Vaccine breakthrough ???

Scientists at the Moredun Research Institute in Edinburgh, Scotland, have successfully immunized sheep against the barber pole worm (Haemonchus contortus). The barber pole worm is a blood-sucking parasite that causes significant livestock losses in warm, humid climates.

The highly effective vaccine developed at Moredun won't kill 100% of the parasite, but it will reduce the worm burden by 80-90%, according to researcher David Smith.The vaccine works by killing the worm and preventing development of eggs.

The vaccine is currently being tested on 100 grazing lambs in Australia and when successful, plans are in place to start making it commercially in Australia.

Currently, there are no commercially available vaccines for any roundworm species of any host, including man.

Read full article at Farmers Guardian

Crutching: a recommended practice

Crutching (or crotching) is a short, quick modification of shearing.  It is the removal of wool from around the tail and between the rear legs of a sheep (or Angora goat) in preparation for lambing.  Crutching is recommended for sheep that are not shorn prior to lambing.

Crutching provides a cleaner sucking area for lambs.  The last thing you want is for a newborn lamb to suck on a tag or piece of wool.  Crutching also improves the quality of the wool clip and makes shearing easier. It helps to prevent flystrike. Rams may be crutched around the pizzle to prevent pizzle rot.

Image of crutched ewe by Kelly Cole

Not all sheep require crutching or shearing prior to lambing.  Some are naturally devoid of wool around their hindquarters.  

2010 Shearing Schools

The 2010 Maryland-Delaware Beginning Sheep Shearing School will be held Friday and Saturday, March 26 and 27, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Ridgely Thompson's farm at 1942 Uniontown Road, Westminster, MD 21157. A school for advanced shearers (those who have attended previous schools and sheared at least 150 sheep) will be held Saturday, April 3, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the same location.

For the beginning school, the registration fee is $80 per person and includes a copy of ASI's Sheep Shearing Notebook and instructional DVD. The registration deadline is March 17. Participation is limited to the first 25. The registration fee for the advanced school is $25 per person. The registration deadline is March 26. Participation is limited to the first 10.

The New Zealand method of shearing will be taught. Shearing machines will be provided.  Blade shearing will not be taught.

The schools are sponsored by University of Maryland and Delaware Extension, the Maryland Sheep Breeders Association, and the Delaware Sheep and Wool Producers Association. Instructors are David Greene, Dr. Richard Barczewski, and Aaron Geiman.

Download flyer for beginners' school
Download flyer for advanced school

Preserving rare heritage breeds

Located on a 45-acre estate in Newport, Rhode Island, SVF is the only organization in the country dedicated to conserving rare heritage livestock breeds by freezing their semen and embryos.

About 45,000 semen and embryo samples from 20 breeds of rare cattle, sheep and goats are preserved there in liquid nitrogen. Each time the foundation freezes a batch of embryos from a new breed, it thaws a few and transplants them into surrogate animals.

While commercial livestock have been bred for consistency, heritage breeds have not been continuously "improved" by humans. They have been shaped more by natural selection and survival-of-the-fittest forces.  They are a valuable resource to the livestock industry.

Before SVF, the preservation of heritage livestock was through natural reproduction and organizations like the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.

Read full New York Times article

Thanks to Kelly Cole for suggesting this blog entry.

Whole Foods Loan Program

Whole Foods Market's Local Producer Loan Program (LPLP) provides up to $10 million in low-interest loans to small, local producers. Loans range from $1,000 to $100,000 and can be for things like purchasing more animals, investing in new equipment or converting to organic production.

Visit the web site to learn more about the loan program.

Whole Foods Market is a supermarket chain with 270 stores in North America and Canada. They are committed to natural foods and sustainable agriculture.

Local Producer Loan Program

Northeast footrot survey

A team of researchers is seeking a grant from Northeast SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education) to address the prevention, treatment, and possible genetic resistance to footrot in sheep. Their plans are to work with farms in the Northeast Region, including Maryland.

If you are a sheep producer that resides in the Northeast, please take the time to complete this short, online survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RHZDTVL by January 27, 2010.

If the project is funded, the team will be seeking farms in the Northeast to participate in on-farm research.

Footrot is one of the most economically devasting diseases affecting small ruminants. Most everything learned in this project will be equally applicable to goats.

Complete online survey

Sheep health survey

USDA's National Animal Health Monitoring Service (NAHMS) is asking for insight to important issues facing the U.S. sheep industry.

Complete their survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Sheep2011.

NAHMS conducted its last national sheep health survey in 2001. It conducted the first national goat health survey in 2009.

Go to the NAHMS web page

Basics of small ruminant production

The Frederick County Office of University of Maryland Extension has announced some of its upcoming programs in a program brochure.

Included is a short course entitled, "The Basics of Small Ruminant Production." This course will consist of three classes from 6:30 to 9 p.m. on May 6, May 13, and May 20. The instructor will be Susan Schoenian, Sheep & Goat Specialist at the University of Maryland's Western Maryland Research & Education Center.

For more information about the small ruminant course and other program offerings in Frederick County, please call (301) 600-3576 or send an e-mail to smarouli@umd.edu.

All classes will be held at the Frederick County Extension Office on 330 Montevue Lane in Frederick, Maryland.

Goats munch Christmas trees

ARLINGTON, Wash. -- Dozens of Christmas trees in Arlington, Wash., not only were recycled, they became a meal for goats to munch on.

KING-TV in Seattle says the trees were taken to the New Moon Farm Goat Rescue and Sanctuary, where the evergreens were fed to about 38 goats.

Sanctuary owner Ellen Felsenthal says people like the idea of turning trees into goat food.

Source: King5.com

Thanks to Sara Hare from the West Virginia Small Ruminant Project for suggesting this blog entry.

Notes on Goats

Notes on Goats is a comprehensive web site dedicated to providing the latest research, information, and news about goats. The author of the web site is Dr. Sandra Solaiman, Professor and Director of Small Ruminant Research at Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Alabama.

Dr. Solaiman's major contribution to goat production is her extensive study and research on copper requirements for goats. In fact, her current research focuses on copper-molybdenum interaction in goats.

Her other research focus is on sustainable goat production systems using year-round foraging. She has a special interest in sustainable agriculture and the fate of small and mid-size family farms in the U.S.

Notes on Goats includes sections on breeds, selection, housing, breeding, feeding, health, records, budgets, marketing, quality assurance, environment, and regulatory issues. There is an Ask the Expert feature, in which you can post questions to Dr. Solaiman.

www.notesongoats.com

Sheep & Goat Inventory Survey

Each year in January and July, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) conducts a Sheep & Goat Inventory Survey.

During the first two weeks of January, producers will be contacted to participate in the Sheep & Goat Inventory Survey. The survey will provide the latest information on conditions and trends in the U.S. sheep & goat industry for 2010.

For convenience, producers have the option of responding to the survey by telephone, mail, during a personal interview, or online.

Results of the survey will be published for release on January 29, 2010.

Source: ASI Weekly News, 12.31.09.