Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Goats milk more with festive music

A farmer has discovered that by repeatedly playing Mariah Carey's festive favorite "All I Want For Christmas Is You" to his dairy goat herd, he can increase milk production by 20 per cent.

Angus, 57, who runs St Helen’s Farm in Seaton Ross, near York (UK), said: “We are absolutely dumbfounded by the difference playing this song has made to the goats."

“Our milk maids started listening to the radio when they were milking them. They immediately noticed the animals were more relaxed and started producing more milk as a result."

“When one of the girls brought in a CD of Christmas classics they seemed to perk up when the Mariah Carey song came on. It’s really upbeat and they seem to love it."

“I think the staff here are sick of it now but unfortunately it works for the goats.”

St Helen’s Farm milks 2,000 goats. Each produces about three liters a day -- or three and a half liters if Mariah is playing.

Read full article at Express.co.uk

Thanks to Shannon Uzelac for suggesting this blog entry.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Penn State Home Study Courses

Penn State Cooperative Extension will be offering three Extension Home Study Courses this winter, beginning on February 2. The purpose of the courses is to teach producers about production principles for beef, sheep, or meat goats that will help their operations become more profitable.

All three courses are offered through the postal service. The sheep and meat goat courses are also available via e-mail/internet. Each course has six lessons that are to be completed weekly. Lesson topics include basic production information: nutrition, health, reproduction, marketing, and financial issues.

For more information, contact the Penn State Extension office in Bedford County at (814) 623-4800 or Fulton County at (717) 485-4111. The cost is $40 if the course is taken over e-mail/internet; $75 if the course is taken through the postal service. The deadline for registration is January 29.

Over 1400 producers from across the country have taken one or more of the three courses.

Sheep Home Study Course
Meat Goat Home Study Course

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

New commercial fiber mill in Maryland

Maryland's only commercial fiber mill recently opened. Singleton Fiber Processing Mill is located at 580 East Church Street in Frederick.

The mill will process raw wool into roving according to the customer's specifications. Singleton will take the fleece through all stages of processing:  skirting, scouring, drying, combing and carding.

There are no minimum runs.  The mill will process any amount of wool.  Turnaround time will be fast.

For more information, contact the mill at (240) 344-6784 or orders@singletonfibermill.com.

Information and image provided by Frederick Sheep Breeders Association.

Monday, December 20, 2010

Sheep & Goat Inventory Survey

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is getting ready to conduct the Sheep and Goat Inventory Survey. Conducted each year in January and July, this survey provides critical inventory and production information for all states and the nation.

Make sure your livestock are counted!
During the first two weeks in January, producers will be contacted to participate in the Sheep and Goat Inventory Survey. This survey will provide the latest information on conditions and trends in the U.S. sheep and goat industry for 2010.

For convenience, producers will have the option of responding to the survey by telephone, mail, during a personal interview or online. The NASS survey data are widely used.  Producers are encouraged to participate and provide accurate data.

As is the case with all NASS surveys, information provided by respondents is confidential by law. Results will be published in the Sheep and Goats report scheduled for release on Jan. 28, 2011. All NASS reports are available online at www.nass.usda.gov.

Source: ASI News, December 3, 2010

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Do your sheep have footrot?

University of Maine Cooperative Extension is partnering with other Northeast states to recruit sheep flocks for a new SARE1-funded Sheep Foot Health Project.The purpose of the project is to help producers eliminate footrot from their flocks and keep it from reoccurring.

Visit the Sheep Foot Health Project web site at http://umaine.edu/sheep to learn more about the project and the benefits and requirements of flock participation.

An application packet is available on the web site.  All information submitted by participants about their flock and farm will be held in strict confidence.

Though only a limited number of sheep flocks can be active participants in the project, all sheep and goat producers will benefit from the educational programs and materials that the Sheep Foot Health Project will generate in the next several years.

Footrot is one of the most insidious diseases affecting sheep and goats.  It is both preventable and curable. It presents itself as lame animals, animals that kneel to graze, or animals with hoof separation.

1 Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education

Sheep Footrot Health Research & Education Project
Apply to participate in the Sheep Foot Health Project

Maryland Small Ruminant Foot Health Page

Friday, December 17, 2010

2011 Ewe/Doe Management Webinars

A series of weekly webinars has been scheduled to help small ruminant producers manage ewes and does from late gestation through weaning.
All of the webinars will be held on Thursday evenings, beginning at 7 p.m. They will last for approximately one hour. The primary instructor will be Susan Schoenian, University of Maryland Extension Sheep & Goat Specialist.

Pre-registration is requested by noon the day of the webinar. You can pre-register online by clicking on the name (above) of the webinar(s) that you wish to participate in. If you have difficulty registering online, contact Pam Thomas at pthomas@umd.edu to pre-register.

Anyone (anywhere) with a computer and access to the internet can participate.  High speed internet access is recommended, but not required.  Participation is limited to the first 80 people who pre-register.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Shearing School for Beginners

There will be a Shearing School for Beginners on Friday and Saturday, March 18-19, 2011, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Ridgely Thompson Farm at 1942 Uniontown Road, Westminster, MD 21157.

David Greene (L)
The registration fee is $80 per person and includes a copy of ASI's Sheep Shearing Notebook and an instructional DVD. Pre-registration is required.  No registrations will be accepted after March 14. Participation is limited to the first 25. The minimum age is 16.

The New Zealand method of shearing will be taught. Shearing machines will be provided.  Blade shearing will not be taught. Instructors are David Greene, Dr. Richard Barczewski, and Aaron Geiman.

The schools are sponsored by University of Maryland and Delaware Extension, the Maryland Sheep Breeders Association, and the Delaware Sheep and Wool Producers Association.

Checks should be made payable to the Carroll County Extension Advisory Council and mailed to David L. Greene, 2014 White Hall Road, White Hall, MD  21161-9712.

Download registration form

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

2011 National Sheep Health Study

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) NAHMS1 conducts national studies on the health and management of the U.S. livestock, poultry, and aquaculture industries.

NAHMS has conducted two previous studies of the U.S. sheep industry: 1996 and 2001.  Objectives of these studies included estimating the prevalence of specific sheep diseases and conditions, describing risk factors associated with scrapie, and describing nutritional practices that impact sheep health.

The NAHMS Sheep 2011 study will continue to address the priority issues of the U.S. sheep industry and its stakeholders. Twenty-two states (excluding Maryland) will participate in the 2011 survey. The chosen states represent 70 percent of U.S. flocks and 85 percent of U.S. sheep.

The first NAHMS goat study, intended to provide baseline information for the goat industry, was conducted in 2009, but results have not yet been posted to the NAHMS Goat Page.

1National Animal Health Monitoring System

NAHMS Sheep Studies

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Johne's Disease Q & A

The National Johne's Disease Working Group has prepared Q & A booklets about Johne's Disease in sheep and goats.

Johne's (pronounced "YO-knees") is a fatal gastrointestinal disease of sheep, goats, and other ruminants. It is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis.  Also known as paratuberculosis, the infection is contagious and can spread in a flock.

Sheep with advanced Johne's disease
Image source:  Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Due to lack of testing and reporting, it is not known how widespread Johne's disease is in sheep and goats in the United States. However, it has been confirmed in sheep flocks and goat herds throughout the country.

Johne's Disease Q & A for Goat Owners
Johne's Disease Q & A for Sheep Owners

Other Johne's links

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Dolly reborn!

Dolly the sheep has been reborn. Four clones have been made by the scientist behind the original research.

Daily Mail image of the "Dollies"
The quads, which have been nicknamed "the Dollies", are exact genetic copies of their predecessor, who was put down seven years ago.

Named after country and western singer Dolly Parton, Dolly was created from a cell taken from a mammary gland. The rest of the sample of tissue has lain in a freezer since, until it was defrosted to make the Dollies.

Professor Keith Campbell, who keeps the Dollies as pets on land at Nottingham University, said: "Dolly is alive and well. Genetically these are Dolly."  Campbell plans to publish details about the Dollies in a scientific journal. 

The Dollies were born three-and-a-half years ago but their existence became public only recently.

Source:  Mail Online, November 30, 2010.

Read full UK Daily Mail article.

Friday, December 10, 2010

From Start to Finish

Meat goat producers from eight states recently gathered for the rare opportunity to learn the process of grading live goats, watch a goat harvest, and evaluate whole carcasses ready for market.  Participants followed two goats – one grass-fed and one grain-fed – from start to finish.

Dr. Bob Herr, owner of Nix Besser Livestock Co, in Narvon, PA, a livestock dealer and order buyer of sheep and goats at the New Holland Sales Stables taught the group how to separate goats into three grades: Selection 1-3. He said, "the arm muscle is an indicator of muscle the rest of the way down."

According to Herr, there is no one size goat that is perfect for every holiday, because different ethnic groups require different goat sexes and size.  However, he says, “an 80-lb. billy is hard to beat.”  Herr recommends taking goats to market the week before a holiday.

“A lot of people pride themselves on having all pasture-fed goats, but putting them on grain a little will bring you double at the sale barn,” Herr said.  In contrast, he said most high-placing show goats are over-finished.  According to Herr, “there is no one right way to raise goats."

The workshop was held at LambCo, LLC, a USDA/custom slaughter facility in New Windsor, Maryland.  It was sponsored by the MPWV Meat Goat Producers Association.   According to President Pam Adams, MPWV works very hard to bring programs to producers to add value to their goats. For more information about MPWV, contact Pam at (410) 549-2539.

Source:  Lancaster Farming, Southern Edition, November 20, 2010

Read full article

Thursday, December 9, 2010

The upside to parasites

Contrary to popular opinion, people (and animals) are supposed to have parasites. In fact, many scientists believe that there have been negative consequences to ridding the human gut of parasites.

Various studies suggest that parasites can regulate the immune system in ways that prevent it from going "wild" and attacking healthy tissue.

Joel Weinstock at Tufts Medical Center in Boston has been using parasitic worms to treat people with ulcerative colitis. He says drug companies are now trying to create parasites that would actually be approved by the FDA for treating inflammatory bowel disease.

While common in the U.S., inflammatory bowel disease is rare in places where parasites are common. 

Read NPR article

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Organic sheep and goat farming

There is a growing demand for organic commodities, including those products derived from sheep and goats:  meat, fiber, milk, cheese, etc.

The biggest challenge to raising sheep and goats organically is internal parasite control.  Animals destined for slaughter may not be dewormed or treated with an anti-coccidia drug. Alternative methods of parasite control must be implemented. Any animal that requires anthelmintic or antibiotic treatment cannot be sold as organic.

The Maryland Small Ruminant Page has added a page on organic sheep and goat farming.  The page contains a comprehensive list of links pertaining to organic sheep and goat production: animal health, breeding, economics, marketing, meat quality, pasture, predator control, standards, transitioning, and welfare.

www.sheepandgoat.com/organicfarming.html

Friday, December 3, 2010

Tri-State Hay & Pasture Conference

There will be a Tri-State Hay & Pasture Conference on Thursday, January 20, 2011, at the Salisbury Fire Hall in Salisbury, Pennsylvania.

Sheep grazing in Nova Scotia
The main speaker will be Darrell Emmick, a retirement grazing management specialist from New York.  Dr. Emmick is well-known for his behavior-based approach to grazing and feeding management.

Other topics will include include reducing hay waste; taking grass to the next level: new developments and concepts; weed control for hay and pasture management; calculating the cost of harvesting hay; and discussion of the Mt. Top Grazing Network.

Checks made payable to Garrett County EAC should be sent to Hay & Pasture Conference, University of Maryland Extension, 1916 Maryland Highway, Suite A, Mountain Lake Park, Maryland  21550.  The registration fee is $15 per person, if received by January 14. After January 14, the fee increases to $20.

Information provided by Dr. Les Vough.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Sheep & Goat Management Update

There will be a Sheep & Goat Management Update at the Loudoun County Extension Office on Wednesday, December 15, 2010, @ 7 p.m.  The Loudoun County Extension Office is located at 30 Catoctin Circle in Leesburg, Virginia.

The meeting will cover lambing and kidding management and health care techniques.  The instructor will be Corey Childs, Loudoun County Extension Agent.

To register, call the Extension Office at (703) 777-0373 or send an e-mail to Mary Keith Lilly at  KLilly@vt.edu. There is no cost to attend.  Refreshments will be served.

Thanks to Peter Vorac for this entry.

Virginia Bred Ewe (and Doe) Sale

A Virginia Bred Ewe (and Doe) Sale will be held this Saturday, December 4, 2010, @ 1 p.m. at the Rockingham County Fairgrounds in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

A listing of the sale animals is available on the Virginia Sheep Producers web site at www.vasheepproducers.com/.  All females will be ultrasounded on sale day to determine pregnancy status.Yearlings and mature ewes and does are guaranteed bred.  Ewe lambs and doe kids may be bred or open.

For more information, contact Corey Childs at (540) 955-4663 or corey@clublambs.com or Laura Davis at (540) 421-3469 or LBSponaugle@gmail.com.

Thanks to Scott Greiner for this entry.