the ground, sound in the knees, and full at the point of the elbow. The legs should move with the feet pointing straight ahead.
Back – The back should be straight, strong, wide, long, and level. This denotes a strong body building with good muscling and is indicative of the strength to carry large quantities of feed.
Reprinted with permission of author.
Part I was published in the October 2002 issue of the newsletter.
Editor's notes: Let us know if you'd be interested in participating in a meat goat judging school. If enough people express interest, such an event could be scheduled. The location would depend upon where the majority of interested people were from. It could also be sanctioned by the International Boer Goat Association, if that is a preference.
Plans were also made for the MPWV Association's annual Mt. Top Boer Goat Show and Sale and Meat Goat Conference. The show and sale will be held on Saturday, June 7, 2003, at the Garrett County Fairgrounds in conjunction with the Allegheny Highlands Festival. The meat goat conference will be held on Sunday, June 8 at Garrett College.
Researchers vaccinated half of 200 Finn x Dorset ewes three weeks prior to lambing. Blood serum samples were obtained from 20 vaccinated and 20 non-vaccinated ewes prior to vaccination and at week 2, 1, and 0 prior to the start of lambing. Lambs from each of the first 13 and the first 14 sets of triplets from vaccinated and non-vaccinated ewes, respectively, received one of three different vaccination treatments: no vaccine (control), vaccination on day 1 and 21 of age, or vaccination on day 21 and 42 of age.
Vaccination of lambs did not increase blood sera levels of the antibody, whereas pre-lambing vaccination of ewes significantly increased lamb antibody concentrations compared to lambs reared by non-vaccinated ewes. Vaccination of ewes resulted in lambs with higher antibody concentrations until 10 weeks after lambing: 16 IU/ml compared to 2 IU/ml (IU=international units), indicating that vaccination of ewes prior to lambing imparts passive immunity to lambs via the colostrum. The results of this experiment indicated that ewes should be vaccinated 3 to 4 weeks prior to lambing and that there is no benefit to vaccinating lambs prior to 6 weeks of age.
Source: http://www.sheep.cornell.edu/sheep/ research/overeating/overeating.html
Although I was not there, the graduate students assured me that the Animal and Poultry Science Club Livestock Auction at University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) on November 2 went well.
The focus of the auction, as I mentioned in a previous newsletter article, is to provide educational experience for the students. However, it also provides education for me and provides an avenue for selling animals born from or used in research.
We conduct applied (on-farm) research, so the animals are perfectly healthy and happy, not treated with anything, just fed different feeds (barley mix versus store-bought pellet) or their mothers were bred in special breeding projects (crossbreds vs purebreds, out-of-season, etc.). The goal of our research is to find sustainable, alternative production methods to help small farmers.
Included in the UMES Animal and Poultry Science Club Fall 2002 Livestock Auction was a group of goats fed either whole barley with a store-bought protein pellet mixed in OR a goat feed pellet bought at a local feed store. The 4 month old goats were fed these two different diets for 2 months and body weights were measured weekly.
We weighed what we fed the goats and fed them twice daily as much as they would eat without wasting too much. They also got a 10% protein grass hay fed once a day, again, just enough not to waste it (around 1 flake a day for three goats, or approximately 1 pound per goat per day). The animals grew the same amount, but the barley mixed diet was much cheaper. They ate about the same amount of grain and hay.
When we sold the animals at auction, we sold them at an average body weight of approximately 85 pounds, and they sold for around $0.88 per pound. Considering feed costs, farmers could have made a profit feeding those goats, but would have made more money feeding the barley diet to all of them. Considering all male goats, the price per pound at the UMES auction was $0.93.
We had another group of goats on fescue (Max Q or Stargrazer) – our February/March born doelings. They had similar weight gains on those pastures, and they sold for around $2.34 per pound (of course the fullblood Boers skewed that data quite a bit I am sure).
Our lone Dorper x Katahdin ewe lamb (37.5% White Dorper) sold for $155, and the 5 ram lambs averaged $87 per head, or pretty close to $1 per pound. The other ewe lambs scheduled for auction were attacked by dogs a mere 10 days before auction and will be on quarantine until we find the dogs and prove they don't have rabies or 6 months, whichever comes first.
The students got a chance to bid for some faculty members on campus that could not make the auction. They did all that work at the auction with me over 200 miles away in Virginia, did a good job and learned a lot. Now that's what I call a success.
The flock currently consists of 75 hair sheep ewes and 175 meat goat breeding does, representing seven breeds and breed crosses. The animals are maintained on approximately 60 acres of permanent and annual pastures at two locations on the University's research farm in Petersburg (30 minutes south of Richmond). In addition to animal resources, VSU's small ruminant program has two complete animal handling facilities, an experimental surgery room, a feeding barn, an extensive pen system for research trials, various laboratories, controlled housing and quarantine facilities, and a semen collection and processing lab. The program employs two reproductive physiologists and a small ruminant extension specialist, along with an animal care supervisor, animal technician, and laboratory specialist.
Both "applied" and "basic" research are conducted at the facility. Applied research has direct applications to producers while basic research provides the scientific foundation for applied research. At VSU, applied research has focused on breed evaluations, internal parasites, and forage-based feeding programs, while the basic research program has focused on reproductive technologies in small ruminants.
The overall objectives of the Virginia State Small Ruminant Program are:
Web site: www.vsu.edu/ext/smallruminantprogram/index.htm
The Anglo-Nubian has been the most successful European breed of goat used for cross breeding for meat purposes in a wide range of environments. It is a large animal, being one of the heaviest and tallest of all breeds of goats. It is the best suited to meat production as the kids grow quickly, putting on flesh easily. Nubians were first brought to the U.S. in the early 1900's. They are the most popular breed of dairy goat in the U.S. and most common breed of dairy goat used for meat production. The Nubian is considered to be an all-purpose goat, useful for meat, milk, and hide production. Compared to other dairy goat breeds, the Nubian is not a heavy milker; however, it produces the milk with the highest average butter fat, making it an especially suitable breed for yogurt and cheese making. The breeding season of the Nubian is much longer than that of the Swiss breeds of dairy goats, thus making the breed more suitable for out-of-season and accelerated kidding programs. The Nubian is also the dairy breed best suited to hot weather.
The main identifying feature of the Nubian goat is its head. Nubians have a pronounced roman nose and long, wide, pendulous ears that hang close to their heads. Nubians are short-haired. They may be any solid or multi-color pattern, though black, red, or tan in combination with white is most common.
Nubian web sites:
Oklahoma State University Breeds of Livestock Project
International Nubian Breeders Association
Adult dairy cattle - $31.50
Adult beef cattle and Buffalo - $18.00
Replacement cattle, feeders >500 lbs. - $13.50
All sheep and goats - $4.50
The deadline for sign-up through local FSA offices is December 13, 2002.
Producers must complete FSA Form 633 to apply for the LDP. For 2002 wool sold before Oct. 11, 2002, producers must complete the form by Jan. 31, 2003. Producers who sold 2002 wool between Oct. 11, 2002, and Nov. 4, 2002, must sign up by Dec. 6, 2002. Producers who still own 2002 wool must sign up before they sell the wool and by the Jan. 31, 2003, deadline.
"We believe the payment software and instructional handbook will be available by early December," said American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) Executive Director Peter Orwick. "Both loans and unshorn lamb payments should be addressed in the handbook." Program details can be accessed through the FSA portion of the USDA web site at ftp://ftp.fsa.usda.gov/public/notices/LP_1878.pdf or at producers' local FSA offices.
Source: ASI Weekly News (11.08.02)
Producer must certify that each ewe lamb is not older than 18 months of age, has not produced an offspring, does not possess parrot mouth, foot rot, or scrapie, and is identified in compliance with the scrapie program governing interstate movement.
The basic structure of the Pearson square is:
Step 1. On the left side, enter the nutrient concentration of the two feeds that you are using (a and b).
Step 2. In the center of the square, enter the desired nutrient percentage in the diet (c).
Step 3. Subtract diagonally. Always subtract the smaller number from the larger (you don't want negative answers).
Step 4. Total the two parts of feed and express each as a percentage.
Take the difference between 11% and 16% and put it in the lower right hand corner. Take the difference between 38% and 16% and put it in the upper right hand corner. Add the two right hand values together and then divide the total by the two individual values and multiply by 100.
22/27 x 100 = 81.5 lbs. or 81.5% barley
5/27 x 100 = 18.5 lbs. or 18.5% supplement
Source: www.caf.wvu.edu/avs/sheep/ethnic.htm
Because the Islamic calendar is lunar and based on the sighting of the moon (and not the sun), the Islamic year is shorter and as a result the holidays cannot be predicted with exact certainty and they move forward approximately 10 days each year.
Source: www.islam101.com
January 10-11
VA-NC Shepherd's Symposium and Sheep and Goat Marketing Summit
Sheraton Four Points Hotel, Harrisonburg, Virginia
Contact: Scott Greiner at (540) 231-9159
January 17-18
Future Harvest-CASA Conference: "Farming for Profit and Stewardship"
Clarion Hotel, Hagerstown, MD
Contact: Bruce Mertz at (410) 604-2681
February 1
Pennsylvania Meat Goat Conference
Genetti Lodge and Conference Center, Hazleton, PA
Contact: David Messersmith at (570) 253-5970 ext 239
February 7-8
12th annual Farming for the Future Conference
Pennsylvania Association of Sustainable Agriculture
State College, PA
February 6-8
American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) "Capitol Advantage" 2003 Annual Convention
Renaissance Hotel, Washington DC
Contact: (303) 771-3500 or info@sheepusa.org
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 The Maryland Sheep & Goat Producer is published bi-monthly by University of Maryland Cooperative Extension. It is edited by Susan Schoenian, Area Agent for Sheep and Goats at the Western Maryland Research & Education Center. Dr. Niki Whitley, UMES Extension Animal Scientiest is a regular contributor to the newsletter. To subscribe to 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: ss80@umail.umd.edu. In lieu of receiving a hard copy of the newsletter in the mail, you can be added to the e-mail list to receive notification when the latest newsletter has been posted to the web. Comments and suggestions regarding the newsletter are always welcome and appreciated. |
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