Inside this issue . . .
|
 Goats grazing chicory at the Western Maryland Research & Education Center in2004. |
A Pasture Performance Testing
Program for Sheep and Goats will be initiated at the Western Maryland Research
& Education Center (WMREC, in Keedysville, MD) in 2006. The test will alternate
between sheep and goats. The 2006 test will be for male goats (wether and buck
kids). The 2007 test will be for male lambs (wether and ram lambs).
Who’s eligible? The test is open to any breed
or breed cross of sheep or goat. A producer may consign up to 5 animals for
a maximum test group of 50. Maryland producers will be given priority to fill
half of the test. Otherwise, participation in the test is open to producers
in any state and will be based on a first-come, first-serve basis. Consigners
will be required to sign a statement releasing the University of Maryland from
any liability. There will be a fee of $75 per goat tested.
Goats born between December 15, 2005, and March 15, 2006, will be eligible for
the 2006 test. They must have received two vaccinations for clostridium
perfringins type C and T and tetanus (CD-T), have properly trimmed hooves,
and carry proper scrapie identification. All goats will be inspected upon arrival.
Unsound and unhealthy animals will not be permitted entry. Upon arrival, lambs
or goats will be weighed, dewormed, and ear tagged with a WMREC ear tag.
Resources. Resources for the pasture test include 10
acres of pasture: 7 acres of orchardgrass and/or tall fescue, with some clover
mixed in; 2 acres of chicory; and 1 acre of birdsfoot trefoil. The pasture is
rectangularly-shaped with a central lane way containing three 6' x 10' Port-a-Hut
shelters and a handling system. The pasture is divided into five 2-acre paddocks
for rotational grazing. Each paddock has access to the central laneway. The
animals will be rotated to a new paddock based on forage availability. The 10-acre
pasture is enclosed in 6-strand high-tensile electric fencing. Sub-division
fences are semi-permanent electric wire.
Water is available in each of the paddocks. Lambs and goats will have access
to free choice minerals while grazing. A technician will be hired part-time
to provide daily care and inspection of the animals. Susan Schoenian will oversee
the test and data collection and coordinate educational programs in conjunction
with the testing program.
Management. All lambs or goats will be grazed and managed
as a single group. The 2006 test will start on June 10th and last for approximately
120 days. At the end of the testing period, producers can pick up their animals
or have them transported to a local livestock auction for selling.
While on test, the lambs or goats will be handled every 2 weeks to determine
FAMACHA© eye scores, body condition scores, and britch soiling scores.
This information will be recorded and used to determine the need for deworming
individual animals. Lambs or goats scoring 3, 4, or 5 on the FAMACHA© scale
will be dewormed with either Cydectin® or Levamisol. Any animal with bottle
jaw will be dewormed regardless of eye score. Body condition and britch soiling
will also be used as criteria for making deworming decisions.
In 2004, there was an outbreak of meningeal worm in goats grazing at WMREC.
Due to the time frame of the outbreak, it seemed that the goats came with the
infection; however, there is no guarantee that they did not pick up the infection
at WMREC. Any lamb or goat showing signs of meningeal worm will be aggressively
treated with anthelmintics and anti-inflammatory drugs. If meningeal worm is
perceived to be a “significant” risk, lambs or goats will be dewormed
monthly with either ivermectin or fenbendazole (SafeGuard®).
The lambs or goats will be weighed every 4 weeks in order to calculate pasture
rate-of-gain. Fecal samples will be collected to measure resistance to internal
parasites, as evidenced by fecal egg counts. The lambs or goats will be dewormed
upon arrival so that they start the test on an equal basis with regards to parasite
load.
To receive an information packet and nomination form, contact Susan
Schoenian at (301) 432-2767 x343 or sschoen@umd.edu.
Information about consigning animals will be in the next newsletter and will
be placed on the Internet simultaneously with release of the newsletter.
Editor’s note: The only other “pasture” test I am aware of is in Texas and is sponsored by the American Meat Goat Association and supervised by Texas A&M University It is a 200-day range performance test. 150 goats (number varies according to range conditions), weighing a minimum of 80 lbs, are run on a 2-pasture rotation, consisting of 827 acres. The goats are weighed every 50 days. The cost of entering a buck or wether in the test is $75.
Nominations for the 2006
West Virginia Ram Evaluation Program are due March 1. Rams of any breed, born
between January 1 and February 28, 2006 are eligible for the test. While preference
will be given to West Virginia producers, out-of-state breeders will be accepted
if space is available. A post-test sale will be held for eligible rams.
For more information about the program and a nomination form, contact Brad Smith
at (304) 257-4688 or Brad.Smith@mail.wvu.edu
or Fane Irvine at (304) 799-4852 or Fane.
Irvine@mail.wvu.edu.
January 27, 2006
– For the second consecutive year, U.S. sheep numbers increased. The sheep
and lamb inventory in the United States on January 1, 2006, totaled 6.23 million
head, up 2 percent from both 2005 and 2004. The inventory began increasing in
2005 and has shown two consecutive year-to-year increases for the first time
since 1987 and 1988. The number of ewes shorn was down slightly from 2004, suggesting
that the growth in the sheep industry is probably due to increases in hair (meat)
sheep numbers. The average price paid for wool in 2005 was 0.71 per pound. The
2005 lambing rate was 115 lambs per 100 ewes one year old and older on January
1, 2005, up 2 percent from 2004.
Goats Increase 5%. The total U.S. goat and kid inventory also
increased, totaling 2.83 million head on January 1, 2006, up 4 percent from
2005. The meat (and other) goat inventory increased 5 percent from 2005 and
was 2.26 million head. The milk goat inventory increased 1 percent while the
number of Angora goats declined 1 percent.
In Maryland. Contrary to the national trend, Maryland’s sheep
and lamb inventory showed a 4 percent decrease, going from 23,000 head in 2004
to 22,200 head in 2005. Maryland’s percent lamb crop was only 111 percent,
a figure below the national average and considerably below potential. The average
price paid for wool in Maryland increased from 0.41 cents per lb. in 2004 to
0.56 per lb. in 2005.
Maryland’s milk goat inventory stayed the same at 3,300 head. Meat (and
other) goats increased from 9,450 to 10,000 head, almost a 6 percent increase.
There are too few Angora goats to be counted in Maryland.
| State | Sheep
Inventory |
Goat
Inventory |
| Maryland | 22,000 |
13,300 |
| New York | 70,000 |
33,800 |
| North Carolina | 18,000 |
64,000 |
| Ohio | 141,000 |
38,700 |
| Pennsylvania | 110,000 |
47,200 |
| Virginia | 67,000 |
44,200 |
| West Virginia | 32,000 |
20,400 |
| TEXAS | 1,090,000 |
1,320,000 |
| USA | 6,230,000 |
2,830,000 |
USDA statistics are based on a random sample of sheep and goat producers. While both large and small operations are reflected in the survey, larger producers are sampled more heavily than small operations, and this may skew the accuracy of data in small states like Maryland.
Source: USDA-NASS - http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/reports/nassr/livestock/pgg-bb/shep0106.txt
On November 30, 2005, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use
of Cydectin® Oral Drench in sheep. Earlier in the year, Cydectin 1% Injectable
was approved for use in cattle. Previously, the only way sheep producers could
use Cydectin® was to use the cattle pour-on product (orally) or horse product
(Quest® paste). Both uses constituted extra-label drug use and required
veterinary approval.
The active ingredient in Cydectin® is moxidectin. Moxidectin is effective
against the adult and L4 larval stages of Haemonchus contortis, Teladorsagia
circumcinta, T. trifurcata, Tristrongylus axei, T. colubriformis, T. vitrinus,
Coopera curticei, C. Oncophora, Oesophagostum columbianum, O. venulosum, Nematodirus
battus, N. filicollis, and N. spathiger. Moxidectin is not
effective against tapeworms.
The labeled dosage for the sheep drench is 1 ml per 11 lbs by mouth (or 1 ml
per 5 kg). The withdrawal period is 7 days for slaughter animals. No withdrawal
has been established for dairy sheep. Thus, the product should not be used on
ewes (or does) that are producing milk for human consumption.
Recommendations for using Cydectin®:1. Do not use Cydectin on a regular basis.
Why? The more often you use an anthelmintic the more rapid the worms become resistant to it. Eventually, the drug will become ineffective at reducing parasite burdens and result in the death of some animals.2. When deworming, do not treat all animals in the flock/herd.
Why? Treating all animals increases the rate by which the worms become resistant to the drug. Plus, it’s not likely that all animals in a flock/herd need treated. It is estimated that approximately only 20% of the flock/herd is responsible for laying the majority of worm eggs in a pasture.3. Save Cydectin® for clinically parasitized animals.
Why? Cydectin®, along with Levamisol (trade names Levasol®, Tramisol®, and Prohibit®), is probably the most effective anthelmintics available to producers. According to various university studies, resistance levels tend to be much higher among the Benzimidazoles (SafeGuard® and Valbazan®) and ivermectin. Some resistance is found in Levamisol and has begun to develop in Cydectin®. We need to do all we can to prolong the effectiveness of both drugs.
4. Use the FAMACHA© system to determine when to deworm individual animals.Why? The barber pole worm (Haemonchus contortis) is the primary parasite affecting sheep/goats in warm, moist climates like Maryland. It is a blood-sucking parasite that causes blood and protein loss in the host, as evidenced by pale mucous membranes. The FAMACHA© system utilizes a color eye chart that shows varying degrees of anemia (1-red, 2-pinkish-red, 3-pink, 4-pinkish-white, and 5-white) and gives treatment recommendations based on eye scores.
5. Do not underdose your sheep.
Why? A partial treatment may be insufficient to save a severely parasitized animal. In addition, it will accelerate the development of drug resistant worms. Dose animals individually according to their weight. Buy or borrow scales so you know what your animals weigh. Weigh tapes can be used for goats.
No form of Moxidectin has been FDA-approved for use in goats. Thus, goat producers must continue to follow the guidelines of extra label drug use. Extra-label drug use requires veterinary approval. Goat producers should also consult their veterinarians to get proper dosage recommendations. Goats metabolize anthelmintics differently and usually require higher dosages than sheep, cattle, and horses.
Click HERE to read the final ruling on Cydectin®.
The Environmental Quality
Incentives Program, known by its acronym EQIP, is a voluntary conservation program
for farmers and ranches. EQIP offers contracts that provide incentive payments
and cost-sharing for conservation practices, such as manure management systems,
pest management, erosion control, and other practices to improve and maintain
the health of natural resources. EQIP may cost-share up to 75% of the costs
of certain conservation practices. High priority is given to assistance where
agricultural improvements will help meet water quality objectives. The application
process is competitive and limited to available funds.
The next sign-up period for the EQIP program is February 5-February 24, 2006.
For more information or to sign up, contact your local NRCS or Soil Conservation
District office.
Click HERE to read about how EQIP works in Maryland.
Editor’s note: To qualify for EQIP payments, producers must have a minimum number of animal units and file a schedule F with their tax return.
Beginning and Advanced Shearing Schools will be held in Westminster on March 17-18 and April 1, respectively. The beginning school is open to anyone who wants to learn to shear sheep and has the strength and willingness to do so. The minimum age is 16. The advanced school is for persons who have attended previous schools and have sheared over 150 sheep.
Participation is limited
to the first 25 people who register (beginning school); 10 for advanced school.
The registration fee is $50 for the beginning school and $25 for the advanced
school.
For more details and/or to register, contact David Greene at (410) 329-6241
or greelamb@bcpl.net.
The 5th Annual Rural Enterprise
Conference will be held at the Robert C. Byrd Regional Training Institute (Camp
Dawson) in Kingwood, West Virginia, on Saturday, March 25. The Conference is
being sponsored by the Garrett-Preston Rural Development Coalition.
The Conference will include many topics pertaining to small ruminant production
and replaces the annual Meat Goat Conference, usually held at Garrett College.
The spring meeting of the MPWV Meat Goat Producers
Association will also be held in conjunction with the Conference.
For more information and/or to register, send an e-mail to Info@MoreFarmMoney.org
or contact Willie Lantz at (301) 334-6960 or wlantz@umd.edu.
Visit the conference web site at www.MoreFarmMoney.org.
As part of its 2006 Non-traditional Farming Enterprise Lecture Series, Frederick County Cooperative Extension will host a two-part course, Sheep and Goat Enterprise Development 101 on April 20 and 27 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Frederick County Extension Office. The course will be targeted towards beginning producers and people considering starting new sheep and/or goat enterprises.
Discussion topics will
include the advantages and disadvantages of raising sheep and/or goats for meat,
milk, fiber, or vegetation control; resources needed to raise sheep and/or goats;
and basic feeding, breeding, and management principles.
Space is limited, so register early to ensure your space in the program. The
registration fee is $5 (or $15 for all four lecture topics). Other lecture topics
include aquaculture, free-range poultry, and natural resource enterprises.
Contact the Frederick County Extension Office at (301) 631-3577 or tepoole@umd.edu to register.
The Lower Shore Goat and Sheep Producers Association will be hosting a goat and sheep auction on April 29th at 1 p.m. at the Somerset County Fairgrounds in Princess Anne, MD. The sale will include animals for 4-H and youth projects, as well as breeding stock. The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) will have some animals in the sale as will other members of the Association.
Contact Dr. Whitley at (410) 651-6194 or nwhitley@umes.edu for additional details.
A Meat Goat Nutrition Workshop will be held on Saturday, April 29, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Meat Animal Evaluation Center in Rock Springs, PA (near State College). Sponsors of the workshop include Penn State Cooperative Extension, the PA Association of County Agricultural Agents, and the Keystone Goat Producers Association.
Workshop topics will include
basic nutrition of the meat goat; feeding the pregnant doe; site and soil evaluation
for pasture species selection; and fencing for goats. A trade show is being
planned in conjunction with the workshop.
The registration deadline is April 17th. The registration fee is $40
for the first family member and $20 for each additional family member.
For more information, contact Gene Schurman at (724) 465-3880 or exs10@psu .edu.
The 2nd Annual Forum for Rural Innovation will be held Friday, March 10, 2006 at the Best Western Lee-Jackson Motor Inn & Conference Center in Winchester, Virginia. The purpose of the Forum is to showcase replicable innovative ideas, projects or programs that enhance farm or rural business profitability, conserve farm land and natural resources, or develop new approaches to rural prosperity that are viable in an expensive farmland-upscale consumer environment.
One of the speakers will
be Dr. David Redwine, co-founder of the Scott County Hair Sheep Association
which cooperatively markets lamb to a multi-state supermarket chain.
A registration fee of $35 per person will include the forum program, morning
refreshments, and buffet lunch. Registration information is available on-line
at www.LoudounFarms.org or by calling
(703) 777-0426. Pre-registration by March 3rd is required.
The Delware State University Small Farms Program will host a seminar entitled "Opportunities for Small Farmers with Sheep" on Saturday, March 4, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The seminar will be held in the auditorium of the U.S. Washington Cooperative Extension Building on Delaware State University's Campus in Dover, DE.
Speakers will include Dr. Rich Barczewski, Dr. Niki Whitley, Dr. Maria Labreveux, David Green, Dr. Kent Holm, and John Hall. Topics will include feeding breeding sheep, reproductive management to maximize lambing rates, pasture management, scrapie, genetic testing, and raising sheep and goats together.
Advanced registration is $5 per person and includes lunch and snacks. Registration at the door is $10. For more information or to register, contact John Clendaniel at (302) 857-6462 or jclendan@desu.edu.
A Sheep and Goat Workshop
will be held at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) in Princess
Anne on Saturday, March 11, 2006, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Swine Facility
on the UMES Research and Teaching Farm. If you are new to sheep and goat farming
or have experience, this will be an informative workshop.
Topics to be covered are: budgeting, feeding trial results, crossbreeding for
market production, and traits to look for in breeding stock, as well as health
care issues. Enrollment is limited because there will be lots of hands-on work.
This meeting is sponsored by the Maryland Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Project, Maryland Cooperative Extension, and The Lower Shore Sheep and Goat Producers Association. A fee of $10.00 per person covers lunch and handouts. Early registration is suggested; registration deadline is March 6. To register, contact Erroll Mattox at (410) 651-6206 or eamattox@umes.edu.
A Sheep and Goat Skillathon
will be held at the Maryland Sheep &
Wool Festival on Sunday, May 7, 8 a.m. to 12 noon. Any youth between the
ages of 8 and 18 is eligible to compete as an individual and as a member of
a four-person team. There will be junior (8-13) and senior (14-18) age divisions.
The top ten individuals and top three teams will be recognized.
The skillathon will combine learning with competition. It will include various
stations for youth to learn and/or be tested on their knowledge of sheep and
wool. To register for the skillathon, contact Susan Schoenian at (301) 432-2767
x343 or sschoen@umd.edu.
The registration deadline is April 21. There is no registration fee.
Floppy kid syndrome was first documented in 1987. While the cause is unknown, the disease can spread rapidly through a herd. All breeds can be affected. Cases tend to occur most commonly late in the kidding season.
 |
Floppy
Kid Syndrome Image Source: Colorado State University |
Between 3 and 10 days
of age, affected kids develop muscle weakness associated with metabolic acidosis.
They are usually depressed. They can swallow, but are usually reluctant to nurse.
They may cough or drool. No gastrointestinal or respiratory problems are evident,
though gastrointestinal disease is suspected to be the cause of the syndrome.
Affected kids appear normal at birth. If a kid is born “floppy,”
it could be white muscle disease. In fact, many kids with white muscle disease,
abomasal bloat, colibacillosis, septicemia, or enterotoxemia have been mistakenly
described as floppy kids.
Mild cases of floppy kid syndrome can be treated with oral bicarbonate (i.e.
baking soda). Kids usually improve within 2 hours after administration of bicarb.
They may need to be fed milk with a stomach tube. More severe cases may require
an IV of sodium bicarbonate. IV fluids usually help the severely affected kid.
Spontaneous recovery is possible, as are prolonged recoveries and relapses. Because the cause is not known, there are no preventative or therapeutic treatments.
Learn more about
floppy kid syndrome:
Floppy Kid
Syndrome - Cleon's Corner, Colorado State University
Floppy Kid Syndrome - Cornell
University
Floppy Kid Syndrome (Metabolic
Acidosis without Dehydration in Kids) - UC Davis
A study was undertaken
in 2005 at the Western Maryland Research and Education Center (WMREC) to determine
the efficacy (and practicality) of the FAMACHA© system for controlling
internal parasitism in grazing lambs.
Eighty-four (84) crossbred and purebred Katahdin lambs were used in the study.
They were rotationally grazed on approximately 13 acres of pasture, planted
in cool season perennial grasses, including two acres of chicory. They had access
to minerals, but were not supplemented otherwise. The lambs arrived at the research
center on June 10th. They were approximately 3 months of age and averaged 57
lbs. at the start of the study. Before being released onto the pasture, they
were weighed and handled to determine their FAMACHA© eye score and body
condition score. Lambs scoring 3, 4, or 5 on the FAMACHA© scale were dewormed
with ivermectin.
Lambs scoring 1 or 2 were not treated for internal parasites. This procedure
was repeated every two weeks during the duration of the project. The lambs were
weighed at four week intervals and average daily gains were computed. Fecal
samples were collected (rectally) on three occasions (four weeks apart) and
analyzed for fecal egg counts (eggs per gram) determination using the Wisconsin
method. At the conclusion of the study, the ewe lambs were sold via sealed bid
auction and the wether lambs were taken to a local livestock auction.
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Results. The average ending weight of the lambs was 86.5 lbs. Average daily gain for the 112-day period was 0.3 lbs. per day. One hundred and eleven (111) anthelmintic treatments were administered during the study. The number of treatments administered varied from 0 (August 5) to 56 (July 11) Each lamb was dewormed an average of 1.25 times. Twenty-seven percent (n=22) of the lambs did not require any treatment for internal parasites; 42% (n=35) were dewormed once. Seventeen percent (n=14) of the lambs needed to be dewormed twice. Only fourteen percent (n=12) of the lambs had to be dewormed three or more times.
One lamb died during the
experiment. It had scored 3 on the FAMACHA© scale and been dewormed with
ivermectin, but it died before its next eye check. Another lamb that had scored
3 and been treated with ivermectin had been found looking sickly. It had a FAMACHA©
score of 5 and was treated with Levamisole. It survived. After the death of
the other lamb, any lamb requiring anthelmintic treatment was dosed with either
Levamisol (Prohibit©) or Moxidectin (Cydectin®). According to Dr. Niki
Whitley, ivermectin has been ineffective when administered to lambs and goats
at UMES.
The test ended on September 30, as the lack of rainfall in August and September
had depleted the forage base. For the last week of so of the study, large round
bales of grass hay were brought in for the lambs.
Conclusion. The FAMACHA© system proved to be an
effective management tool for controlling internal parasites in grazing lambs.
The same study will be repeated next year with meat goats participating in the
Pasture Performance Test (described earlier in the newsletter).
Visit the Southern Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control to learn more about the FAMACHA© System.
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) conducted an experiment using 24 Boer crossbred wethers to determine the effect of probiotics on goats fed feed lot diets. The goats, previously weaned onto pasture, were placed into a feedlot, where they were given free access to a 15% CP pelleted diet. They averaged 47.3 lbs and were divided into two treatment groups based on birth weight, birth type, and sire breed (Boer or Kiko). There were three goats per pen and four pens per treatment.
After a 15-day adjustment
period, half of the goats were supplemented with probiotics (1.5 oz. per head
per day); the other half were supplemented with wheat middlings, which served
as a control diet. The study lasted 56 days. The goats were weighed every 14
days. They were slaughtered at the end of the test and carcass data was collected.
Average daily gain (ADG) was similar for both groups of goats and averaged 0.264
lbs. per head per day. Ending weights were not influenced by treatment. At the
end of the test, the goats averaged 59.6 lbs. Feed intake and feed efficiency
were also not affected by treatment either. Intake averaged 2 lbs. per day,
while feed efficiency averaged 7.7 lbs. of feed per lb. of gain. Carcass traits
(cold carcass weight, loin eye area, carcass length, and leg circumference)
were also not affected by probiotic treatment.
| Carcass
Measurements from Probiotics Study |
|
Cold
carcass weight |
29.8
lbs. |
Carcass
length |
38.2
in. |
Leg
circumference |
27.8
sq. in. |
Loin
eye area |
1.34
sq. in. |
Back
fat |
0.07
in. |
1Probiotics are cultures of beneficial microorganisms fed to livestock to improve digestion and health.
by Marie S. Buglin
DVM2
University
of Idaho
As a commercial lamb producer
and a veterinarian, this huge controversy springing up all over the country
on tail length was a real puzzlement to me. Why in the world would normal, intelligent
livestock breeders get riled up over an inch or less of tail on a lamb? Then,
I went to a local meeting of “Club Lamb” producers at the District
Extension office. Whew!! I felt like I was lucky to leave there alive.
The consensus of the show lamb group seemed to be that there was no justification
for the association of “short” or no tails to rectal prolapses.
The chorus of comments backing up the consensus was 1) They had always docked
their tail “short” and had never or seldom seen a prolapse, or 2)
Yes, the did have prolapses in their lambs, but the long tailed lambs prolapsed
just as often as the no tail lambs, and furthermore, 3) There was no proof that
the lack of tail caused prolapses.
Unfortunately, there just was no way to get a word in edgewise. But, if I had
been given a chance to talk, I would have told them what I am going to tell
you. One nice thing about writing, you get to have your say!
Rectal prolapses have several contributing factors: sex, genetics, straining,
and finally tail length. Sex affects prolapsing because females lay down more
internal fat, particularly in the pelvis. Fat is not a strong tissue and tears
very easily. When a lamb strains or coughs, fat can’t hold the rectal
tissue and hind gut in place. Thus, most prolapsing lambs regardless of other
factors are females.
There is definitely a genetic component to many prolapses. Years ago, I made
the mistake of breeding a sire to his daughters. All of the resulting females
prolapsed, either in the feedlot or when they lambed. I even had a few males
prolapse. It didn’t matter if their tails were as long as pump handles.
If a lamb is genetically predisposed to prolapse, the ligaments and internal
structures are not strong enough to hold intestines in place in the pelvic area.
If straining occurs, the lamb will prolapse, particularly if it is a female,
but occasional males will prolapse also.
I guess straining is the “environmental” factor that club lamb producers
kept bringing up – some factor out of everybody’s control. Coughing
due to dust could maybe fall into that category. But there are all sorts of
coughing: summer cough, barn cough, viral cough, whatever it is called in your
part of the country. It certainly does contribute to prolapsing. No, I don’t
know the cause or a cure, although, I’m certain it is infectious and eventually
herd immunities do get built up. However, in genetically predisposed lambs,
it guarantees prolapsing; again females affected more often than males. However,
I have a hard time calling an infectious problem an environmental factor and
very often with a little thought it can be dealt with. Coccidia is another problem
contributing to straining that I would label infectious, not environmental.
This one can be prevented with coccidiostats (Deccox©, Bovatec©) in
the feed or salt.
So, now we are back to tail docks! Why would a short tail dock lead to prolapsing?
Because the muscle that tightens the anal sphincter inserts on the first four
or five coccygeal (tail) vertebrae. When they are removed, the muscles have
nothing to hold or pull against. So, when pressure in the abdomen rises and
everything is pushed back, the pelvic contents get the big squeeze. If there
is a weakness back there, 1) the connective tissue give way, and 2) there is
no strength to the anal sphincter to hold things in, so the pelvic organs (i.e.
distal intestines and rectum, vagina in pregnant females) get pushed out.
Can we prove this? This is the other criticism leveled against the position
taken by many state and county livestock fairs. Well, now that the pedal is
against the metal, extension educators are very busy collecting data to do just
that. However, it’s sort of like proving the sun comes up in the East.
When you see it happen every day, why do we have to measure the tails, count
the prolapses, and publish the data? The owners and managers of every large
lamb feedlot in the United States have seen it day in and day out. Ask any of
them. You don’t have to publish an article in a scientific journal for
them. Harper Feedlot in Colorado won’t buy any 4-H, FFA, or Club lambs.
Why? Because they have a high incidence of prolapses (as high as 10-20%) in
those lambs. They have 1-3% in their other lambs. Big feed lots don’t
have the time to find, isolate, and treat them. So, after 2 or 3 days, the lamb
finally prolapses its entire intestinal tract out of the rectum, goes into shock
and dies. Not a pretty site, although one of those things PETA3 would
love to publicize.
M & M Sheep, a small feedlot in Weiser, Idaho, that does buy fair lambs
at a significant discount, stop what they are doing, grab those lambs that prolapse,
transport them clear to Boise (at least 1 ½ hours away when the traffic
is good), and sell them to a small meat packing house for an even bigger discount.
They tell me it is worth it because the don’t have to see them die, and
the lamb isn’t a total loss. But, I wonder if they put the pencil to the
paper whether they wouldn’t be ahead not to buy fair lambs.
Actually, there is one published paper by Thomas et al on the length of docked
tails and incidence of rectal prolapse in lambs. It was a multi-state cooperative
study involving 1,227 lambs within 30 groups, composed of anywhere from 5 to
93 lambs. Three lengths of tail were studies: short, removed as close to the
body as possible without surgery; medium, the tail was removed at a location
midway between the attachment of the tail and the attachment of the caudal tail
folds; and long, the tail was removed at the attachment of the caudal tail folds.
Short-docked lambs had an overall 7.8% incidence of rectal prolapses while long
tailed lambs had an incidence of 1.8%.
The medium group was in the middle (surprise), with 4.0%. One short-tailed group
had an incidence of 30% and 3 had a 16-17% incidence. The highest incidence
in the long tailed group was 6.7%, while many groups had none. Hampshire crosses
had the most, Dorper crosses had none, and of course most prolapsing lambs were
female.
The next question that came up was: “why was the Fair Sales Committee”
selling these perfectly finished lambs to a feedlot,” another emotional
issue brought up by the club lamb producers. Didn’t everyone know the
lambs were ready for immediate slaughter?
There are at least three reasons! 1) The trend now is to slick shear show lambs.
(I personally think we should do that for breeding stock and leave some wool
on the market lambs.) With no wool, there is no pelt credit. The pelt credit
is pretty good right now – $9 or so. It is definitely in the economic
interest of the fair lamb buyer to keep them until they have a salvageable pelt,
approximately 45-50 days. 2) Most fair and show lambs are not fat enough. All
the hullabaloo about fat concerns the fat on the slaughter carcass. Market lambs
generally have a long ride on the truck before they reach slaughter. They are
often taken off feed for 12 hours before they get on the truck and if they are
to be slaughtered within 24 hours, they get no feed after they get off the truck.
Two millimeters of back fat, supposedly the ideal, melts away to nothing during
and after transportation.
Then, finally (3) one fair usually doesn’t have the 440 lambs it takes
to make a truckload and no one wants to pay the diesel bill for a half loaded
truck. The issue that really fired everyone up was the 0.7 in. inch rule that
one of our fairs insisted on this year. How does a producer know how long to
dock the tail at birth so it is at least 0.7 in. of an inch at market time?
What if they cut it at exactly the recommended end of the web and it turns out
to be 0.6 in. when the 4-Her goes to sell? “So what is wrong about leaving
the tail a wee bit longer just for insurance? was my simple minded question.
Club lambs are different, was the answer. They are born and bred to be show
lambs not feedlot lambs (The italicized words are mine.) They
are to be long, lean, and muscular. They are the best of the best. They will
dress out 60%. They are to be clean, neat, trim with no unsightly bump on their
nicely rounded rumps. In other words, the reason for no tail is totally aesthetic.
The fact that no tails or extremely short tails increases the risk of pain and
suffering by a substantial number of the animals is of no interest to these
niche breeders and to justify their stance, they refuse to believe the reports
of long time feedlot owners and managers or even, it seems of Extension Service
researchers. Unfortunately, they are not an island onto themselves. They impact
our industry because they have to enter the regular market channels. Docking
tails was a practice begun to keep lambs manure and maggot free, but taken too
far, causes a serious health problem.
At this point, I believe all of the industry needs to quit looking the other
way while the war wages. But, the part of the industry best able to aggressively
address this problem is the purebred industry. It started in the show ring and
it has to end in the show ring. If our judges are not good enough to be able
to see beyond an inch of tail to a good muscled hindquarter, how can they tell
an excellent sheep from a mediocre one? Judging needs to be judging on the merits
of an animal, not its tail length! Show ring and sale promoters need to get
involved and insist on some sort of tail on show sheep. Be good examples to
the club lamb industry. Remember sheep breeders, the life of a lamb does not
usually end when it leaves our hands. It would be nice to ensure that it lives
out its life as comfortable as possible.
2Marie Bulgin is a Sheep Specialist with the University of Idaho. She is the Coordinator of the Caine Veterinary Teaching Center in Caldwell, Idaho.
3People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is a well-funded animal rights organization.
Editor’s note: Veterinarians with the Maryland Department of Agriculture have seen significantly fewer prolapsed lambs at Maryland shows and fairs since Maryland's 4-H tail docking policy was implemented.
March 4
Opportunities for Small Farmers With Sheep
U.S. Washington Cooperative Extension Center
Delaware State University
Dover, Delaware
Info: John Clendaniel at (302) 857-6462 or jclendan@desu.edu
March
10
Forum for Rural Innovation
Best Western Lee-Jackson Motor Inn and Conference Center
Winchester, Virginia
Info: (703) 777-0426 or www.LoudounFarms.org
March 11
Sheep and Goat Workshop
Swine Facility at UMES Research & Teaching Farm
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Princess Anne, Maryland
Info: Erroll Mattox at (410) 651-6206 or eamottox@umes.edu
March 17-18,
April 1
Beginning and Advanced Shearing Schools
Ridgely Thompson Farm
Westminster, Maryland
Info: David Greene at (410) 329-6241 or greelamb@bcpl.net
March 25
Rural Enterprises Conference and MPWV
Spring Meat Goat Conference
Robert C. Byrd Regional Training Center (Camp Dawson)
Kingwood, West Virginia
Info: Info@MoreFarmMoney.org or
Willie Lantz at (301) 334-6960 or wlantz@umd.edu
April 10 and 25
Sheep and Goat Enterprise Development 101
Frederick County Extension Office
Frederick, Maryland
Info: Terry Poole at (301) 694-1594 x13577 or tepoole@umd.edu
April 29
Goat and Sheep Auction
Somerset County Fairgrounds
Princess Anne, Maryland
Info: Dr. Niki Whitley at (410) 651-6194 or nwhitley@umes.edu.
April 29
Meat Goat Nutrition Workshop
Meat Animal Evaluation Center
Rock Springs, Pennsylvania (near State College and Penn State)
Info: Gene Schurman at (724) 465-3880 or exs10@psu.edu
May 6-7
Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival
Howard County Fairgrounds
West Friendship, Maryland
Info: www.sheepandwool.org
For a complete list of Sheep and Goat Events, click HERE.
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
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